In an era when dessert is often evaluated by its Instagram potential, Los Angeles shines as one of the world’s premier cities for sweet treats. Join Daily Bruin staffers each week as they visit different dessert joints, going behind the scenes to give you an exclusive look into the creation of trending sugary concoctions.
Voodoo Doughnut’s treats are as eclectic as its decor.
The Universal CityWalk eatery, famed for its Instagram-worthy doughnuts, sits within bubblegum pink walls decorated with coffins, skateboards and neon signs. Though founded in Portland, Oregon, the store’s Los Angeles location bears letters reading “good things come in pink boxes” and “the magic is in the hole,” alluding to their signature packaging and quirky desserts. Curious as to what makes Voodoo so special, my friends and I drove up to explore their kitchen and the supposed magic it conjures – or to be more accurate, fries.
Even in the midst of the outlandish decor, I found myself mesmerized by a single structure – a revolving glass display consisting of multiple tiers on which doughnuts were placed. It was a dizzying way to present a menu, but compelling nonetheless. In every corner, customers snapped photos with various pieces of decor, most commonly the giant, tree-sized voodoo doll that stood by the door, guiding CityWalk traffic into the store.
We stepped past the line of excited patrons into the kitchen, where I was introduced to the chef, who began explaining the layout and process. Voodoo serves two types of doughnuts – traditional ones of fried batter, and cake-based ones that are baked instead. For my thrilling stint as chef, I was told I would be decorating two doughnuts – a round, pumpkin one with an iced pretzel as the stem, and a large voodoo doll.
The chef handed me bags of orange, green, brown, white and black frosting; each came with a thin nozzle, and a thicker one that let more substance pass through. I glanced down at the intricately iced leaves, vines and stems on the pumpkin doughnut, confident that I’d be able to pipe out the green frosting almost if not equally well. It didn’t take more than 20 seconds to realize how utterly wrong I was, even with my past experience of working at a confectionery. With trembling hands, I piped out a vine that looked rather shriveled up in comparison to the chef’s bouncy-looking spirals. As I shifted to the thick nozzle to create the leaves, I realized it was far easier to work with.
My next task was to ice the face onto a jack-o’-lantern. Voodoo’s glass case boasted rows of pumpkin doughnuts alongside a sign that read out the Rules of Halloween – “never blow out a jack-o-lantern” and “ALWAYS check your candy,” among others. Each of the pumpkins bore a different face made of glossy black ink – some looked evil, some resembled voodoo dolls, and others had toothy smiles. The one that best caught my attention was a Jack Skellington-esque face, with massive, tilted eyes and a thin stitched-up smile. I set out to replicate the pumpkin king’s endearing expression on my own doughnut. But almost seconds after making a blotchy mess, I changed tracks to instead decorate it with a traditional and borderline childish jack-o’-lantern expression with triangle eyes and a zigzagged frown.
While I was hard at work on my terrifying masterpiece, I inquired as to why the black frosting glistened in comparison to the orange and green. The chef piped up at my curiosity, and explained how the black one was chocolate-based, as opposed to vanilla-based, giving it an attractive sheen. I tasted it – not without spilling a bit on my new hoodie – and could tell the difference immediately.
Much to my joy, the second doughnut the chef chose for me was entirely dipped in chocolate. It was the chain’s signature voodoo doll doughnut – an exact replica of the massive figure that stood outside. However, the version I would be making was customized for Halloween. Instead of buttonlike eyes and pretzel sticks poking through its stomach, my doughnut would feature the same brown base, with white frosting that detailed a skeletal structure instead.
After having worked on the jack-o’-lantern, I knew instantly the second doughnut would be a bigger challenge. Icing the pumpkin’s broad shapes was nothing in comparison to replicating the complex network of bones. It didn’t help that this doughnut was meant to be decorated with the thin nozzle.
Despite my cluttered ornamentation, the second doughnut was quite literally the richest doughnut I’ve ever tasted in my life. The velvety layer of chocolate was the perfect thickness in comparison to the fried dough. Its sweetness also complemented the tart raspberry jelly within the doughnut, making for a prolifically balanced dessert.
The pumpkin doughnut paled in comparison, but could by no means be faulted. It was more of a classical creation, with simple frosting over traditionally prepared dough – my obsession with the voodoo doll was a personal preference, backed by my tendency to enjoy doughnuts with filling. Even though it was twice the size of your average doughnut, it wasn’t difficult to finish, like many other desserts are. If anything, I found myself contemplating devouring a second, and finally understanding what all the buzz was about.
I decided the hourlong drive up to Studio City was well worth the time and gas money. In the bustling microcosm that is Universal CityWalk, surrounded by towering neon lights and a cheerful crowd, my midterm stress seemed to disappear, at least for a while. Voodoo was the icing on the doughnut, and truly made my pre-Halloween outing feel like a special treat.