Basic Devil’s Food Cake Doughnuts
This recipe is from Hand-Forged Doughnuts by Mark and Michael Klebeck with Jess Thompson from Top Pot Doughnuts. Thom and I always debate which is better, cake doughnuts or yeast doughnuts. To me, a cake doughnut wins every time.
Servings
lots
Servings
lots
Ingredients
Doughnuts
Simple Chocolate Icing
Instructions
Doughnuts
  1. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
  2. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the sugar and shortening for 1 minute on low speed, until sandy. Add the egg yolks one at a time, then mix for 1 more minute on medium speed, scraping down the bowl with a spatula as necessary, until the mixture is light coloured and thick. Mix in the vanilla.
  3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in three separate additions, alternating with the milk, mixing until just combined on low speed each time. The dough will be sticky, like cookie dough.
  4. Transfer the dough to a clean bowl and refrigerate, covered with plastic wrap for 45 min (up to 24 hours).
  5. If using a deep fryer, preheat to 370º. If using a deep pot, add 2-3 inches of oil and with a candy thermometer, preheat to 370º.
  6. Roll out the chilled dough on a floured surface to 1/2 thickness. Flour the dough and rolling pin as necessary to prevent sticking.
  7. Cut as many doughnuts and holes as possible, dipping the cutter in flour each time to keep from sticking. Fold and gently re-roll the dough to get more doughnuts and holes.
  8. Shake or brush any excess flour from the doughnuts before adding them to the hot oil one at a time – being careful not to crowd them. Once the doughnuts float, fry for about 60 seconds per side – you won’t be able to see when the doughnuts brown because of the chocolate, but you will see a change in texture. Drain on paper towels and cool.
Icing
  1. Place the icing sugar, corn syrup, salt, vanilla, and hot water in a large mixing bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Using a whisk or with the machine on low speed, blend until the mixture is smooth and all of the sugar has been incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as necessary. Add the melted chocolate and stir to combine completely. If the icing seems too thick, add more hot water, one teaspoon at a time.
  2. To ice the doughnuts, dip one side of each cooled doughnut into the warm icing, and let dry for 10 – 15 minutes before serving.