Baked Nutella Doughnuts with Nutella Glaze

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 Tbsp packed light-brown sugar
• 1/3 cup Nutella
• 3 Tbsp butter, softened
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 1/2 Tbsp Nutella
• 4 – 6 tsp milk
• Chopped, toasted hazelnuts or sprinkles, for topping, optional

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a mixing bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt for 30 seconds, then put that bowl aside. In another mixing bowl, beat the granulated sugar, light-brown sugar, Nutella and butter with an electric hand mixer on medium-low until the mixture comes together, about 20 seconds. Mix in the egg and vanilla.
2. Switch to a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Add the flour mixture in three separate additions, using 1/3 of it at a time and alternating with half of the milk, starting and finishing with the flour mixture. After each addition, stir and fold only until the batter is combined.
3. Spoon the batter into greased doughnut pans, filling each well about 3/4 full. You should get about 9 doughnuts. Bake until a toothpick poked into a doughnut comes out clean, about 7 – 9 minutes. Take the pans out of the oven and let the doughnuts cool for 5 minutes, then loosen the edges with a butter knife, turn them out onto a wire rack, and let them cool completely.
4. In a small mixing bowl, whisk the powdered sugar, 2 1/2 Tbsp Nutella, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Spread the Nutella glaze over the tops of the cooled doughnuts. Add sprinkles or chopped hazelnuts, if using, and leave the doughnuts at room temperature until the glaze sets. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature.