This cake has a fascinating combination of flavors that complement each other very well. I posted it for the first time over a decade ago, and it's now getting a revamp with a finger-licking wine glaze. It's a pretty, unexpected cake with a tight but soft crumb. It freezes well and can be made in different types of pans.
Unique flavors
This chocolate red wine cake is all about the final taste: a combination of deep chocolate flavor, a spiced something not quite distinguishable depending on the type of wine you use, and a melty sweet glaze on top.
It all makes me go back for another bite, and another, and then another slice.
Though this double chocolate bourbon cake is probably still my favorite of all time, adding wine is a fantastic option, and this recipe a must-bake!
Similar to what happened with this chocolate mousse cake (my first time baking a vegan recipe), this cake surprised me in the best possible way. They both exceeded my expectations—or doubts, really, as I thought they would never match my other favorite chocolate cakes.
For chocolate and wine lovers
In this little blog we love both chocolate and boozy cakes, so adding this recipe to the bundt and pound cakes archive was a no-brainer.
- Combination of flavors: It's a chocolate cake recipe with red wine as the liquid ingredient that also appears in the glaze. It's a magic pair.
- It has a great crumb with a melt-in-your-mouth quality.
- You can make it ahead. It keeps well for a few days and freezes wonderfully for a month or more.
FAQ
Yes, the difference is the pan they're baked in, but not necessarily the type of batter. However, some simple or plain batters adapt better to a bundt cake pan than others.
While you can technically use any red wine, some are better suited for baking than others. Opt for medium-bodied dry wines like Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon. Avoid overly sweet or very tannic wines, as they can affect the cake's flavor and texture. Cooking wines are also not recommended, as they often contain added salt and preservatives.
Will the alcohol cook out?
Yes, most of the alcohol in the wine will evaporate during baking. However, a subtle wine flavor will remain, adding complexity and a fantastic flavor to the cake. The glaze, on the other hand, will retain more of the alcohol content.
Ingredient Notes
Quantities are listed on the recipe card towards the end of this post. The Ingredients page has more details and lists the brands we use.
- Red wine: Use your favorite one, but avoid sweet or late harvest wines and those labeled 'cooking wine'.
- Chocolate: Use your favorite semisweet chocolate.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder. In my experience, the dark ones are the best (this does not apply to the super dark used for making homemade Oreo cookies known as black or dark cocoa powder).
- Baking powder and baking soda: Make sure it hasn't expired.
Preparing the bundt pan
If you love making bundt cakes, you probably know the pain of not being able to remove it from the pan in one piece. It has happened to me many times!
There are several ways of dealing with this:
Shortening and flour: use soft shortening to grease the pan, every angle, every nook and cranny until it's completely covered. Using your fingers is messy but effective. You can also use a brush. Sprinkle flour and rotate the pan to cover it completely. You'll have to do it to one side and then the other. Make sure you flour the center tube. Turn the pan upside down over the kitchen sink and smack lightly it against the edge. The excess flour will fall, leaving a thin layer behind. Your pan is ready to be filled.
Cake goop or cake pan-release paste: it's one of my favorites, along with the shortening method above, because it's very effective. Mix equal parts (volume: cups or tablespoons) of shortening, flour and vegetable oil (sunflower or canola) to make a paste. Use it to coat the pan with a brush. Store it in an airtight container (I use a jar) for a month at room temperature or up to 3 months in the refrigerator.
Baking spray: use a spray labeled as having flour or specifically made for baking (as opposed to cooking). It has to have flour; otherwise, the cake will likely stick when removed. At least, that's my experience. I hardly use it anymore.
Recipe: whenever I find a great bundt cake recipe that can be easily removed from an intricate bundt pan, even though I didn’t follow step 1 above, I cling to it like life itself.
Steps to make chocolate wine cake
To cream the ingredients well, use a large bowl and an electric mixer or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
Scraping the sides is important throughout the beating and mixing process to ensure that the ingredients are well integrated.
Alternating wet ingredients and flour mixture: have ingredients at the temperatures specified in the recipe and add them in parts, starting and ending with dry ingredients (also called flour mixture). This will ensure that they all integrate correctly. If using a stand mixer, use it on low speed when you start incorporating the flour. Beating it too much makes for a tougher cake.
Sifting
It's important to sift the flour mixture to avoid clumps or impurities. And it helps with fluffiness.
You can sift them before or have the ingredients measured and sift them directly over the butter mixture (my choice).
Last mix
I highly recommend mixing the batter with a spatula at the end before pouring it into the prepared cake pan. Scrape the bottom of the pan to check for forgotten flour spots; integrate the batter well.
Vintage Kitchen Tip
After incorporating flour in a cake batter, we don't want to develop gluten, as it will toughen the baked cake. So mix *just* until it's all well incorporated but don't overbeat. I like to end mixing with a silicon spatula to ensure the ingredients are fully integrated.
Filling the pan
The bundt cake pan should be filled ⅔ to ¾ of its capacity, no more than that. This way, the batter has space to grow and bake well without overflowing or taking too long.
Baking
How long should you bake it? The baking time is in the recipe card, of course. But always remember that ovens and pans vary. Start checking when you're about ¾ of the time specified. The top will usually crack, and that's fine. When a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, take it out and place it on a wire rack.
Wine glaze
A simple powdered sugar glaze with red wine is the easiest way to dress up this cake.
How much liquid should you use?
It depends on how thick or thin you want the glaze to be.
Start with half the recipe's amount, mix well, and add more if needed, half a teaspoon at a time, until you reach the desired consistency. It should resemble thick honey unless you want a very thin layer.
Can you make it in advance? Yes, you can. Keep it well covered in the fridge for about 5 days and give it a nice whisk or mix before using it, as the sugar tends to form a thin layer.
As an alternative, you can always use a chocolate ganache glaze.
Kitchen Notes
- Organization: Read the recipe first and ensure you have the ingredients at the correct temperature, the utensils and equipment needed, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
- Baking time: consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as possible, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer (like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend tracking how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
- Removing it from the pan: This is a tricky answer as all pans are different. I leave it to cool down on a cooling rack for about 20 minutes and then shake the pan lightly to see if the cake loosens up on its own. If it doesn't, I carefully insert a smooth-bladed knife down the sides to see if there's something stuck there. Then, I shake it gently again. I then let it cool some more, maybe 15 minutes, and remove it carefully, putting the wire rack over the pan and inverting it.
- Use a different pan. As you know, I love bundt cakes, so that's the pan I chose. Other options are: a rectangular pan to cut squares (the best for a crowd or party), loaf cakes, cupcakes, or three 8-inch cake layers. The last two variations can be filled and/or frosted with buttercream or cream cheese frosting.
- Serving it: I think it's best eaten at room temperature. You can omit the glaze and sprinkle powdered sugar on top, or leave it plain cake and snack on it. If you want to dress it up, create a quick dessert by serving a slice with a dollop of whipped cream and fresh blackberries.
Related recipes you might like:
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Chocolate Wine Cake (with wine glaze)
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Ingredients
Red wine chocolate cake:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar, light or dark, firmly packed
- ⅓ cup white sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Wine glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons red wine
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF (180°C). Grease with soft shortening and lightly flour a 10-cup bundt pan, shaking off excess. Reserve.
- In a large bowl, beat 1 cup unsalted butter until creamy, about 1 minute. Gradually add 1 cup brown sugar⅓ cup white sugar, beating until very creamy, about 3 or 4 minutes.
- Add 2 large eggs, one at a time, beating well until they're fully incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, sift together 1 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour, ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon baking powderand ½ teaspoon salt. I have them measured and sift them directly over the butter mixture.
- Add the dry ingredients in 3 additions to the butter mixture, alternating with the 1 cup red wine and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in 2 additions. You start and end with the flour mixture. Mix until very well blended but don't overmix at this point.
- Pour the chocolate cake batter into the prepared pan. It should be filled ⅔ to ¾ of its capacity, no more than that. This way, the batter has space to grow and bake well.
- Bake for about 45 minutes or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let it cool on a wire rack for about 15 minutes or so, then unmold it on a wire rack and cool completely.
For the wine glaze:
- Mix 1 cup powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons red wine until smooth and creamy.
- Drizzle the glaze over the top of the completely cooled cake, letting it drip down the sides.
Notes
Adapted from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook by Deb Perelman.
miss messy says
What a combination. It sounds unreal 🙂 Yum!
Rosie @ Blueberry Kitchen says
This looks amazing, I really love the sound of a raspberry and wine chocolate cake! Your homemade raspberry liqueur looks so delicious too!
Karen Hartzell (@InTheKitchenKP) says
A..I need to make raspberry liqueur asap.
B...the combo sounds delcious
C..I wish I could eat a piece of this cake right now!!!
Liz Berg says
Another stunning cake, Paula! And a boozed up version has got to taste incredible!!! I'd love to give your raspberry liqueur a go 🙂
Medeja says
Lovely. This bundt cake with raspberry liqueur sounds so good! And it sounds even better with such home made raspberry liqueur.
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom says
Paula,
"But it's better to step up to our own obsessions."- OMG, I love this! Hey, keep the booze coming. . it's all good. Wow! This bundt is glorious! I love it! I love it when people are surprised when they bite/taste a cake or dessert thinking it's something when it is something different or unexpected. Bravo.
When we finally meet in person, I need some of your homemade liqueur obsession to rub off on me! 🙂 Gorgeous. Gorgeous cake!
easyfoodsmith says
Love this recipe! It has amazing pairing of flavours. thanks for sharing.
Anita at Hungry Couple says
Fantastic! Chocolate and raspberry belong together...
e / dig in says
paula, is it enought to say i'm bookmarking this recipe for next summer when i have fresh raspberries to make my own liqueur? your cake looks seriously decadent.
Marissa | Pinch and Swirl says
You are a baking goddess Paula. Nuff said! 🙂
Veronica Gantley says
Love this recipe it looks so good! Glad to be with you on Bundtamonth
Heather King says
I was surprised to see you used white wine as opposed to red wine. I usually go with red for chocolate but I always have white in the house and now I can't wait to make this! The chocolate, raspberries, and wine sounds incredible together.
Susan Lester says
Wow, Paula! You've truly outdone yourself! Just lovely.
The Ninja Baker says
Bless your heart, Paula. Bravo for being so positive and turning lost blueberries into raspberry wine for your Bundt cake! Seriously, I so admire your stalwart ability to soldier on...2 days without internet for a food blogger has got to be challenging...We've got earthquakes but do e-mail me regarding a free for you guest apartment with amenities in SoCal if interested..Anyway, back to cake...As always, your desserts are tantalizing..P.s. I'm Pinteresting your Bundt onto my Gateaux & Great Desserts =)
Nancy @ gottagetbaked says
Your raspberry liqueur looks amazing, Paula! That deep dark red is so enticing - I could sure use a few swigs of that right now, along with a giant slice of your perfect, moist, dense cake. I'm always blown away by how incredible your bundts look. It has the perfect crumb every time. I love these photos too - simply gorgeous!
yummychunklet says
Oh, that glaze sounds amazing!
Lora CakeDuchess says
That liqueur you made has me smiling...it's so nice! The color is incredible. Your chocolate cake is so rich and tempting. That glaze looks like a vanilla sauce with the lighting and I want to dive right into the bowl!
Holly @ abakershouse.com says
Your homemade raspberry liqueur is beautiful and must have paired with the chocolate so well. Beautiful photos and lovely cake!
Renee says
It's hard for me to leave a comment because I keep scrolling back up and looking at all those lovely photos and heavenly ingredients. How great to use the homemade raspberry liqueur. What a chocolate cake indeed!!!
Sandra Lee says
I share your obsession and this cake looks very moist.