I’m back to giving old recipes a new look! It never stops to amaze me just how much my earlier posts on this blog differ from more recent ones. I’m cringing a lot looking at some of them, but it’s also nice to see the change so evident because it’s easy to get lost and forget that there’s a little bit of growth every day.
Anyway. This is a very easy, very rich chocolate cake that’s moist, buttery and full of red wine. On a whim, I also added a red wine ganache and omg. Can’t stop eating this! Boozy in the most amazing way and so good for a celebration or….just any ordinary day you’re craving chocolate. If you’re anything like me, that’s all day, every day.
Originally a Smitten Kitchen recipe, this had been on the blog for years but looking back, I remember it being drier than I expected and just not as chocolatey. So I remade it, using Dutch-cocoa as recommended, not natural which is the mistake I’d made then (this is my favourite post on the differences in cocoa) which automatically gives a more intense chocolate flavour. I also used two whole eggs this time to guarantee a nice and light, but moist cake.
The literal icing on the cake though came from a compulsive need to add ganache to everything in sight. I was convinced this cake would be a thousand times better with it, and while it’s great even without, I think you’ll see my point once you try it this way. Adding some red wine to the ganache as well makes the whole thing richer and more complex in flavour. Sooooo good.
And the best part is this cake is very very easy to make. The red wine flavour is highly noticeable, but not in a wine-y way, it’s something deeper. I can’t quite describe it, so you’ll just to make it and see for yourself! And while I love red wine, I don’t know much about it so the fact that you can use whatever wine you like is just amazing. There’s no rules or specific flavours to abide by. It’s a fudgy, decadent cake. That’s what’s important!
The ganache can be more of a runny sauce, or a chilled and thickened frosting, whichever way you like it. Know that the cake is at its most delicious at room temperature when everything is soft and gooey. Seriously, good luck not eating the whole thing.
Let’s make some cake!
Please read the recipe notes before beginning.
Red Wine Chocolate Cake with Red Wine Ganache
Ingredients
For the cake
- 85 gms butter, at room temperaturee
- 3/4 cup brown sugar, light or dark
- 1/4 cup caster sugar
- 2 eggs, at room temperature (I have not tried an eggless version))
- 1 and 1/2 tsps vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup red wine
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1/8 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt if using unsalted butter
For the ganache
- 1/3 cup cream, whipped cream preferred, but regular is ok too
- 1/4 cup red wine
- 50 gms dark cooking chocolate, finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160 C and grease a 9" round cake tin, springform is best.
- In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat to combine. You can do this with a hand mixer or using a stand mixer.
- Pour in the red wine and the batter will split a bit, but don't worry about it.
- Now sift in the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Fold gently to combine, avoiding over-mixing the batter.
- Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick poked in the center comes out clean. <i>I've had a few cracks in the surface of this cake, but as it cools, the cracks close up a bit. I'm not sure why this happens but it doesn't affect the flavour or texture so I'm probably guilty of beating too much air into the batter!</i>
- Let the cake cool completely at room temperature.
- To make the ganache, combine the cream and wine in a small saucepan. Set it on low heat and let it simmer for 5 to 6 minutes, because the alcohol needs to evaporate so that you aren't left with any strange raw flavour. Stir often to avoid the cream burning.
- Once the mixture looks a bit thicker and is simmering away, turn off the heat and stir in the chopped chocolate, until melted through.
- At this stage, you can pour the ganache over the cake as a sort of warm sauce, or let it chill in the fridge for 20 minutes like I did so it thickens to more of a frosting consistency.
- Without the ganache, the cake be stored at room temperature for 2 to 3 days and then in the fridge for about a week. With the ganache, store it in the fridge from day one onwards especially in humid environments. Best eaten at room temperature though. Happy baking!
Notes
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Is it okay if we put regular cocoa powder? Like Hershey’s
You can, but the flavour isn’t as intense, I’ve mentioned it in the recipe notes
Would it take longer than 35 mins to bake, coz of the wine ?
The wine shouldn’t affect baking time, the cake should be done in 35 mins, give or take 5 mins depending on the oven.
Chocolate and red wine and on top of a cake, looks and reads amazing. Can’t wait to try it. 🙂
I hope you like it!
Oh wow. Wine, cake, chocolate. Like a dream come true! And looks delicious 🙂
It really was!
Wow! Absolutely gorgeous and delicious cake!!!;)
Thank you! Let me know if you try it 🙂
Yum-O!
Well said 🙂
Really? Red wine in a cake….. Amazing!
It really is amazing!
It looks stunning and I am dying to try this out now! 😀
Thank you! Let me know how it goes 🙂
That definitely is a rough tongue twister. 🙂 lovely cake! The addition of the wine…very creative!
Thank you Lori!
Hey, can one use port wine instead of red wine, or will there be an issue?
Hi Ankita, I actually considered that, but the flavour will definitely be different and much sweeter. If you do use port wine, reduce the sugar by a couple of spoons. Let me know how it goes!