I make everything about food. So when I finished reading Jasmine Guillory’s fantastic novel, The Wedding Date, one of the things I latched onto was the heroine’s love for pink donuts with sprinkles. But these baked chocolate donuts (double chocolate even!) go above and beyond with not just a dip in pink glaze, but real strawberry glaze. It’s the legit chocolate/strawberry combo you need if you’re reading The Wedding Date, or if you need a Valentine’s/Galentine’s treat.
Adapted from King Arthur Flour recipes, we dialed up the chocolate using a 70% cacao bar instead of standard chocolate chips and made the strawberry glaze. The secret to that glaze is freeze-dried strawberries. Whiz up the strawberries in a food processor and you’ve got a bright pink powder that’s super flavorful and more natural than using cake decorating dyes. Trader Joe’s also carries freeze dried raspberries and blueberries along with the strawberries, if you’re looking for other flavors.
Trader Joe’s freeze dried strawberries give these baked chocolate donuts their bright pink glaze.
Yes, these baked chocolate donuts do require a special donut baking pan. A few years ago, it seemed like everyone was making donuts and so this pan sat in my baking drawer for ages. At this point, you might even be able to find one at a thrift store. I’m convinced though, that this recipe is the one that’s gonna make owning a single-use pan worthwhile.
The rest of the decoration comes from the cake decorating section of your local craft store. Wilton sprinkles in the form of jimmies, stars and pearlized sugar cover these donuts, but they’re just as delicious just dipped in the glaze. Pair it with a handwritten note folded into a heart and your Valentine’s/Galentine’s Day is set.
Check out my review of Jasmine Guillory’s The Wedding Date here.
Baked Chocolate Donuts with Strawberry Glaze
Ingredients
- Chocolate Fudge Cake Donuts
- 2/3 c. Dutch-process cocoa
- 1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 c. light brown sugar
- 1 t. baking powder
- 3/4 t. espresso powder
- 1 t. baking soda
- 3/4 t. salt
- 1 3 oz. bar of 70% cacao chocolate, chopped into chocolate chip-sized pieces (we used Guittard)
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 c. milk
- 2 t. vanilla extract
- 2 t. vinegar, white or cider
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- Shortening for greasing the pan
- Strawberry Glaze
- 1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
- 1 1.2 oz. package of freeze dried strawberries
- 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- 3-4 tablespoons milk or water
- Multi-color sprinkles, jimmies or the like for decoration
Instructions
To make the donuts, preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a donut pan with shortening and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cocoa, flour, sugar, baking powder, espresso powder, baking soda, salt and chocolate chunks.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla, and vinegar.
Add the wet ingredients, including the vegetable oil, to the dry ingredients, stirring just until combined.
Spoon the batter into the pan, filling them about three-quarters full.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a donut center comes out clean.
Remove the donuts from the oven, and after 30 seconds or so, loosen the edges with a sharp knife. Then invert the pan over a rack. If they don't immediately come out, wiggle them gently, but don't force them out. They may need another minute to cool.
Let cool completely on the rack.
To make the glaze, buzz the strawberries in a food processor until they're powdery. Sift the strawberry powder together with the confectioners sugar to ensure you have no lumps or large bits of strawberry. In a medium bowl, combine the sugar and strawberries with corn syrup and melted butter. Add the milk or water 1 T. at a time until you reach the desired consistency.
Dip each donut into the glaze about half way, then gently remove. They should be evenly coated. While wet, decorate with sprinkles or jimmies as desired. The glaze will need several hours to fully set, but taste great freshly dipped.
Notes
Adapted from King Arthur Flour's: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/three-easy-doughnut-glazes-recipe https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/chocolate-fudge-cake-doughnuts-recipe
