Red Velvet Doughnuts

Bring the milk to the boil, then remove from the heat and add the diced butter. Leave to cool until it reaches hand temperature. Mix the flour, yeast, 75g sugar, coco powder and salt in a big bowl. Mix the milk, the beaten egg and red gel into the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon.

Tip onto a lightly flour dusted surface and knead for 10 minutes.

Lightly grease the mixing bowl with some oil. Put the dough back in, cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and leave to rise until doubled in size – up to 2 hours depending on how warm your kitchen is.

Knock back the dough by gently kneading just 5 times to get the air out. Cut the dough into 25 even pieces (I used a weighing scales). Roll each piece into a ball and sit on 2-3 lightly greased baking sheets – they’ll need room between them for growing.

Cover the dough again with a clean tea towel and leave to prove until almost doubled in size again (about an hour). Preheat your oven to 190°C (170°C fan, gas mark 5), with a roasting tin full of boiling water on the base of your oven.

While waiting for the second prove, make your doughnut filling. Beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and mix until smooth. Add more powdered sugar or a splash of milk, if needed, until desired consistency is reached.

Bake the doughnuts for 12-15 minutes until risen and dark golden. Let the doughnuts cool for a few minutes, then brush with the melted butter and roll in sugar. Spoon cream cheese filling into the piping bag. Poke a hole in each doughnut, then push in the nozzle and squeeze in a little of your cream cheese filling.