These Chocolate Peppermint Cake Donuts are dense, cakey, and the perfect balance of chocolate and mint. Chocolate and peppermint is a quintessential holiday flavor combination.
Chocolate and peppermint is one of my favorite flavor combinations, holiday or otherwise. I will happily go to town on some York Peppermint Patties or Junior Mints any day of the week. Peppermint mocha? Done. These donuts are a fun, minty way to celebrate the season.
The donut recipe comes from A Sweet Pea Chef. The frosting recipe is adapted from Joy the Baker's 2nd cookbook.
✨ Recipe
Chocolate Peppermint Cake Donuts
Ingredients
For the donuts
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 eggs
- 4 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
- 2 tablespoon plain Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the frosting (makes more than needed)
- 16 tablespoon unsalted butter softened
- 4-5 cups powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoon milk
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
- candy canes crushed
Instructions
To make the donuts
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a donut pan or two and set them aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugars, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In another medium bowl, combine the buttermilk, eggs, melted butter, yogurt, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla extract. Mix until just combined.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until just combined.
- Spoon or pipe the batter into the donut pan molds ~¾ of the way full. Bake 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick, when inserted into a donut, comes out clean.
- Allow the donuts to cool for 5 minutes in the pan before removing them to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
To make the frosting
- Beat the softened butter and 2 cups of powdered sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add 1 tbs of milk and the peppermint extract. Add more powdered sugar, beating on low, until you have achieved the desired consistency. If you need to thin things out, add a little more milk. Once you've reached the desired consistency, beat on medium for a few minutes to fluff up the frosting.
- Frost the donuts and top them with crushed candy canes.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutritional information is a generated estimate and is not guaranteed to be accurate.
Want more donuts? How about Chocolate Cake Mix Donuts or Pumpkin Streusel (also cake mix) Donuts? Don't forget Apple Cider Donuts!
CakePants
Wow, these look incredible...not to mention completely irresistible! I love the rich, dark color. I wish I had one (okay, three) right about now!
ANerdCooks
Thank you!! Man, I feel you. I took them to work yesterday and my coworkers ate them all. Womp womp.
Liz ll Inspector Gorgeous
Ok. Let's have your chocolate peppermint donuts for breakfast and chase it with my chocolate candy cane shot glasses filled with peppermint eggnog...mmmhmmmmm <3 Looks decadent and worth every calorie!
ANerdCooks
Deal!
Cathleen @ A Taste of Madness
Love cake doughnuts! Also, I am OBSESSED with peppermint right now!