For it’s two-year anniversary, the wildly popular doughnut chain Blue Star (now with locations on SE Hawthorne, SW Washington, and N Mississippi) is launching a new wave of fresh-fried treats, with a focus on cake doughnuts, from banana Nutella to spicy peanut with marmalade. Below, we tried out some of their latest creations and picked a winner. 

Coffee Coconut Cream Cheese

This doughnut was made for coffeecake lovers. The rich, dense center has strong coffee notes, with flakes of dried coconut on top for texture. Its tangy, java-infused cream cheese frosting—akin to a sweet Dunkin’ Donuts creation—kept us coming back for more. 

Ginger Carrot Cake with Walnuts

Crunchy, spicy, creamy, and sweet. That’s how this carrot-orange-hued cake hits you. In every bite, you'll find electric nibs of crystalized ginger, rough-chopped walnuts with crunch, and a thick slathering of white, sticky frosting.

RUNNER UP: Matcha Green Tea

Sampling this matcha-dusted round was like munching on a green tea-infused elephant ear. Bite through the mossy, crunchy exterior of this alarmingly verdant doughnut for a mix of sugar, slightly vegetal powder, and a mellow green tea finish.

WINNER: Mexican Hot Chocolate

This is a multi-stage doughnut. At first, you taste bitter cocoa flavor and fudgy, sticky chocolate, followed by a sudden wave of cinnamon and chile that leaves a lingering, addictive heat. Don’t mind if we do.