I might be turning into my father. I know it's more cliche for women to grow up and realize "Oh, I am my mother now." While I have a lot of those moments too, the receipts are pointing more towards my Dad, at least when it comes to donuts. 

I don't yet have a car full of hidden Dunkin' Donuts bags, but the evidence is there nonetheless. First, my obsession with Union Square Donuts, where I try to manipulate my way to every time I go to Boston. Just in the past month there was a pre-work trip to Blackbird Doughnuts, also in Boston, for both their vanilla cake doughnut and everything bagel doughnut (because I had to try that, it was excellent), then Claire and I made the most perfect heart-shaped doughnuts for our Royal Wedding viewing. And then, even before that trip I spent a Saturday morning very carefully frying a giant donut and calling it a cake (coming soon!) because I apparently love tempting fate with hot oil.  

Then there were these cuties!

If you didn't know, today is National Donut Day! I've never celebrated on the blog, and this year I'm fixing that. I wanted to keep it simple, just do a chocolate on chocolate situation, dressed up with a colorful coat of sprinkles. Classic and undeniable. 

But then, being me, I thought, hey, what if I made them vegan? Not for any reason really, other than somewhere along the way I decided that baked donuts are just cupcakes in another shape, and I wanted to have some fun with my favorite vegan cupcake recipe. Well, uh, *spoiler alert* these are NOT vegan donuts, because it turns out that my theory was not true, at least for cupcake batters that yield soft and tender cupcakes. While that makes for spectacular cupcakes, it does not make spectacular donuts, but rather easily destructible mini cakes that are impossible to remove from the pan. 

So I ate all those rejects out of the pan with a spoon, baked the remaining batter into cupcakes (poor me) and tried again with a different recipe. In the end, I just used Joy The Baker's recipe for chocolate baked donuts, because if you read her blog, then you know she's well-traveled on the donut path and I just followed. The glaze on the donuts is the glaze from the cupcakes, because I just can't let things go and also it is perfect for donuts.

These little guys are so happy looking with their sprinkle jackets, and each one is only one or two bites, so they are a perfect way to eat all the donuts you want to celebrate! 

Baked Chocolate Mini Donuts

Donuts adapted from Joy the Baker, glaze from NYT. The donut recipe says it makes 18, I got far more than that.

For the donuts:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 packed cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 egg
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the glaze: 

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• ¼ cup cocoa powder
• 3 tablespoons rice milk
• sprinkles for topping

1. Make the donuts: heat oven to 325 degrees and spray a mini donut pan with cooking spray. In a mixing bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt, and whisk in the brown sugar. In another bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients until well-combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk to combine, leaving no lumps.
2. Either pipe or carefully spoon the batter into the pan, filling each mold about 2/3 full. Bake for 8-10 minutes until set and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool for a few minutes, then turn the donuts out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining batter.
3. When all donuts are baked and cooling, make the glaze: Sift together the powdered sugar and cocoa powder into a bowl, then whisk in the rice milk to form a glaze. In a separate small bowl, pour your sprinkles.
4. When donuts are completely cool, you can glaze them. Dip the top of each donut into the glaze, about halfway down the sides. Turn over onto the wire rack set over a baking sheet to catch any drips. Let sit for about 30 seconds then dip into the sprinkles to completely coat. Let set then enjoy!