Get the Recipe: Red Velvet Donuts
Start Valentine's Day off with a sweet treat for breakfast. Red velvet donuts are topped with cream cheese icing and ready in 30 minutes!
Ingredients
Donuts
- 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 Tablespoons Dutch Process cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup (133 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ½ cup (120 ml) buttermilk, room temperature
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 4 drops red food coloring
Glaze
- ½ cup (113 g or 4 oz) cream cheese, room temperature
- ¼ cup (30 g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1-2 Tablespoons heavy cream, or milk
- Valentine’s Day sprinkles for decoration
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Grease a donut tin with butter or nonstick spray and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the egg and sugar until well combined. Add the buttermilk, melted butter and vanilla extract. Mix until incorporated and smooth, then stir in the red food coloring until combined.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix just until combined.
- Using a piping bag or a spoon, transfer the batter to the prepared donut tin, filling each cavity about three-quarters full. Bake donuts at 350 F for 8 to 10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into one comes out with little to no crumbs. Allow the donuts to cool in the pan for a couple minutes before inverting them onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- For the cream cheese glaze, place cream cheese in a shallow bowl and heat in the microwave on 50% power level stopping to stir every 15 seconds until warm and thin enough to stir easily. Whisk in the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla extract. For a thinner consistency, add 1 Tablespoon of cream.
- Dip the top of each donut in the glaze. Garnish with Valentine’s Day sprinkles.
Notes
Dutch-process cocoa powder will provide the best chocolate flavor in this recipe. Since the recipe uses baking powder (and not baking soda), the cocoa's neutral pH won’t interfere with leavening, allowing for a smooth, rich chocolate taste without any bitterness.
Red food coloring is optional, but it is what give the donuts their signature hue. You can use natural food coloring if you prefer.
Buttermilk helps create a tender texture and slightly tangy taste red velvet is known for. You can make a substitute by adding 1 1/2 teaspoons white distilled vinegar to a liquid measuring cup, then adding milk and filling to the 1/2 cup measure. Whisk and let the mixture sit for 10 minutes before using.
Store donuts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Place parchment paper between layers to help keep the icing in tact.
Serving: 1donut, Calories: 201kcal, Carbohydrates: 31g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 37mg, Sodium: 270mg, Potassium: 158mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 18g, Vitamin A: 221IU, Vitamin C: 0.01mg, Calcium: 98mg, Iron: 1mg