Chocolate Devil's Food Cake Doughnuts

, from Issue #80. September, 2018
Photography by Josh Griggs.
Chocolate Devil's Food Cake Doughnuts

This is my best gluten-free doughnut recipe so far. They’re baked, which makes them light and very more-ish; it’s hard to stop at just one. Serve dusted with icing sugar or coat in chocolate ganache.

INGREDIENTS

¾ cup milk
⅓ cup good quality cocoa (I used Valrhona)
½ cup thick plain yoghurt
½ cup grapeseed oil
1 large egg, size 7
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
finely grated zest 1 orange
100 grams ground almonds (almond meal)
100 grams brown rice flour
1 cup caster sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Chocolate Ganache
150 grams dark chocolate, chopped roughly (I used 62% cocoa)
100ml cream
1 teaspoon rice bran oil

METHOD

Grease a 6-hole non-stick doughnut tin with cooking spray.

Preheat the oven to 160°C.

Put the milk and cocoa in a small saucepan over a medium heat and whisk until smooth. Bring to just below the boil, stirring constantly, then tip into a large bowl and set aside until just warm.

When cooled, whisk in the yoghurt, oil, egg, vanilla and zest.

Combine the ground almonds, rice flour, sugar, baking soda and pepper. Tip into the cocoa mixture and stir to make a thick, smooth batter.

Pour the mixture into a jug then fill the doughnut holes until ¾ full, making sure you leave each centre stem uncovered as that will form the hole in the doughnut.

Bake for 12 minutes until risen and lightly firm when pressed with your finger. The tops will be flat.

Leave the doughnuts in the tin for a couple of minutes then place a cooling rack on top and invert both together. Rinse the tin then dry and re-grease between batches.

To serve: Dust with icing sugar or spread the tops with chocolate ganache. Makes about 16 (the amount will depend on the depth of your doughnut tin)


Chocolate Ganache: Heat the cream in a small saucepan until just simmering. Take off the heat and add the chopped chocolate. Leave for 2 minutes then add the oil and whisk until smooth. Cool to room temperature.