Yield: 16 Mocha Custard donuts // Total Time: 2 hr. 30 min. // Disclaimer: This post includes affiliate links. // This post is sponsored by Papanicholas Coffee, all opinions are my own.
Soft and fluffy chocolate brioche donuts, filled with a mocha custard.
I’m so excited to share this recipe with you all! If you’ve perused the blog before, you might be able to see that I am obsessed with coffee and coffee desserts, which brings us to these Mocha Custard Donuts. They start off with a super light, fluffy and delicious chocolate version of my *perfect* brioche Dough. Then, they’re filled with a coffee-infused chocolate pastry cream that’s whipped up with whipped cream and coated in a coffee sugar. These donuts have quite a few steps to them but trust me when I say it’s so worth it. Below you’ll find a bunch of tips, tricks, and information about this recipe.
papanicholas coffee
I’ve partnered again with my all-time favorite coffee brand: papanicholas coffee for these mocha custard donuts. I use their coffee beans every day and am so happy to be able to partner with them to spread the love of their coffee. In this recipe I used their donut blend coffee grounds which has notes of honey and light sugar with a bright finish. I definitely highly recommend trying some of their coffee, they have so many delicious flavors and are always the coffee I use in my recipes (and for my daily caffeine dose!). You can find their website by clicking here. Also, if you do end up purchasing their coffee be sure to use code FRESH20 for 20% off your coffee order!
recipe tips
weigh your ingredients
Weighing your ingredients is important for getting the recipe perfect and getting consistent results. Not weighing your ingredients can lead to adding too much or too little of an ingredient. In a small batch recipe it is especially important to get those correct measurements because there is less room for error. If you haven’t already, I highly recommend purchasing a kitchen scale. This one is super cheap and worked well for me when I was starting out!
the dough will need to knead..for a while
Kneading this dough will take a longer time than you are probably used to. This dough is enriched with eggs and butter which makes it take longer for the proper amount of gluten to develop. Kneading in the mixer can take me anywhere from 10-20 minutes. Also, please make sure you are using a higher protein all purpose flour that has at least 11%, not 10% protein (I use King Arthur Flour, 11.7%.) The dough is ready to be used when it passes the windowpane test and has pulled away from the sides and bottom of the bowl. If you are weighing your ingredients, just trust the process! If you are using cup measurements and the dough just is not coming together after 15 minutes, try adding in 1 tbsp. of flour at a time.
use room temperature ingredients
It is important for the ingredients to be at room temperature so that they properly incorporate with each other. Take out the egg and butter at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hr 30 min. before starting the recipe. To bring an egg to room temperature quickly, you can place it under hot water for 1 minute. To bring butter to room temperature quickly, slice it, place it on a plate, and microwave it in 5 second intervals!
heating the milk
Heating the milk is important for bringing the yeast to an optimal temperature for rising. The milk should be heated to ~100°F / 38°C but it does not have to be exact. As long as the milk is between 95°F – 110°F, it is good to be used. If the temperature exceeds 110°F, wait for it to cool down before using so that you do not kill the yeast!
ingredients and substitutions
For the brioche donuts:
All purpose flour: for structure and chewiness. Please be sure that you are using a high-quality flour that has a high protein %, such as King Arthur (11.7%) so that your gluten will develop. If you’re using a low protein flour, the gluten will not develop enough and you will have to add a lot more flour to the brioche, which will alter the dough!
Active dry yeast: for making the dough rise. You can easily substitute in instant yeast if that is what you have on hand. You will just skip the step of combining the warm milk, sugar, and yeast!
Salt: for balancing and bringing out the sweetness of the brioche. Salt also “controls” the yeast to make sure that it does not overly expand.
Granulated sugar: for sweetening the brioche and for helping the yeast with rising.
Egg: for binding and adding moisture.
Dutch processed cocoa flavor: makes the donuts chocolate flavored. I recommend dutch processed cocoa for the best flavor, but you can substitute in natural cocoa as well.
Unsalted butter: for tenderizing the brioche rolls and giving them a buttery, melt-in-your-mouth feel. I would not recommend substituting in salted butter since salt is important to controlling yeast growth and the amount of salt in salted butter is quite variable.
Whole milk: for tenderizing and hydrating the dough. Whole milk will provide the softest rolls because the extra fat helps tenderize the dough. You can however swap in 1%, 2% or your favorite non dairy milk alternative! Just note that the dough may be a little less soft and fluffy due to the varying fat content.
For the mocha custard:
Whole milk & coffee grounds: we’ll steep these two together overnight which gives the custard such a rich and delicious coffee flavor.
Egg yolks: for thickening and emulsifying the custard.
Granulated sugar: for sweetness.
Salt: balances and brings out the flavor and sweetness of the custard.
Dutch processed cocoa powder: for chocolate flavor.
Chocolate: use your favorite milk, semi-sweet or dark chocolate baking bar here.
Unsalted butter: adds richness to the custard.
Heavy whipping cream: for whipping up the custard to make it fluffy and pipeable for the donuts.
For the coffee sugar coating:
Granulated sugar & coffee grounds
how to make mocha custard donuts
Here are some of the photos of the process of making these chocolate donuts and mocha custard. The full recipe is at the end of this blog post!
how to tell your dough is done kneading: the windowpane test
The windowpane test is (in my opinion) the best way to tell that your dough has been properly kneaded. Once the dough starts to pull away from the sides and the bottom of the mixing bowl, it is most likely ready. However, just to be sure that it’s good to go I check if it passes the windowpane test. To do that, take some of the dough in your hands and start to slowly stretch it out. If it can get thin enough to where light passes through it before tearing, then it’s good to go! If not, keep kneading until it does!
mocha donuts q&a
how to store mocha donuts
Fried donuts are definitely going to taste the best the day that they are baked, and I highly *highly* recommend serving them on the same day. Filled, they can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 hours at room temperature. I recommend filling them no more than 2 hours before serving so you don’t have to refrigerate them, which will change the texture a bit.
can I double this recipe?
Yes! I can’t emphasize using a kitchen scale enough for especially this recipe already, but if you are going to double or half the ingredients it is even more important that you weigh your ingredients. The dough is very hydrated and slight alterations can change the texture of the dough. Similarly, you can half the recipe but note that you will have to measure out 1 1/2 egg yolks for the custard.
can I use instant yeast instead of active dry yeast?
Yes of course! Instead of mixing the heated milk, sugar, and yeast together, just pop all of the dough ingredients into your mixing bowl to start kneading. I do highly recommend refrigerating the dough overnight to make it easier to work with and more flavorful. However, if you are making the recipe all in one day, and using instant yeast, simply let the dough rest for just 10 minutes as the first rise (or however long it states on the instant yeast packet), then proceed with the rest of the recipe.
can I make the dough ahead of time?
Yes, and I highly recommend it! Brioche dough is a very enriched dough that can be hard to work with when warm. Simply knead the dough together, cover it, and leave it to rise in the fridge overnight. When ready to make the honey almond brioche cake simply take it out of the fridge and proceed with the recipe.
my yeast mixture isn’t foaming, what should I do?
The mixture should start foaming around 5 minutes in. If it has not foamed after 10 minutes, the yeast is likely dead. You want to make sure that the milk temperature does not exceed 110°F / 43°C or it will kill the yeast. If you try it again and it still does not foam, the yeast you are using may be expired and you will want to purchase some more before proceeding.
why do you measure in grams?
My recipes are all written in grams because it is the most accurate way to bake. When you use a kitchen scale, you ensure that your baked goods turn out as close to the written recipe as possible. Plus, the cleanup is way easier when using a scale! I will provide standard cup measurements but please note that I have not tested the recipe using cup measurements and therefore can not guarantee your recipe will come out how mine did. Here is my favorite kitchen scale
a note on oven temperature.
Ovens vary and fluctuate in temperature. For example, I always have to set my oven to 330°F if I want it to bake at 350°F. If you love to bake like I do, I highly recommend getting an oven thermometer. They are super helpful for letting you know when your oven might be lying to you. I use this one.
mocha custard donut troubleshooting
the dough just isn’t coming together
I can’t recommend the use of a kitchen scale enough, especially for this super-hydrated dough. If you’ve been kneading and kneading and the dough still won’t come together, add 1 tbsp. of flour at a time and knead for 2 minutes until the dough comes together. Please note that the dough at times has taken me up to 20 minutes to knead and pass the windowpane test!
my fried donuts are hollow and not fluffy
While they will still be delicious, this has happened to me and it’s definitely frustrating! This could either be that the donuts did not rise for long enough, or that you didn’t get enough air out of the dough when punching it down. Note that every environment is different and while they should only take ~60 & ~30 minutes for the first and second rise in a warm environment – it could take longer if your kitchen is on the colder side. The dough is ready once it has doubled in size!
the custard is super thick
After cooking the custard, it does thicken up quite significantly, but don’t worry! Once we mix it with the whipped cream it smooths out and becomes a perfect pipeable consistency.
tools and ingredients
You can find all my favorite tools and ingredients that I use on my Amazon Storefront page, here
did you make these mocha custard donuts?
If you made these mocha custard donuts I would love to see it and know your thoughts! Please leave a comment and review down below, and tag me on Instagram @freshbeanbakery. If you have any questions about the recipe I will gladly do my best to answer them in the comments below!
Mocha Custard Donuts
Chocolate brioche donuts filled with a mocha custard and coated in coffee sugar.
Ingredients
Chocolate Brioche Donuts
- 180 g whole milk (6 ½ oz.)
- 32 g dutch processed cocoa powder (⅓ c.)
- 2 tsp. active dry yeast
- 50 g granulated sugar (¼ c.)
- 320 g all purpose flour (2 ⅔ c.)
- 1 ¼ tsp. salt
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 85 g unsalted butter room temperature (6 tbsp.)
Mocha Custard
- 280 g whole milk (10 oz.)
- 22 g coffee grounds (¼ c.)
- 3 egg yolks
- 100 g granulated sugar (½ c.)
- 21 g corn starch (3 tbsp.)
- ½ tsp. salt
- 12 g dutch processed cocoa powder (2 tbsp.)
- 85 g semi-sweet chocolate finely chopped (½ c.)
- 28 g unsalted butter room temperature (2 tbsp.)
- 110 g heavy whipping cream (½ c.)
Instructions
Chocolate Brioche Donuts
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Add the cocoa powder to the bottom of the bowl of a stand mixer. In a microwave safe measuring cup, heat the milk to 100°F / 38°C. Pour about ⅓ of the warm milk over the cocoa powder. To the rest of the milk, whisk in the yeast and sugar. Set aside until the yeast mixture begins to foam (~5 minutes)
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Add the flour, salt, eggs, butter, and yeast mixture to the cocoa powder mixture.
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Knead the dough on low speed for 1 minute to allow the ingredients to come together. Increase the speed to medium-high and knead for an additional 10-20 minutes, or until the dough cleans the sides and bottom of the bowl, and passes the windowpane test.
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Once the dough is done kneading, butter the inside of the bowl, form the dough into a ball and place it back in the bowl. Then cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap. At this point, you could set the dough in the fridge to rise overnight, or continue with completing the recipe in one day. If doing in one day, set the dough in a warm area and wait for it to double in size (~1 hour.)
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While waiting for the dough to rise, make the mocha custard.
Mocha Custard
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Add the egg yolks, sugar, corn starch, salt, and cocoa powder to a medium sized mixing bowl. Whisk the mixture until combined.
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Pour the steeped coffee ground milk mixture over a fine mesh sieve into a medium sized saucepan to remove the grounds, then heat the milk to a simmer.
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Once the milk is simmering, slowly whisk a little bit of milk at a time into the egg yolk mixture. Be sure to whisk constantly to avoid curdling the eggs.
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Once the two mixtures are combined, pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Set the mixture over medium heat and constantly whisk until it thickens.
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Once it’s thickened, whisk in the butter and chopped chocolate until smooth. Transfer the custard to a large mixing bowl, and cover the top with plastic wrap. Leave the custard in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble the donuts.
Assembling the Donuts
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Once the donut dough has doubled in size, punch it down to remove excess air and transfer it to a clean, lightly floured surface.
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Divide the dough into 16 equally sized pieces (~48g each) and roll each tightly into a ball.
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Transfer the balls of dough to a parchment lined baking sheet and set a towel loosely over them. Allow the dough to rise in a warm environment for 30 minutes or until they have slightly puffed up.
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Make the coffee sugar by stirring together the sugar and coffee grounds in a shallow bowl.
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Once the donuts have puffed up, fill a large saucepan with at least 2” of vegetable or any neutral oil. Heat the oil to 365°F / 185°C.
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Carefully place the donuts into the hot oil (3-4 at a time, depending on what your pan can comfortably fit). Fry the donuts on each side for 3 ½ minutes. You can also check that they are done by making sure the internal temperature is at least 180°F / 82°C.
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Remove the donuts from the oil and immediately toss them in the coffee sugar.
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Once the donuts are done, finish making the mocha custard. Use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat the custard for one minute. Then, while still mixing, slowly pour the heavy whipping cream into the custard.
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Once all the heavy cream has been added, continue to beat the mixture for 1-2 minutes, or until it is light and fluffy.
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Transfer the mocha custard to a piping bag fitted with a round tip. Use a sharp knife to poke a hole into the top of each donut, then fill each donut generously with the mocha custard. Serve and enjoy!
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