This fascinating combination of flavors renders a soft and uniquely flavored cake. Wine and chocolate complement each other very well. With or without the glaze, it's a fantastic recipe to make in different types of pans.

After almost two days without an internet connection, again, this post is a bit late, but the raspberry wine bundt cake is just as good.
And it's made with homemade raspberry liqueur, one of many I started working on two months ago.
So let's talk about berry bundt cakes, which is the theme chosen for this month.
Cake + berries is open to many ideas, but I had to work with an alternative, as fresh berries weren't found in the market, the fall is really in full swing and I had already made one white chocolate raspberry bundt and had a strawberry chocolate cake coming this Friday, and my secret stash of frozen blueberries was lost in the flood.
Raspberry liquor
But then I saw my wonderful homemade raspberry liqueur, made with fresh berries, vodka, and vanilla bean, quietly sharing space with my other bottles, a deep red clear water of the freshest kind.
I had planned on using it a few weeks ago, but it had gotten better since that obviously didn't happen. And a deeper red too.
So raspberry wine bundt cake it would be, and a chance to make one of my favorite recipes of all times. For those who know me and my blog, it's no surprise how much I like to put booze in my baking. So much, it's almost embarrassing. But it's better to step up to our own obsessions.
This cake is all about the flavor, a combination of deep chocolate, spicy something not quite distinguishable, which I assume is the mix of booze and good cinnamon, and a melty texture to top. It all makes me go back for another bite, and another, and then another slice.
The day was a sunny fall day, with clear skies and a nice temperature, and this cake was the perfect ending. For those who thought it was simply a chocolate cake, it surprised them in the best possible way, similar to what happens with this chocolate mousse cake. And I saw two more go down the same path I had, one bite, then another, then another slice...
The homemade raspberry liqueur is one of many I've been macerating for a few months. Man, I'm obsessed. So easy and so good. Especially for baking.
Let me know in the comments below if you made this recipe and loved it and if you had issues so we can troubleshoot together. I love to hear what you think, always. Thanks for being here. It's much appreciated.
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Chocolate Wine Cake
This fascinating combination of flavors renders a soft and uniquely flavored cake. Wine and chocolate complement each other very well. With or without the glaze, it's a fantastic recipe to make in different types of pans.
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients
For the cake:
- ½ cup (115g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup (190g) firmly packed brown sugar
- ⅓ cup (65g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- ⅔ cup raspberry liqueur (see recipe below)
- ⅓ cup sweet white wine (such as late harvest)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cup + 2 tablespoons (175g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Scant ½ teaspoon salt
For the glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 or 3 tablespoons raspberry liqueur (see recipe below)
For the liqueur:
- 1 cup fresh raspberries
- 1 cup vodka
- 1 vanilla bean
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350º. Butter or spray a bundt pan. I used a silicone pan.
- In a large bowl beat butter until creamy, about 1minute. Gradually add both sugars, beating until very creamy, about 3 or 4 minutes.
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating for a minute after they're incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, sift together all the rest of the ingredients of the cake. (I do it directly over the butter mixture).
- Add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the raspberry liqueur and white wine in two additions. Mix until very well blended but don't overmix at this point.
- Pour into prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes, our until a tester inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool on wire rack for twenty minutes or so, and then unmold onto rack and let cool completely.
- Drizzle glaze over top of cake, letting it drip to the sides. You can add more fresh raspberries on top.
For the glaze:
- Mix powdered sugar with raspberry liqueur.
- Add fresh raspberries or some from the liqueur, and swirl a few times to marble.
For the liqueur:
- In a glass jar or bottle, add raspberries and vodka.
- Cover and keep in a dark dry place for 2 weeks.
- Add the vanilla bean to the liquid and keep covered in the same place for 2 more weeks.
Notes
- The liqueur takes about a month to be ready to use. You can substitute it with a store-bought one.
- I halved the cake recipe because I was using a medium mold. If you want to make 3 layers, double it and use a mascarpone filling and frosting, as the book suggests.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Cakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: International
Keywords: chocolate wine cake
Barely adapted from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook by Deb Perelman
Kathy says
Beautiful cake, Paula! I am quite taken by the Raspberry Extract. I can't wait to try it this summer when my raspberries are plentiful. I wind up freezing so many of them because they come in so fast.
Robert Hall says
I was looking up recipes for raspberry combinations in wine as I am brewing a 75 gallon batch at the moment, (the largest I've ever done), and came across your site for raspberry chocolate. It looks scrumptuous and I can't wait to try it!
Laura says
First, that is a gorgeous pan and therefore gorgeous cake. Second, it is not often I really wish I liked raspberries, but you've managed it.