• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
A Nerd Cooks
  • Recipe Index
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Me
  • A Nerd Travels
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Summer
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Contact Me
  • Subscribe
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Summer
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Contact Me
  • Subscribe
×
A Nerd Cooks » Breakfast » Donuts

Chocolate Cake Mix Donuts

Apr 14, 2016 · Modified: Feb 26, 2023 by Lauren Pacek · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

I love it when you share my recipes!

2017 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • Mix
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Chocolate Cake Mix Donuts are sweet and delicious! 

These Chocolate Cake Mix Donuts are light and cake-y, doused with a sweet powdered sugar glaze, and topped with chopped Oreos and chocolate sprinkles.

Chocolate Cake Mix Donuts | A Nerd Cooks

So... how do you spell it, anyway?

Donut... doughnut...  How do you spell it?  I'm partial to "donut" without any real justification for that preference.  The spell check on this computer is flagging "donut" but not "doughnut" as not being a word but... I'm gonna stick to my guns.

Donut it is!!

Chocolate Cake Mix Donuts | A Nerd Cooks

Looking for other donut recipes?

I gotchu!

I've been getting my donut on lately (see chocolate peppermint cake donuts and pumpkin streusel donuts), and have plans to make more over the weekend.  So stay tuned next week!

These particular donuts are especially easy to make,  since they start out as a boxed cake mix!  I tend to be a little snobby about making everything from scratch, so I had shied away from recipes that use boxed mixes.  But, really, there's no need for pretentiousness when a shortcut like this can get donuts into your face hole more quickly.  Come with me; Let us all embrace the boxed cake mix donut!

This recipe comes from Kleinworth & Co.

✨ Recipe

Chocolate Cake Mix Donuts | A Nerd Cooks

Chocolate Cake Mix Donuts

Lauren Pacek
These Chocolate Cake Mix Donuts are light and cake-y, doused with a sweet powdered sugar glaze, and topped with chopped Oreos and chocolate sprinkles.
4.36 from 14 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 10 minutes mins
Total Time 25 minutes mins
Course Donuts
Cuisine American
Servings 12 donuts
Calories 147 kcal

Ingredients
  

For the donuts

  • 1 box chocolate cake mix
  • 1 egg
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup water

For the glaze

  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 2-3 tablespoon milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the toppings

  • chopped Oreo cookies
  • chocolate sprinkles

Instructions
 

To make the donuts

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a donut pan or two with cooking spray and set them aside.
  • In a medium-sized bowl, add the cake mix, egg, vegetable oil, and water. Mix until combined. 
  • Using a piping bag, or spoon, fill the donut pan(s) up about ½-3/4 of the way.
  • Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the donuts are done all the way through. Allow them to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack to finish cooling completely.

To make the glaze

  • In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar a bit of the milk, and the vanilla extract. (see notes)
  • Spoon the glaze liberally over the tops of the donuts. Add as many chopped Oreos and sprinkles as your heart desires. 

Notes

Notes: Find that your glaze is too thin? Add some more powdered sugar. Too thick? More milk. Keep going until you hit on a consistency that you're happy with.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Calories: 147kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 1gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 40mgSugar: 20g

Disclaimer: Nutritional information is a generated estimate and is not guaranteed to be accurate.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

What gear should you have on hand to make these donuts?

  • I have a couple of these donut pans from Wilton. 10/10
  • Oreos! Double Stuff, please.
  • Boxed chocolate cake mix (use whatever you prefer)
Chocolate Cake Mix Donuts | A Nerd Cooks

Pin this recipe for later!

Chocolate Cake Mix Donuts | A Nerd Cooks

More Donuts

  • Apple Cider Donuts | A Nerd Cooks
    Apple Cider Donuts
  • Chocolate Peppermint Cake Donuts | A Nerd Cooks
    Chocolate Peppermint Cake Donuts
  • Pumpkin Streusel Donuts | A Nerd Cooks
    Pumpkin Streusel Donuts

I love it when you share my recipes!

2017 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • Mix

Reader Interactions

Comments

    4.36 from 14 votes (6 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




  1. Rebecca L Lear

    March 07, 2021 at 12:54 am

    3 stars
    I'm a pretty experienced baker and had some major issues with these. First, I had to bake them for close to 18 minutes (and yes, my oven holds temperature perfectly),. I waited 5 minutes, loosened the edges and they literally fell apart. I think I'll try King Arthur's cake donut recipe,

    Reply
  2. Rebecca L Lear

    March 07, 2021 at 12:54 am

    3 stars
    I'm a pretty experienced baker and had some major issues with these. First, I had to bake them for close to 18 minutes (and yes, my oven holds temperature perfectly),. I waited 5 minutes, loosened the edges and they literally fell apart. I think I'll try King Arthur's cake donut recipe,

    Reply
    • laurenpacek

      March 07, 2021 at 3:47 pm

      Sorry to hear that these didn't work out for you!

      Reply
  3. Darlene Graziano

    February 01, 2021 at 9:26 pm

    Can you use a brownie mix in place of cake mix?

    Reply
    • laurenpacek

      February 02, 2021 at 1:24 am

      Oo that's a great question! I've never tried it, so I can't say for sure (though now I'm really tempted to give it a go...). If you do try it, please let me know how it works out for you.

      Reply
  4. Shannon

    February 08, 2020 at 1:33 pm

    I just made these using a DH devils food cake mix and they turned out way too soft and fluffy. They weren’t as dense as I was expecting. Delicious but not the texture I was expecting.

    Reply
    • laurenpacek

      February 10, 2020 at 9:46 pm

      Hey, Shannon! So sorry that they were a bit of a disappointment. I will agree that they're not super cakey and dense (that's how I prefer most of my donuts, too). But I think that's what we're stuck with when using cake mix as a base. If I ever perfect a box mix-based donut that is actually dense, I'll definitely update this recipe!!

      Reply
  5. Ludi Martin

    December 26, 2019 at 11:37 pm

    Just recieved a donut pan for Christmas and can't wait to use it. However I never made donuts but love it. I need simple receipts and using cake mixes would but just what I needed. Do I use one box for 12 donuts?

    Reply
    • laurenpacek

      December 27, 2019 at 1:18 am

      Hey, Ludi! Sounds like a great Christmas gift to me. Yup, I used 1 box of cake mix and that yielded 12 donuts. Happy donut-ing!

      Reply
  6. Liza Sklar

    April 24, 2019 at 1:02 pm

    4 stars
    These look really good! But...I want my donuts to be more like a cake donut and less like a boxed cake texture. What can I add to the mix to make them more dense?

    Reply
  7. Liza Sklar

    April 24, 2019 at 1:02 pm

    4 stars
    These look really good! But...I want my donuts to be more like a cake donut and less like a boxed cake texture. What can I add to the mix to make them more dense?

    Reply
    • laurenpacek

      April 24, 2019 at 1:38 pm

      Tbh, that's how I prefer my donuts, too. I think you might be better off making them from scratch rather than using a boxed cake mix.

      Reply
  8. Hina Ahmad

    February 12, 2019 at 3:20 am

    How strong do these donuts turn out? Are they too fragile to be stacked or hung on a donut wall? Thanks!

    Reply
    • laurenpacek

      February 12, 2019 at 3:26 am

      Hi there! I think that they can be stacked pretty safely (within reason... I think the highest stack I've ever tried has been like, 5 donuts). However, I wouldn't trust them on a donut wall. They're not terribly fragile, but I think that gravity might do a number on them if you try to hang them up.

      Reply
    • M

      March 17, 2019 at 11:59 am

      What is a donoughnut wall?

      Reply
      • laurenpacek

        March 17, 2019 at 8:40 pm

        Check out some examples here: https://www.google.com/search?q=doughnut+wall&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiz9svEhIrhAhUjtnEKHVjaBwkQ_AUIDigB&biw=1247&bih=686

        Reply
  9. Christine @ Happy Veggie Kitchen

    May 20, 2018 at 5:49 pm

    5 stars
    The cakey donuts are the best donuts! I love this idea, you just can't argue with a method for quick and easy home made donuts. Your photos are so beautiful too!

    Reply
  10. Christine @ Happy Veggie Kitchen

    May 20, 2018 at 5:49 pm

    5 stars
    The cakey donuts are the best donuts! I love this idea, you just can't argue with a method for quick and easy home made donuts. Your photos are so beautiful too!

    Reply
    • laurenpacek

      May 31, 2018 at 8:49 pm

      Thank you so much!! I'm a big fan of cakey donuts, too. And if you can get cakey donuts into my mouth quickly without me having to leave the house? Even better =)

      Reply
  11. Dawn - Girl Heart Food

    May 20, 2018 at 1:53 pm

    5 stars
    These look like the perfect sidekick with my coffee right now! Nothing like enjoying them fresh out of the oven 🙂

    Reply
  12. Dawn - Girl Heart Food

    May 20, 2018 at 1:53 pm

    5 stars
    These look like the perfect sidekick with my coffee right now! Nothing like enjoying them fresh out of the oven 🙂

    Reply
    • laurenpacek

      May 31, 2018 at 8:49 pm

      Thank you, Dawn! I do believe they'd go quite well with your coffee 😉

      Reply
      • Ann Maldonado

        February 22, 2021 at 1:54 am

        They taste great but are too moist, they are just like a cupcake. What did i so wrong?
        Thank you,

        Reply
        • laurenpacek

          February 22, 2021 at 2:12 am

          I'm not sure that you did anything wrong. Since they're made from boxed cake mix, they have the same texture as a cake (or cupcake). They're most, light cakey donuts.

          Reply
  13. Rice N Dine

    April 14, 2016 at 3:06 pm

    I call them donuts too instead of doughnuts!

    Anyway, your donuts look so good I can practically taste them from my screen. Haha! I have no experience yet on baking so this might be a challenge but looking at pictures like these really inspires me. Thank you for sharing! 🙂

    Reply
    • ANerdCooks

      April 14, 2016 at 4:07 pm

      Thank you!! For a novice baker, these would be right up your alley. It's a mix, spoon, bake kind of deal. Just make sure to really grease the donut pans! Thanks =)

      Reply

Primary Sidebar

Hi, I'm Lauren! I'm the recipe developer, photographer, and writer here at A Nerd Cooks. I'm a 30-something wife, mom, and scientist with a passion for mixing cocktails, brewing buzzy coffee drinks, and making other delicious beverages at home.

More about me →

Spring and Summer Drink Recipes

  • two glasses of lavender lemonade garnished with lemon wheels and lavender sprigs
    Lavender Lemonade
  • a glass of strawberry lemonade vodka cocktail garnished with mint
    Strawberry Lemonade Vodka Cocktail
  • 45 degree angle view of 2 limoncello spritz cocktails and a bottle of prosecco
    Limoncello Spritz
  • almost head on shot of 2 glasses of peach iced tea
    Peach Iced Tea
  • two glasses of raspberry iced tea
    Raspberry Iced Tea
  • three coupe glasses on a white marble slab, glasses are filled with pink liquid and are garnished with a cucumber slice
    Strawberry Cucumber Gimlet

See More Spring and Summer Drink Recipes →

Popular Recipes

  • a small goblet full of luxardo cherries on a wooden tray
    Homemade Luxardo Cherries
  • Two tall glasses full of Limoncello Gin Collinses and a bottle of gin.
    Limoncello Gin Collins
  • a glass of cold brew coffee topped with vanilla sweet cream cold brew.
    How to Make Sweet Cream Cold Foam
  • a large bottle full of homemade sour mix.
    The Very Best Sweet and Sour Mix Recipe
  • two key lime pie crush cocktails with straws
    Key Lime Pie Crush
  • three shot glasses with green tea shots
    How to Make the Best Jameson Green Tea Shot Recipe

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • About A Nerd Cooks
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility Policy

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

Contact

  • Contact

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2024 Foodie Pro on the Foodie Pro Theme

2017 shares

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.