Chocolate Wine Cake (with wine glaze)
This fascinating combination of flavors renders a soft and uniquely flavored cake. Wine and chocolate 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 freezes well and can be made in different types of pans.
Servings 8 servings
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
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 an 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.
Use white wine or a liqueur as an alternative to red. It works very well, but don't use late harvest or sweet white wines.
