These Red Velvet Donuts topped with cream cheese frosting are baked, not fried, and so easy to make! Super fluffy and delicious, these are a perfect way to start your day.
Jump to:
Baked donuts were the best thing I discovered in 2020. Prior to that, my donut-making skills were nonexistent (although my donut-eating skills were an A+++++).
These red velvet donuts are SO delicious and topped with the rich cream cheese frosting - It's the perfect combo. If you are a fan of red velvet cake, you're going to want to make these!
Ingredients needed:
Some key ingredients for red velvet cake:
- Buttermilk: see notes below on substitutes for homemade buttermilk.
- Vinegar: distilled white vinegar is key for this recipe. It helps in the chemical reaction that gives red velvet it's distinct flavor.
- Cocoa powder: unsweetened cocoa powder gives red velvet that distinct chocolate-y taste.
- Oil: I used canola, but you can also use vegetable. This helps keeps our donuts moist.
- Powdered sugar: measure 2 cups first, then sift!
- Milk: this is used for the icing, I used 2% but you can use any milk you have on hand. If you want thinner icing, add an extra teaspoon at a time to make it thinner.
donut ingredients icing ingredients
Step by Step Instructions
step one: make the donut batter
In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, oil, egg, vanilla, and vinegar. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and gently fold together, try not to overmix. Pour in 2-3 teaspoon of red food coloring and mix. You can leave the red food coloring out altogether if you don't want the bright red coloring.
Spoon the batter into the donut molds and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the donuts spring back when lightly pressed. Allow the donuts to cool for 5-10 minutes before removing them from the pan and transferring them to a wire cooling rack.
step two: make the cream cheese icing
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the butter and cream cheese together until smooth and creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Mix in the vanilla. Slowly add the sifted powdered sugar until completely combined, and then add in the milk. Beat on high for 1-2 minutes to finish.
Either spread the frosting on the cooled donuts with a knife or spoon the icing into a ziploc bag and pipe onto donuts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Red velvet is made with buttermilk, vinegar, and cocoa powder. These 3 key ingredients have a chemical reaction that gives the cake a deep red color. Red velvet cake is often enhanced with red food coloring to make the color brighter.
If you don't have or can't find buttermilk, you can actually make your own! Pour 1 tablespoon of white vinegar (or lemon juice) into a measuring cup and fill with milk to the 1 cup line. Mix and let sit for 5 minutes.
Tips & Tricks
- Don't over mix your batter! You want to fold the dry ingredients into the wet just enough that there are no more streaks of flour left.
- If food coloring isn't your thing, you don't have to add it. The donuts will look more like a chocolate color, but still taste exactly the same!
- Make sure to coat your donut pan/mold with non-stick spray, and make sure to get the middle part too. You don't want the donuts to stick when taking them out.
Storing & Freezing
These donuts will stay fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can freeze the donuts for up to 1 month.
Want to try more recipes?
If you made this recipe, I would love to know what you thought! Leave me a star rating and a comment below ⭐️ Your reviews not only help my business but other bakers as well!
Want an exclusive first look at all my recipes? Join my email newsletter which sends Bake & Bacon recipes straight to your inbox as soon as they go live, so you never miss a recipe!
Want to keep up with Bake & Bacon outside of the blog? Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Youtube. Tag me on any social media and use the hashtag #bakeandbacon so I can see what you are baking!
📖 Recipe
Baked Red Velvet Donuts
Ingredients
- 1¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup buttermilk , at room temperature
- ½ cup oil , canola or vegetable
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon distilled white vinegar
- 2-3 teaspoon red food coloring
cream cheese frosting
- 4 oz cream cheese , at room temperature
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter , at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar , sifted
- 2 tablespoon milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray donut molds with non-stick spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. Set aside. In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, oil, egg, vanilla, and vinegar. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and gently fold together, try not to overmix. Pour in 2-3 teaspoon of red food coloring and mix.
- Spoon the batter into the donut molds, filling them about halfway. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the donuts spring back when lightly pressed. Allow the donuts to cool for 5-10 minutes before removing them from the pan and transferring them to a wire cooling rack. Allow donuts to cool completely before icing.
Make the cream cheese frosting
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the butter and cream cheese together until smooth and creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Mix in the vanilla. Slowly add the sifted powdered sugar until completely combined, and then add in the milk. Beat on high for 1-2 minutes to finish.
- Either spread the frosting on the cooled donuts with a knife or spoon the icing into a ziploc bag and pipe onto donuts.
Notes
- Don't over mix your batter! You want to fold the dry ingredients into the wet just enough that there are no more streaks of flour left.
- If food coloring isn't your thing, you don't have to add it. The donuts will look more like a chocolate color, but still taste exactly the same!
- Make sure to coat your donut pan/mold with non-stick spray, and make sure to get the middle part too. You don't want the donuts to stick when taking them out.
Leave a Reply