I had this whole post planned in my head about how the pandemic re-ignited my love of being in the kitchen developing recipes and playing with my food. And then Mother Nature decided to gift us a winter apocalypse with the predicted low on Monday night as TEN degrees. TEN. Because of this crazy winter gift, I’ll be hunkering down indoors and occupying myself with some baking projects. And probably enjoying plenty of hot beverages.
I wanted to make sure to get this post up in advance of the weekend in case you also find yourself in need of some baking projects. And if you don’t feel like baking, maybe these photos will somehow satiate you in the meantime? These doughnuts are dense and cake-y and perhaps the closest I’ve been able to get to achieving a gluten free/vegan doughnut with a texture similar to a traditional fried cake doughnut. I opted for a mocha glaze and crunchy cacao nibs to top them off.
Baked Cake Doughnuts with Mocha Glaze
- Total Time: 36 minutes
- Yield: 8 doughnuts 1x
Description
These doughnuts are dense and cake-y and perhaps the closest I’ve been able to get to achieving a gluten free/vegan doughnut with a texture similar to a traditional fried cake doughnut. They’re topped with a mocha glaze and crunchy cacao nibs.
Ingredients
for the doughnuts:
- 200g Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Baking Flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp fine grain sea salt
- 90g melted vegan butter
- 30g unsweetened applesauce
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 200g plant milk (I used cashew)
- 90g natural cane sugar
for the glaze:
- 1 cup of powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- small pinch of fine grain sea salt
- 2 tbsp cold brew coffee (or cooled black coffee), plus extra as needed
- handful of cacao nibs for sprinkling
Instructions
Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees (Fahrenheit). Lightly grease 2 doughnut pans (you’ll have enough batter for 8 doughnuts so grease accordingly). Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt to aerate and combine. In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients until smooth. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until no lumps remain.
The easiest way to neatly get the batter into the molds of the doughnut pan is to use a piping bag. I rarely have these so I tend to use a large ziploc bag that I’ve snipped the tip off of. You can also carefully spoon the batter into the pans. You want to fill them roughly 2/3 to 3/4 full of batter. Once you’re done, tap the pan on the counter a couple of times to help settle the batter. Bake your doughnuts in your preheated 350 degree oven for 14-16 minutes or until the tops spring back when gently touched and the edges are beginning to turn golden brown. Allow the doughnuts to cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before inverting them onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
To make the glaze, pass the powdered sugar and cocoa powder through a sieve into a mixing bowl to remove any lumps. Add the salt and the cold brew coffee and mix with a whisk until smooth and thick. You want a thick yet pourable consistency. If it seems too thick, add a splash or two more of the cold brew.
To glaze your doughnuts, you’re going to be using the side that was in the baking pan as it will be lovely and rounded from the mold. Carefully dunk this side of each doughnut into the glaze, then set it glaze side up on a cooling rack and sprinkle the top with cacao nibs. Repeat with the remaining doughnuts.
These doughnuts are best enjoyed the day they are made. If you want to enjoy some the next day, place them on a plate and cover with a glass dome or mixing bowl for the best texture.
Notes
This recipe is formulated to be gluten free so it won’t work if you sub in regular AP flour in place of the gluten free mix. You’ll notice the ingredients of the glaze aren’t measured by weight as this part of the recipe doesn’t have to be quite so precise. If you don’t feel like making the glaze you can do a simple sprinkle of powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar once they are cool.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 16 minutes
