Chocolate Fudge Cake Doughnuts

Ingredients
Yield 12 Large Doughnuts
2/3 cup Dutch-process cocoa
1 ¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 ¼ cups light brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground espresso or espresso powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips
2 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons vinegar, white or cider
1/3 cup vegetable oil
Powdered sugar, for serving, optional

Chocolate ganache:
1 cup chocolate chips
½ cup heavy cream

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease the wells of two standard donut pans. If you don't have two pans, simply bake the batter in two batches. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cocoa, flour, sugar, espresso powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and chocolate chips. Set aside.

In a large measuring cup or medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla, and vinegar. You may notice some curdling of the milk; that’s OK. Add the wet ingredients, along with the vegetable oil, to the dry ingredients, stirring to blend until everything is well-combined. Use a piping bag to fill or spoon the batter into the prepared pan(s), filling them between 3/4 and full. Bake the doughnuts for 12 to 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean.

Remove the doughnuts from the oven, and after 30 seconds or so, loosen their edges, turn the pan upside down over a rack, and gently let the doughnuts fall onto the rack. If serving immediately, sprinkle with powdered sugar. If serving later or the next day, coat the doughnuts with chocolate ganache.

To make the ganache, heat the heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup until steaming. Place the chocolate chips in a heat-proof bowl and whisking in the hot cream until the mixture is shiny and smooth. Dip the top of each doughnut in the icing; or spread icing on the doughnuts.