When there is a chill in the air, I think of baking. And these days, I've been on a Japanese cuisine kick the last couple of weeks...so I couldn't think of a better way than to tackle the mysterious mochi donut!
I tried a few recipes that had you prep a small batch of dough then incorporate it into the main batter, but I'm all about easy, no fuss, and full flavor! That said, may I present to you these super moist, just the right chew, chocolatey mochi cake donuts! I'll be experimenting further with different flavors like Matcha, Japanese Whiskey tea, Sesame Seed, or Earl Grey. I have a lot of chocolate lovers in the house, so I just made a simple chocolate glaze -- but you could skip the glaze and dust with powdered sugar and they'd be super yummy. These even would be adorable baked in mini muffin tins for bite size goodness!
For this recipe, I incorporated melted chocolate and cocoa powder -- you can omit and you have a wonderful mochi cake dough base that you could flavor to your liking for any mochi donut. Oh! Did I mention that since we are using rice flour, these are gluten free!
if you have never had mochi cake donuts, you may never go back to plain donuts -- these are super moist, chewy, and satisfying!
Here's what you will need:
Chocolate Mochi Cake Dough:
¼ cup Unsalted Butter, melted and cooled, plus more for greasing donut pans
1 cup Dark brown sugar
¼ cup Cocoa powder
2 tsp Baking powder
½ tsp Kosher salt
1, 13 ounces can Coconut milk (full fat)
· 2 large eggs, room temperature
· 2 ounces Bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
1½ tsp Vanilla extract
Chocolate Glaze:
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate (60-74%), melted and cooled
2-2½ tablespoons Milk
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
¼ tsp Vanilla extract
¼ tsp salt
Let's get to it!
Preheat oven to 350°F and place the oven rack in the center position.
Generously grease the sides and top of two non-stick donut pans with soft butter (or you can use cooking spray).
In a medium bowl, whisk together the sweet rice flour, dark brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter, coconut milk, eggs, vanilla extract. Pour in the melted cooled chocolate and mix until smooth.
With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until completely combined.
Divide the batter among the 12 donut cavities of the prepared donut pans, filling each one all the way to the top or even a little bit taller than the edge, swiping around the center each donut mold with your finger or a paper towel to leave it uncovered.
Bake 30-35 minutes until the top is set and the donut gently springs back when poked with a finger. Keep them softer by baking for just 30 minutes or bake just a little longer for 35 minutes to crisp up the outside a little bit more. Don’t bake them for any longer than 35 minutes or your donuts will be rock hard on the outside once they cool!
Let cool 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.
Glazing your donut:
Just before you're ready to glaze the donuts, make the glaze (otherwise, your glaze may firm up).
In a small bowl (wide enough so you can dip your donut to glaze, combine melted and cooled chocolate with 1 tablespoon milk, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract.
Add remaining milk, a splash at a time, just until it's smooth enough to glaze. It should be thick enough that when you swirl it, the swirl stays for a few seconds then collapses back into itself. It will firm up as it sits, so if it's too thin, let it sit for a few minutes and give it another stir. If it's too thick, add a bit more milk or zap it in the microwave for a few seconds to loosen it up.
Dunk your cooled donuts upside down in the glaze, lifting and pressing down/swirling the donut, until the top is covered.
Transfer upright to a wire rack to set the glaze.
Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
NOTES
Light brown sugar will work just as well, but will not have as much caramel depth of flavor.
Topping option for garnish right after you glaze: flaky salt, black sesame seeds, shaved chocolate.
If you are making these as muffins, the batter for 1 muffin is the same amount as for 1 donut – be sure to bake muffins or 55 minutes.
If you are making mini muffins, you can expect to 3 mini muffins to 1 regular muffin. Be sure to reduce the baking time to 10-15 minutes (check at 10 minutes and check if the top is set and the donut gently springs back when poked with a finger).
Comments