These Robin's Egg Chocolate Donuts have a soft, rich chocolate base with a bright blue glaze. The cocoa powder and instant coffee granules enhance the chocolate flavor. The brown flecks add a fun, decorative touch, making them look as good as they taste.
What is Robin's Egg Blue
The shade of robin's egg blue is often referred to as "Robin's Egg Blue." It's a light, slightly greenish blue, similar to turquoise but typically softer and lighter. This color is also sometimes simply called "Eggshell Blue."
Ingredients for Robin's Egg Chocolate Donuts
Donuts:
- All-Purpose Flour (1 Cup / 120g): The base ingredient that provides structure to the donuts.
- Cocoa Powder (¼ Cup / 30g): Adds rich chocolate flavor to the donuts.
- Sugar (⅓ Cup / 67g): Sweetens the donuts.
- Baking Powder (1 Teaspoon): Leavening agent that helps the donuts rise.
- Salt (¼ Teaspoon): Enhances the overall flavor by balancing the sweetness.
- Instant Coffee Granules (½ Teaspoon, optional): Intensifies the chocolate flavor without adding a coffee taste.
- Milk (½ Cup / 120ml): Provides moisture and helps bind the ingredients.
- Large Egg (1): Adds richness and helps bind the ingredients.
- Vanilla Extract (1 Teaspoon): Adds a subtle vanilla flavor.
- Vegetable Oil (¼ Cup / 60ml): Adds moisture and keeps the donuts tender.
Robin’s Egg Glaze:
- Hot Cream (100g/3.5oz): The base for the glaze that helps melt the chocolate.
- White Chocolate (200g/7.1oz): Provides a sweet, smooth base for the glaze.
- Blue Food Gel: Adds the signature robin's egg blue color to the glaze.
- White Food Gel: Lightens the blue color to achieve the perfect shade.
Brown Robin’s Egg Fleck:
- Cocoa Powder (1 Teaspoon): Used to make the brown flecks for decoration.
- Vanilla Extract (½ Teaspoon): Mixed with cocoa powder to create an edible paint for the flecks.
How To Make Robin's Egg Chocolate Donuts
Preheat and Prepare:
Preheat Oven and Prepare Donut Trays: Set your oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease at least 8 donut molds to ensure the donuts do not stick.
Make the Donut Batter:
Sift Dry Ingredients: Place a strainer over a mixing bowl and sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, and sugar. This helps remove lumps and ensures a smooth batter.
Add Instant Coffee: If using, add instant coffee granules to the dry mixture. This step is optional but enhances the chocolate flavor without adding a noticeable coffee taste.
Mix Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, egg, vanilla extract, and vegetable oil until well combined.
Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Mix with a hand whisk until the batter is smooth and fully combined.
Fill and Bake:
Fill Donut Molds: Transfer the batter into a piping bag or a ziplock bag with a corner snipped off. Pipe the batter evenly into the greased donut molds.
Bake Donuts: Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the donuts; it should come out clean.
Cool Donuts: Remove the donut trays from the oven and place them on cooling racks. Let the donuts cool in the tray for 10 minutes before turning them out onto the racks to cool completely.
Prepare the Glaze:
Heat Cream: Heat the cream in a pan until just below boiling point.
Melt Chocolate: Remove the pan from heat and add the white chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth.
Add Blue Food Gel: Add a few drops of blue food gel to the glaze and mix well.
Adjust Color: Adjust the color by adding white food gel as needed to achieve the classic robin's egg blue color.
Transfer Glaze: Pour the glaze into a bowl suitable for dipping the donuts.
Glaze and Decorate Your Robin's Egg Chocolate Donuts:
Dip Donuts: Dip each cooled donut into the glaze, ensuring it is evenly coated. Shake off any excess glaze and place the donuts on a wire rack to set. For a thicker coat, dip the donuts a second time once the first layer has set.
Make Edible Paint: In a small bowl, mix cocoa powder and vanilla extract to create a thick, paint-like texture. Adjust the consistency by adding more vanilla extract if needed.
Test Fleck Paint: Test the paint on a plate by flicking a paintbrush dipped in the mixture. Once you are satisfied with the flecks, proceed to decorate the donuts.
Apply Flecks: Dip the paintbrush into the edible paint and flick the bristles over the donuts to create brown speckles. Let the donuts sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes to dry.
Storage:
Store Donuts: Once the glaze and speckles are dry, store the donuts in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.
Fay's Top Tips for Robin's Egg Chocolate Donuts
The most important tip for this recipe is to ensure that the donuts are completely cool before glazing. This prevents the glaze from melting and helps achieve a smooth, even coating.
Another useful tip is to test the brown fleck paint on a plate before applying it to the donuts. This ensures you get the desired consistency and effect, making the donuts look more polished and professional.
Recipe Variations
- Flavor Variations: Replace the cocoa powder with an equal amount of flour for plain vanilla donuts. Add different extracts like almond or peppermint to the batter for a unique twist.
- Filling: Inject the donuts with raspberry jam, chocolate ganache, or vanilla custard for a filled donut experience.
- Different Glaze Colors: Experiment with different food gel colors for the glaze to match various themes or holidays.
- Nutty Donuts: Add chopped nuts like almonds, hazelnuts, or pecans to the batter for added texture and flavor.
- Spiced Donuts: Add a pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg, or cardamom to the dry ingredients for a spiced donut variation.
- Kit Kat Brownie Donuts
- Nutella Donuts with Dulce de Leche Buttercream
- Caramel Infused Pumpkin Donuts
- Donut Cookies Chocolate Chip Recipe
Frequently Asked Questions for Robin's Egg Chocolate Donuts
Store the donuts in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can also freeze them for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Yes, you can use milk or dark chocolate instead of white chocolate. Keep in mind that the color of the glaze will no longer be Robin's Egg Blue.
Yes, you can add chocolate chips, nuts, or dried fruit to the batter. Make sure to fold them in gently to avoid overmixing.
For a thicker glaze, double dip the donuts. Let the first layer of glaze set before dipping the donuts a second time.
Robin's Egg Donut Recipe
INGREDIENTS
Donuts
- 120 g (1 cups) all purpose flour
- 30 g (¼ cups) cocoa powder
- 67 g (⅓ cups) sugar
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon (¼ teaspoon) salt
- ½ teaspoon (½ teaspoon) instant coffee granules optional
- 120 ml (½ cups) milk
- 1 (1) egg large
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (¼ cup) vegetable oil or light olive oil
Robin's Egg Glaze
- 100 g (3.5 oz) cream hot
- 200 g (7.1 oz) white chocolate
- blue gel food colour
- white gel food colour
Robin's Egg Fleck
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon (½ teaspoon) vanilla extract might need more to form a "paint" consistency
INSTRUCTIONS
Donuts
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) and grease at least 8 donut holes.
- In a mixing bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
- Add instant coffee granules (if using) and whisk to combine.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, egg, vanilla extract, and vegetable oil.
- Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until fully combined.
- Transfer the batter to a piping bag or ziplock bag and evenly distribute it among the greased donut molds.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool in the tray for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Robin's Egg Glaze
- Heat cream just below boiling point. Remove from heat and add white chocolate, stirring until smooth.
- Add blue food gel to the glaze and mix well. Adjust the color by adding white food gel as needed to achieve the Robin's Egg Blue hue.
- Transfer the glaze to a bowl for dipping. Dip each donut into the glaze, shaking off excess. Place on a wire rack to set.
- Double dip for a thicker coat if desired.
Decorate
- Mix cocoa powder and vanilla extract in a small bowl to create a thick paint-like texture.
- Test the fleck on a plate by flicking the bristles of a paintbrush dipped in the mixture.
- Once satisfied, flick the edible paint across the donuts.
- Let sit at room temperature to dry for about 20 minutes. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
NOTES
- Ensure donuts are completely cool before glazing to prevent the glaze from melting.
- Use a piping bag for even batter distribution.
- Test the brown fleck paint on a plate to perfect the technique before applying to donuts.
- Store any leftover glaze in the freezer for future use.
Brieta Robbins says
If I don't have a donut pan can I use any muffin type pan? Would they need to cook longer? Thank you
Fay says
Sure can! Fill 2/3, cook for 20 minutes then check with a toothpick.