Baked Chocolate Donuts with Ganache

I have made some amazing friends from food blogging. A couple of months ago, one of those friends (Joy) sent me a donut pan that I won in a giveaway on her blog. A few weeks later, another friend (Dawn) posted phenomenal pictures of donuts that I knew I had to make soon. I am loving my new apartment and one of my favorite places in it is the kitchen. It's small, but has everything I need...including a trash compactor which I have been without for a year and a half! I finally got to put my cute little donut pan to use yesterday and I couldn't be happier with the results. These little cakey donuts are a perfect way to enjoy a chocolate treat with a little less guilt than regular fried donuts. The salty nut (ha ha) toppings help cut through the richness of the ganache and are a perfect pairing. If you're not a big fan of salty nuts (lol) then use unsalted, or replace them with sprinkles, sanding sugar, or coconut flakes. The possibilities are endless. 



Baked Chocolate Donuts with Ganache
(Adapted from Vanilla Sugar)

Makes 20 mini donuts

Donuts:
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
2 eggs at room temperature
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 ounces finely chopped semi-sweet chocolate (optional)

Ganache:
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons heavy cream

Toppings:
Finely chopped pistachios
Finely chopped peanuts
Sprinkles
Coconut flakes

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Lightly coat the donut pan with non stick spray. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place a wire rack over the parchment. Set aside.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, and baking soda. Stir in the salt. Add the buttermilk and stir to combine, then add the butter. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and vanilla and add them to the flour mixture. Stir, just until the mixture is combined. Stir in the chopped chocolate if using.

Fill each donut mold about 2/3 full. Bake for about 8 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the donuts cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn out onto the wire rack.

To make the ganache:
Heat some water in a small saucepan until it is simmering. Add the chocolate chips and 2 tablespoons of the cream to a bowl, and place over the saucepan, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the liquid. Stir until the chips have melted and are combined with the cream. If the mixture seems too thick, add the rest of the cream.

Dip each donut in the ganache. Top with whichever toppings you desire.Let the chocolate set before you dig in.

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