Chocolate Old Fashioned Donuts Recipe

stack of three old fashioned chocolate donuts with more donuts in the background.

5 from 16 votes

Chocolate Old Fashioned Donuts Recipe

These chocolate old fashioned donuts are crisp on the outside, tender on the inside, and finished with a sweet glaze. These homemade donuts have deep chocolate flavor and are the perfect breakfast indulgence.

Prep Time20

Cook Time20

Chilling Time1

Total Time1 40

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: donuts + donut holes

Calories: 145kcal

Author: MaryAnne

Equipment

Stand mixer or electric hand-mixer
large pot
Deep-fry thermometer
baking sheet
Rolling Pin
Donut cutter or biscuit cutter
Wire rack
Slotted spoon or deep-fry skimmer

Ingredients

For the chocolate donuts:

1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour + more for cutting dough
½ cup cocoa powder
¼ cup cornstarch
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon espresso powder
½ cup granulated sugar
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
2 egg yolks
1 cup sour cream, room temperature
2 quarts vegetable oil, for frying

For the glaze:

¼ cup whole milk
2 ¼ cups confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Make the donuts:

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, and espresso powder until well mixed.
Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or using an electric hand-mixer, beat sugar and softened butter for around 1 minute. Mixture will look sandy.
Beat in egg yolks for around 2 minutes, until mixture lightens and volume increases.
In three additions, add flour mixture, alternating with the sour cream, beating after each addition until flour is well incorporated.
Transfer dough to a large piece of plastic wrap and wrap securely. Lightly roll out dough to a disc that is roughly 2" thick. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.

Make the glaze:

While dough is chilling, make your glaze: In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the milk, confectioner's sugar, and vanilla until smooth and no lumps remain. Set aside.

Cut and Fry the donuts:

Attach deep-fry thermometer to a large pot or deep saucepan, and add oil. Heat oil to 350° F. (try to keep temperature between 350° and 360°).
On a well-floured surface, use a well-floured rolling pin to roll out dough to ½-inch thickness. Lightly flour donut cutter and cut approximately 16 donuts and donut holes. Repeat this step with scraps until no more dough remains.
Place wire rack on top of a baking sheet lined with newspaper or aluminum foil (to catch the oil and glaze).
Fry donuts 3 at a time, about 2 minutes on each side until golden and cooked through. (They will sink at first, and then the baking powder will do its thing and they will rise to the surface.) Use a slotted spoon or deep-fry skimmer to transfer donuts to wire rack.
While donuts are warm, dip them into the glaze, flipping to cover both sides of donuts, and return them to wire rack. Let donuts rest for about 15 minutes to allow glaze to set.
Fry donut holes in batches for about 1 minute on each side. Transfer to wire rack, and dip in glaze while they are still warm.
Donuts are always best served on the day they are made, but can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Notes

Monitor your oil temperature and keep it in the range of 350-360 degrees F. This keeps the donuts from becoming too greasy (oil is too cool) or burning and/or cooking unevenly (oil is too hot).
If you don't have a donut cutter, biscuit cutters will work as well (if you have different sizes). Or, the wide end of a pastry tip will work to cut the hole out of the donut.
Be liberal when flouring your work area, donut cutters, and rolling pin.
Use an offset spatula to pick up your donuts from the baking sheet.
Use room temperature sour cream. This will ensure the right structure for your donuts. If you have time, let your sour cream sit out at room temperature for an hour before making your donuts. Or you could use the microwave to bring it to room temperature as well.
Don't skip the espresso powder! Using espresso powder in chocolate pastries or baked goods is a secret that a lot of pastry chefs use to heighten the flavor of chocolate. I promise that your donuts won't taste like coffee, but it will intensify the chocolate flavor. If you are caffeine sensitive, opt for decaf espresso powder. Instant coffee would work as well, as a substitution.
Storage: Although homemade donuts are best when fresh, you can store completely cooled donuts at room temperature for up to 4 days. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months. To do this, wrap donuts in foil and place in a freezer storage bag.

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