Red Velvet Donuts with Cream Cheese Frosting

5 from 2 votes

These baked red velvet donuts are covered in cream cheese frosting and have that classic red velvet flavor. If you're looking for a quick and easy breakfast treat to make on Valentine's Day, then you've got to make these donuts!

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Cool Time10

Total Time30

Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Servings: donuts

Calories: 310kcal

Author: Karissa Parrish

Equipment

Donut Pan
Mixing Bowls
Piping Bag
Electric Stand Mixer

Ingredients

Red Velvet Donuts

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg, room temperature preferred
½ cup sugar
½ cup buttermilk, room temperature preferred
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon white distilled vinegar
½ teaspoon red food gel

Cream Cheese Frosting

2 ounces cream cheese (block-style), room temperature
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup powdered sugar
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
1-2 tablesoons milk
valentine's day sprinkles, optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a 6-count donut pan with non-stick spray. Set aside.

Red Velvet Donuts

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, egg, sugar, buttermilk, vanilla extract, vinegar, and red food gel until combined.
Add the dry ingredients into the wet and gently fold together using a rubber spatula until combined (be careful not to over mix).
Scoop the batter into a piping bag or a zipped-up sandwich bag. Simply cut a corner off of the bottom of the bag and pipe the donut batter into each donut cup, filling it up just barely to the top.
Bake the donuts for 9-11 minutes. Use a toothpick to check the center. If it comes out clean, then they're done. Allow the donuts to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before carefully removing them and setting them on a wire rack to finish cooling.

Cream Cheese Frosting

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer using the paddle attachment, beat together the cream cheese and butter until light and creamy (about 1 minute). Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk and beat on med-high speed for an additional 1-2 minutes. If the frosting is too thick, add a ½ tablespoon of milk at a time until desired consistency. Scrape the glaze into a small bowl and if it's slightly lumpy, heat in the microwave for about 8 seconds. Use a whisk to mix everything together.
Once the donuts have cooled, dip them into the glaze and place them back onto the wire rack. Then sprinkle on some fun Valentine's Day sprinkles (optional). Once set, serve immediately and enjoy!
Keep leftover donuts in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Notes

Baking Pan: You'll need a 6-count donut pan like this one or this wilton donut pan. I have both of these and use them interchangeably. Be sure to spray it with non-stick cooking spray.

Measuring Flour: To help ensure you don’t add extra flour, follow these three simple steps: 1) Fluff up the flour using a fork. 2) Spoon the flour into your measuring cup. 3) Scrape a knife across the top of the measuring cup to level out the flour.

Donut Batter: I find it so much easier to scrape the donut batter into a piping bag or a large ziplock bag and pipe the batter into the donut cups. This method makes it less messy too.

Donut Glaze: Be sure the donuts are completely cooled before dipping into the icing. If not, the glaze will slide off and not stick to the donuts properly.

Nutrition