Is there anything better than a chocolate frosted donut? Possibly, but few things in life provide such immediate satisfaction — particularly the homemade variety. Baking your own donuts from scratch may seem like a daunting task, but there are a few shortcuts that bypass the need to proof yeasted dough or form it into perfect little rings. Instead, you can just pour your favorite cake batter into a bagel pan, or put store-bought croissant dough to good use by making homemade cronuts. The second option needs to be deep-fried, but they come together in a flash.
Of course, once you’ve decided on a method to make your donuts, there’s the issue of frosting them. Canned, store-bought frosting doesn’t have the right texture — you need a frosting that’s the ideal cross between a glaze and a ganache, something that’ll drape deliciously over your donuts, thoroughly coating them in chocolatey goodness. If this conjures up images of pulling out the double boiler and the candy thermometer, don’t worry, there’s an easier way to do this, too.
Making a velvety and delicious donut frosting is as simple as whisking together the oil (or butter) of your choice and your favorite chocolate chips. Since the chocolate chips already contain sugar and some stabilizers, there’s no need to sweeten or temper anything. While you can use a double boiler if you like, this glaze comes together just as easily in the microwave. Once the glaze is shiny and fully melted, simply dip each of your donuts into it and set them aside to cool.
Tips and tricks for perfectly glazed donuts
When you’re melting chocolate in the microwave — especially when it’s mixed with some kind of fat, as in this glaze — there are a handful of issues you may run into. If you heat the mixture too quickly, the fat will scorch the chocolate, which will seize and burn. To prevent this, only heat the mixture for about 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between. Be slow and gentle while you do so, as there could be air pockets inside the mixture that may burst, spatter, and burn you.
As long as you use some sort of oil, this easy donut glaze should set into a semi-hard shell as it cools — you can even pop your donuts into the fridge or freezer to help speed up the process. It’s also worth noting that the oil matters. Oils that are liquid at room temperature, such as avocado or olive, will produce a softer set than coconut oil, which is semi-solid at room temperature. If you want a hard, crackly glaze on your freshly baked coconut donuts, coconut oil is the best choice.
If you used the last of your oil to fry homemade Boston cream donuts to golden perfection, you can sub in things like heavy whipping cream or canned coconut milk. Glaze made this way will turn out thicker, more like a ganache, and won’t really firm up, but it will provide the rich, delicious texture and flavor you want.
