Glazed Chocolate Cake Donuts
These chocolate glazed cake donuts are baked, soft, and rich with cocoa flavor. Made with buttermilk, sour cream, and a touch of cornstarch for ultimate tenderness, they're dipped in a thin glaze that sets beautifully. A homemade treat that's simple, satisfying, and bakery-worthy.
Servings: 12 donuts
Ingredients
For the donuts:
- 5 tbsp salted butter melted
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup buttermilk room temperature
- ⅓ cup full-fat sour cream
- 1 egg + 1 egg yolk room temperature
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp corn starch
- ⅓ cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 3 tbsp whole milk room temperature
For the glaze:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3-5 tbsp whole milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp melted butter optional but adds shine
Instructions
For the donuts:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and lightly grease a donut pan. In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter, sugar, vanilla, buttermilk, sour cream, egg, egg yolk, and milk until smooth and fully combined.
- In a separate bowl, sift together flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined—don’t over mix.
- Pipe or spoon the batter into the donut pan, filling each cavity about ¾ full. Bake for 12–14 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.
For the glaze:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and melted butter until smooth. Dip each cooled donut into the glaze, or pour over with a pan underneath, then return to the wire rack to set for 15–20 minutes.Optional: Add sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, or flaky sea salt while the glaze is still wet.