These chocolate cream filled doughnuts start with classic, pillowy yeast doughnuts that are fried until golden, coated in bittersweet espresso sugar, and filled with chocolate cream filling. The doughnuts are light, the filling is rich, creamy, chocolatey and not too sweet, and the espresso sugar is the perfect sweet and crunchy finish on this deliciously decadent treat.
You might also love these old fashioned sour cream cake doughnuts, baked maple glazed doughnuts, and baked apple cider doughnuts.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Perfect for the Weekend. Making homemade doughnuts is fun, but can be a bit of a process, so plan on a cozy day at home with a pot of coffee and a lineup of your favorite movies while you make these. If you start the dough after breakfast, you and your family can enjoy these chocolate cream filled doughnuts by early afternoon.
Versatile Recipe. Today’s recipe is based on my classic yeast doughnuts with maple glaze, and there’s nothing you can’t do with this dough. Make simple glazed doughnuts and holes, coat them in plain sugar, powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar. Instead of the chocolate cream filling, fill your doughnuts with chocolate custard or pudding instead. Or make jelly filled doughnuts!
Step by Step Photos. If you’re intimidated by the process of making homemade doughnuts, today’s post is packed with step by step photos to guide you through the process.
High Altitude Tested. I develop all the recipes on my site for Denver’s altitude of 5,280 feet. If you’re at a lower or higher elevation, please see my FAQs for guidance on adjusting recipes for your altitude.
Tools and Equipment
- Small Saucepan. For warming the butter and milk.
- Large Heavy Bottomed Saucepan. For frying the doughnuts.
- Instant Read Thermometer. For checking the temperature of the frying oil.
- Large Baking Sheets + Parchment Paper. For proofing the cut doughnuts.
- Cooling Racks. For draining the doughnuts after they’ve been fried.
- Rolling Pin and Biscuit Cutter. A 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter is just the right size for today’s doughnut recipe.
- Stand Mixer with Dough Hook + Paddle Attachment. Helpful for kneading the dough, but you can definitely knead the dough by hand, too. You’ll also need a paddle attachment, for whipping the cream filling.
- Skimmer. For removing the doughnuts from the hot oil.
- Mixing Bowls, Measuring Cups, Measuring Spoons.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.
Ingredients
Doughnuts
- Unsalted Butter. Adds richness and flavor.
- Whole Milk or Buttermilk. The fat adds richness and flavor, while the acid in buttermilk makes a very tender texture in the yeast doughnuts.
- Yeast. Leavening agent, which makes the doughnuts light, fluffy and airy. You can use either active dry yeast or rapid rise/instant yeast.
- Sugar. Granulated sugar sweetens the dough and feeds the yeast.
- Salt. Balances the sweetness.
- Cinnamon or Nutmeg. A classic flavor to add to doughnuts.
- Flour. You can use either bread flour or all-purpose flour.
- Egg. Gives the dough structure and strength.
- Vegetable Oil. For frying.
Espresso Sugar
- Granulated sugar.
- Espresso Powder. I use Medaglia D’Oro Instant Espresso Coffee, which adds an intense, bitter coffee flavor to balance the sweetness of the sugar and enhance the chocolate filling.
Chocolate Cream Filling
- Butter + Shortening. Use unsalted butter, or omit the extra salt in the recipe if you use salted butter. The shortening makes the chocolate filling more stable when piped inside the doughnuts.
- Powdered Sugar. Sweetens and thickens the filling.
- Cocoa Powder. Use a good quality Dutch processed cocoa powder for the best flavor.
- Espresso Powder. Enhances the flavor of the chocolate.
- Meringue Powder. Adds stability.
- Salt. Balances the sweetness.
- Vanilla Extract. Flavor.
Instructions
Make the dough.
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the milk, and heat just until the mixture reaches between 110-115 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Remove from the heat, stir in the yeast and 1 tablespoon of the sugar, and let sit for 5-10 minutes until bubbly and foamy.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the remainder of the sugar with the salt, nutmeg/cinnamon, and all but 1/2 cup of the flour. Add the egg and the warm milk mixture.
- With the dough hook, stir the mixture for several minutes until it comes together, then knead for 5 minutes, gradually adding the remaining 1/2 cup of flour, only if needed. Do not add the remaining flour if the dough is already forming a dough ball around the hook. The dough should form a “torpedo” or ball around the dough hook and mostly pull away from the sides of the bowl, although it may stick a little at the bottom of the bowl.
TIP: If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can knead the dough by hand for about 10 minutes.
TIP: If you have a “bread proof” setting in your oven, you can use that. Otherwise, preheat the oven to the lowest temperature, turn it off, then place your dough inside to rise. Mine took 1 hour in my oven on the bread proof setting.
Let the dough rise.
- Scrape the dough into a lightly greased bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Set in a warm place to rise until doubled in size – this may take anywhere from 30-90 minutes, depending on the freshness of the yeast and the warmth of the environment. Be sure to check frequently, so that you don’t over-proof the dough.
Roll out the dough and cut the doughnuts.
- Prep one large or two medium baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper. If you like, you can cut the paper into individual 4×4 inch squares, which can be helpful for dropping the doughnuts into the oil.
- On a floured surface, roll out the dough to 3/4 inch thick. Use a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter dipped in flour to cut 12 doughnuts.
TIP: If you like, you can gather up and roll out the dough scraps to cut more doughnuts, but these will be a little more dense and will never look as nice as the ones you cut the first time around, so try to cut them as close together the first time to reduce dough waste.
Let the doughnuts rise.
- Place the cut doughnuts on the parchment lined baking sheets. Set the baking sheets inside your oven – again, use the “bread proof” setting, or gently warm the oven before setting the doughnuts inside.
- Fill a small saucepan with several inches of boiling water and place it inside the oven. The steam will keep the doughnuts moist, and prevent them from forming a “skin” on their surface, which will ruin the doughnuts and prevent them from frying correctly.
- Let the doughnuts proof until they are very light and puffy, about 30-40 minutes. If they don’t proof for long enough, their texture won’t be as light.
TIP: If your oil is too cold, the doughnuts will absorb oil and end up tasting greasy. If it’s too hot, they’ll brown too quickly. It’s better to heat the oil fairly slowly to maintain a steady temperature, and to check it frequently throughout the frying process, so you can adjust the temperature as needed. Note that when you first drop the doughnuts in, the temperature of the oil will also drop, so just keep checking to try to maintain a steady temperature.
Fry the doughnuts.
- While the doughnuts are proofing, you can start heating the oil over medium heat. Pour the oil into a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan. I used a saucepan that’s about 12 inches wide and 5 inches deep. You need to use enough oil, both so that the doughnuts “float” on the oil while frying, as well as to help maintain a steady temperature, which you can’t do with too little oil. Heat the oil to between 350-365 degrees Fahrenheit, checking the temperature with an instant read thermometer.
- Place a cooling rack over a large baking sheet for draining the doughnuts.
- When you’re ready to start frying, fry the doughnuts in batches, about 3-4 doughnuts at a time. Carefully lower them into the oil, fry for about 45 seconds – 1 minute until golden brown on the bottom, then flip and fry on the other side until brown (I like to use wooden chopsticks to flip the doughnuts). They should be a light golden brown, and if they were proofed correctly, they’ll have a white “proof line” running around the middle. In today’s photos, my doughnuts are a little darker than I’d prefer, as I struggled with my oil getting too hot, so it’s important to maintain a steady temperature that’s not too hot or too cold.
- Use your skimmer to transfer the doughnuts to the cooling rack to drain, and continue frying the remainder of the doughnuts.
Coat the doughnuts in espresso sugar.
- In a bowl, combine the sugar with the espresso powder, then use your fingers to rub the espresso powder into the sugar, to really infuse it with the coffee flavor.
- While the doughnuts are a little warm, coat them in the espresso sugar.
- Cool completely before filling with the chocolate cream.
Make the chocolate cream filling and fill the doughnuts.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and shortening for 1 minute until smooth.
- Add the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, espresso powder, meringue powder, salt and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for 4-5 minutes, scraping the bowl down several times, until very light and fluffy.
- Fit a piping bag with a long piping nozzle, or just tip #12, and fill with the chocolate cream.
- Set the doughnuts on their sides and poke a hole in the side of each (I use a chopstick for this task, too). Insert the tip of the piping bag and fill each doughnut with the chocolate cream.
Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do chocolate cream filled doughnuts stay fresh?
Homemade doughnuts are best eaten the same day they’re made, as the leftovers don’t keep very well.
Will this recipe work with other types of filling?
Yes, you can use cream filling, custard or jelly to fill your doughnuts.
Where can I buy espresso powder?
I use Medaglia D’Oro Instant Espresso Coffee, which adds an intense, bitter coffee flavor to balance the sweetness of the sugar and enhance the chocolate filling. I usually buy it at my local grocery store.
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Chocolate Cream Filled Doughnuts with Espresso Sugar
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Equipment
- Small Saucepan
- Large Heavy Bottomed Saucepan
- Instant Read Thermometer
- Large Baking Sheet + Parchment Paper
- Cooling Racks
- Rolling Pin and 2 1/2-inch Biscuit Cutter
- Stand Mixer with Dough Hook + Paddle Attachment
- Skimmer
- Mixing Bowls, Measuring Cups, Measuring Spoons
Ingredients
Doughnuts
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- ⅔ cup whole milk or buttermilk
- 1 packet (2 1/4 tsp) active dry yeast or instant/rapid rise yeast
- ¼ cup granulated sugar, divided
- ½ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg or cinnamon optional
- 3 – 3 ½ cups bread flour or all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 qts vegetable oil, for frying
Espresso Sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp instant espresso powder
Chocolate Cream Filling
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ¼ cup vegetable shortening
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar
- ⅓ cup unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 2 tsp instant espresso powder
- 1 tsp meringue powder
- ⅛ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- ¾ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Doughnuts
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the milk, and heat just until the mixture reaches between 110-115 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove from the heat, stir in the yeast and 1 tablespoon of the sugar, and let sit for 5-10 minutes until bubbly and foamy.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the remainder of the sugar with the salt, nutmeg/cinnamon, and all but 1/2 cup of the flour. Add the egg and the warm milk mixture.
- With the dough hook, stir the mixture for several minutes until it comes together, then knead for 5 minutes, gradually adding the remaining 1/2 cup of flour, only if needed. Do not add the flour if the dough is already forming a dough ball around the hook. The dough should form a "torpedo" or ball around the dough hook and mostly pull away from the sides of the bowl, although it may stick a little at the bottom of the bowl.If you don't have a stand mixer, you can knead the dough by hand for about 10 minutes.
- Scrape the dough into a lightly greased bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Set in a warm place to rise until doubled in size – this may take anywhere from 30-90 minutes, depending on the freshness of the yeast and the warmth of the environment. Be sure to check frequently, so that you don't over-proof the dough.If you have a "bread proof" setting in your oven, you can use that. Otherwise, preheat the oven to the lowest temperature, turn it off, then place your dough inside to rise. Mine took 1 hour in my oven on the bread proof setting.
- Prep one large or two medium baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper. If you like, you can cut the paper into individual 4×4 inch squares, which can be helpful for dropping the doughnuts into the oil.
- On a floured surface, roll out the dough to 3/4 inch thick. Use a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter dipped in flour to cut 12 doughnuts.If you like, you can gather up and roll out the dough scraps to cut more doughnuts, but these will be a little more dense and will never look as nice as the ones you cut the first time around, so try to cut them as close together the first time to reduce dough waste.
- Place the cut doughnuts on the parchment lined baking sheets. Set the baking sheets inside your oven – again, use the "bread proof" setting, or gently warm the oven before setting the doughnuts inside.
- Fill a small saucepan with several inches of boiling water and place it inside the oven. The steam will keep the doughnuts moist, and prevent them from forming a "skin" on their surface, which will ruin the doughnuts and prevent them from frying correctly.
- Let the doughnuts proof until they are very light and puffy, about 30-40 minutes. If they don't proof for long enough, their texture won't be as light.
- While the doughnuts are proofing, you can start heating the oil over medium heat. Pour the oil into a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan. I used a saucepan that's about 12 inches wide and 5 inches deep. You need to use enough oil, both so that the doughnuts "float" on the oil while frying, as well as to help maintain a steady temperature, which you can't do with too little oil. Heat the oil to between 350-365 degrees Fahrenheit, checking the temperature with an instant read thermometer.If your oil is too cold, the doughnuts will absorb oil and end up tasting greasy. If it's too hot, they'll brown too quickly. It's better to heat the oil fairly slowly to maintain a steady temperature, and to check it frequently throughout the frying process, so you can adjust the temperature as needed. Note that when you first drop the doughnuts in, the temperature of the oil will also drop, so just keep checking to try to maintain a steady temperature.
- Place a cooling rack over a large baking sheet for draining the doughnuts.
- When you're ready to start frying, fry the doughnuts in batches, about 3-4 doughnuts at a time. Carefully lower them into the oil, fry for about 45 seconds – 1 minute until golden brown on the bottom, then flip and fry on the other side until brown (I like to use wooden chopsticks to flip the doughnuts). They should be a light golden brown, and if they were proofed correctly, they'll have a white "proof line" running around the middle.In today's photos, my doughnuts are a little darker than I'd prefer, as I struggled with my oil getting too hot, so it's important to maintain a steady temperature that's not too hot or too cold.
- Use your skimmer to transfer the doughnuts to the cooling rack to drain, and continue frying the remainder of the doughnuts.
Espresso Sugar
- In a bowl, combine the sugar with the espresso powder, then use your fingers to rub the espresso powder into the sugar, to really infuse it with the coffee flavor.
- While the doughnuts are a little warm, coat them in the espresso sugar.
- Cool completely before filling with the chocolate cream.
Chocolate Cream Filling
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and shortening for 1 minute until smooth.
- Add the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, espresso powder, meringue powder, salt and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for 4-5 minutes, scraping the bowl down several times, until very light and fluffy.
- Fit a piping bag with a long piping nozzle, or just tip #12, and fill with the chocolate cream.
- Set the doughnuts on their sides and poke a hole in the side of each (I use a chopstick for this task, too). Insert the tip of the piping bag and fill each doughnut with the chocolate cream.
Hi! Heather.
Thank you so much for the lovely recipe.
MayI know what is the purpose of adding the meringue powder into the chocolate cream filling.
Can I use fresh egg whites instead, because I dont have the dried one.
The meringue powder adds stability (I discuss it a bit more in my buttercream post), but you can leave it out if you don’t have it. You should not use egg whites, as that would add too much moisture and ruin the cream filling.
https://curlygirlkitchen.com/perfect-american-buttercream-frosting/
how would we make this filling to be a vanilla flavor?
This is a chocolate buttercream that I used for the filling, and you can get my vanilla buttercream recipe here: https://curlygirlkitchen.com/perfect-american-buttercream-frosting/
If I were making these for someone to be picked up the next day would they still be good? Making the dough in the evening and cooking them. Should I wait to add the chocolate until the morning? Or would they be okay for a few hours? I work early so I wouldn’t have time to bake these fresh and fill them
Unfortunately, no. Yeast doughnuts are best the same day they’re fried and filled. I mean, that doesn’t stop my kids from eating the leftovers the next day, but if they’re for someone else, I’d only make them fresh.