ST. PETERSBURG -- It's not just a donut- it’s a next level food freak fest.

• Donut Freak

That's how the creators of the Donut Freak on Central Avenue in St. Petersburg are presenting their decadent offerings.

But all the fudge and Italian buttercream in the world cannot cover up a healthy secret.

The secret?

Their donuts are not fried in the traditional manner. 

They are baked.

The St. Petersburg restaurant offers donut breakfast and lunch sandwiches. They offer a donut muffin-- the duffin. 

And they offer donut-laden coffee concoctions-- the Freakafrappe and the Freakaccino. The only time this reporter has ever seen any of these types of fusion foods was at the Florida State Fair.

But the Donut Freak owners believe their method along with their recipe turn a funky fair food find into haute cuisine.

"The donut recipe I would say is at least 100 years old," explained Executive Pastry Chef Brooke Warner.

And it’s a secret.

But we do have the ingredients-- sugar, flour, yeast, butter and eggs.

And here is their method.

First Warner carefully rolls out the dough.

"We're looking for a little thicker than half an inch," Warner explained.

 And it’s got to be even. Warner slowly spins the dough in a circle checking the entire surface for uniformity. She then punches out each donut shape individually.

She places them in a proofer to rise, and then bakes them for about 10 minutes. Once cooled, it’s time for the next mystery--the staple topping behind donuts like the “Keep On Rolling.”

It’s the fudge icing.

"We use buttercream-- that's Italian buttercream with real butter," said Warner.

Other ingredients—cocoa, water, sugar, vanilla extract…

That’s all I could get out of Warner.

And that it’s 150 years old.

After coating the top of the donut with a generous layer of the fudge icing, Warner carefully places crushed peanuts evenly all over the donut-- so each bite will have an equal distribution of fudge icing and crushed peanuts.

And the “Keep on Rolling” is ready.

Good luck on your own baked donut!

And if you take on this recipe challenge, email us your results!