Dark Chocolate Cake With Red Wine

Image by Jordane Mathieu at Unsplash

This Dark Chocolate Cake with Red Wine is such a decadent treat! Supremely moist and flavorful and perfect for special occasions! If you love red wine and dark chocolate, you must try this cake recipe.

One quick thing I want to get out of the way: if you don’t love red wine, or at least like it, you should probably skip this cake. Because the flavour shines through! It’s in the cake and it’s in the frosting. But if you’re like me and you love red wine with a burning passion, pop that cork and preheat that oven. Because we have a cake to bake!

Image by Monika Grabkowska from Unsplash

Ingredients

For the Cake:

·       2 cups granulated sugar

·       1 cup light brown sugar

·       2 & 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided

·       1 & 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

·       3 tsp baking soda

·       1 & 1/2 tsp baking powder

·       1 & 1/4 tsp salt

·       4 large eggs

·       1 & 1/2 cups full-fat sour cream

·       1/2 cup whole milk

·       1 cup red wine (I used Pinot Noir)

·       3/4 cup vegetable oil

·       1 tbsp vanilla extract

·       1/2 cup hot water

For the Frosting:

·       10 ounces soft unsalted butter

·       3 & 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

·       1/4 tsp salt

·       8 ounces (60% and above cocoa) dark chocolate, melted and cooled

·       4 & 1/2 tbsp of red wine

Image by Rawpixel from Pexels

Directions

For the Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350°(F). Cut out three 9-inch round segments of parchment paper to line your cake pans with. Spray each pan generously with nonstick cooking spray, then place the parchment paper cut out in the bottom of the pans and spray again. It's important to make sure every bit of pan and paper are sprayed so your cakes don't get stuck. Set pans aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer, combine both sugars, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt; mix on low until dry ingredients are thoroughly combined. Use your hands to break up any large clumps of brown sugar, if needed. Set aside.
3. In a separate large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, sour cream, milk, wine, oil, and vanilla extract; whisk well until ingredients are thoroughly combined. Pour mixture into the dry ingredients and beat on low speed until just incorporated. Pour in hot water and continue mixing until completely combined; about a minute.
4. Divide the batter evenly among prepared pans. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick or cake tester inserted in the centre of a cake comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached. Cool cakes in the pans, placed on a cooling rack, for 15 minutes, before removing from pans and transferring to cooling racks to cool completely.

For the Red Wine Chocolate Frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until completely smooth. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add in the confectioners' sugar, beating until all the sugar is completely combined. Add in the salt and chocolate and beat smooth. Beat in the wine. Once all the ingredients have been incorporated, increase the speed to medium-high and beat for a full minute.

Assembly: Using a serrated knife, carefully trim the raised top of each cake, making each one an even, level surface. Transfer 1 layer to a large plate or cake stand. Spread an even layer of frosting on top, then top with another cake layer, and repeat. Top with the final cake layer. Frost the top and sides of the cake. Slice and serve or keep refrigerated for about a week.

And if you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment below and don’t forget to snap a pic and tag it @anujascakery on Instagram!