Name: Christmas Pudding Chocolate Baked Donuts
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 47 min
Ingredients: 175 g Caster sugar; 200 g Self raising flour; 25 g Cocoa powder; 175 ml Milk (any kind); 2 Eggs (large); 30 ml Vegetable oil; 250 g Dark chocolate; 125 g White chocolate; 12 Holly and berry decorations

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These super cute Christmas Pudding Chocolate Baked Donuts make perfect treats to enjoy or gift during the festive season. They are totally chocolate flavoured, but made to look like Christmas puddings, or figgy puddings. Baked donuts are so quick and easy to make, and the decoration is so easy to do without any special equipment. I used some ready made holly decorations, but you could use sprinkles, fondant or pipe them on with coloured buttercream or chocolate instead.

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Ingredient Tips & Equipment Information

Make sure your ingredients, particularly the eggs, are at room temperature before you start baking.
You can use a different type of oil besides vegetable oil. I'd recommend one that doesn't have a strong flavour, canola and sunflower oil would both work well.
You can use any cocoa powder for this recipe, of course the better quality it is, the better flavour it will have. Also do make sure you are using cocoa powder and not a hot chocolate powder.
The donut batter is very wet, so I recommend using a piping bag or a jug to pour it into the tin.
You will need a 12 hole donut tin (or two 6 hole donut tins) to make this recipe.
For the holly and berries, I used ready made royal icing decorations.
Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50).
For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.

For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.

How to make Christmas Pudding Chocolate Baked Donuts

In a mixing bowl, combine the self raising flour, caster sugar and cocoa powder. In a large jug or another mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, vegetable oil and eggs. Then pour the wet mixture into the dry, and whisk to combine.

Put the batter into a jug or piping bag, and then divide the batter between the donut pan(s). Bake for 12 minutes.

Remove them from the tin and leave them to cool on a rack. To decorate, melt the dark chocolate and dip the rounded half of the donuts into it. Leave it to set. Melt the white chocolate and spoon it onto half of the donuts and add the holly decor. Let the white chocolate set before serving.

For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.

Do you need a donut tin to make this recipe?

The simple answer is yes! I highly recommend investing in a donut tin (or two!), they are not expensive and they’re easy to obtain from Amazon, plus there are so many yummy baked donut recipes on my website that you’ll be able to make with them!

Can you make the donuts with plain/all purpose flour?

Self raising flour, which is very commonly used in the UK where I am based, already contains a raising agent and a little salt too. Therefore if you want to swap it for plain or all purpose flour, you will need to add some additional baking powder and also a little salt if you like. Some people like to add salt to cake recipes and some don't, so I'll leave that up to you as it won't affect the bake. The general advice is to add 2 teaspoons baking powder (a measuring teaspoon, not the kind you stir your coffee with) per every 200g plain or all purpose flour. So for this recipe you'd need to add 2 teaspoons baking powder. Please note, I have not tested this recipe using plain or all purpose flour.

How long do baked donuts last for and can they be frozen?

Although baked donuts will last for a few days if stored in an airtight container in a cool place, they are best the day they're made. You can freeze the donuts, either decorated or not. Wrap them up well, with a small square of baking paper between each donut so they don't stick together, and freeze for up to 3 months.

Can the donuts be made gluten or dairy free?

Yes, to make these donuts gluten free, replace the self raising flour with a gluten free self raising flour blend. If you only have a gluten free plain flour blend, you will need to add baking powder. The general advice is to add 2 tsp baking powder per 200g flour, so for this recipe you'd need to add 2 teaspoons baking powder. You may also like to add ¼ tsp xanthan gum for better texture. The donuts can easily be made dairy free by using a plant based milk. Make sure to also grease the donut tins with a dairy free butter. and use dairy free chocolate for the decoration. Please check the labels of everything you use if serving to someone with an allergy or intolerance.

How do you remove the donuts from the tin?

I use a spoon to gently loosen them around the edges and prise them out of the tin. If you are using a non stick tin and you have greased it well with butter, then they should just pop out with ease.

Do you need an electric mixer to make this recipe?

No, I actually never use an electric mixer to make this recipe as it's so quick and easy to do by hand. The dry ingredients and wet ingredients can be quickly combined with a hand whisk, and it is better to do it this way to avoid over mixing.

How do you make the holly decorations?

I used ready made royal icing holly decorations from the brand Culpitt. There are also other brands that make similar ready made royal icing holly decorations. You could also use holly and berry sprinkles, make the holly leaves and berries out of fondant, or use red and green coloured buttercream or chocolate and pipe it onto the donuts.

More tips for making the Christmas Pudding Chocolate Baked Donuts:

The donuts are baked upside down so that the top takes the shape of the mould, so when you flip them out of the tin they'll be the right way round!
I dipped the donuts in melted dark chocolate, if you prefer you can also dip them in melted milk chocolate.

Troubleshooting

My number one tip for getting the best results is to read through this whole page of tips and recommendations before starting, and follow the recipe exactly. If you have any questions about this recipe, or if something went wrong and you need help, please use the comment form below and I will get back to you. You can also get in touch with me on my Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. I'd love to hear from you!

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