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Red Wine Chocolate Cake
4.6 from 78 votes

Red Wine Chocolate Cake

The Red Wine Chocolate Cake uses Cabernet Sauvignon to enrich a moist chocolate cake, combining cocoa powder and flour with sugar, butter, egg, and vanilla. The batter bakes into a tender cake with nuanced depth from the wine. A ganache topping blends semisweet chocolate, butter, corn syrup, confectioners’ sugar, and additional Cabernet, creating a glossy, rich finish with a hint of salt that enhances the flavors.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Additional Time
50 mins
Total Time
1 hr 30 mins
Servings: 12
Calories: 302 kcal
Course: Cake
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Cake
  • ½ cup butter 4 ounces, melted, plus more for greasing the pan or use floured cooking spray, unsalted
  • 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • ⅓ cup cocoa powder unsweetened
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 egg at room temperature, large
  • 1 cup cabernet sauvignon at room temperature (I used Charles Shaw from Trader Joe's, aka Two Buck Chuck)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Ganache 
  • 3 ounces semisweet chocolate baking bar finely chopped
 (I use Trader Joes 72% Chocolate Pound Plus Bar)
  • 2 tablespoons butter diced, unsalted
  • 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
  • ¼ cup confectioners sugar sifted if yours is particularly lumpy
  • 2 tablespoons cabernet sauvignon
  • sea salt to taste - I like Maldon(https://amzn.to/2w0jVP) and prefer to go heavier handed, about 1 tablespoon, flaky

Instructions

Make the cake:
    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat oven to 350F, grease a 9-inch round cake pan with butter or floured cooking spray and line with parchment paper; set aside.
  2. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and kosher salt in a medium bowl.
  3. Whisk together the granulated sugar, egg, and melted butter in a large bowl until pale.
  4. Whisk in 1 cup Cabernet and the vanilla.
  5. Add flour mixture to the liquid mixture and whisk to combine; don't overmix.
  6. Turn batter out into prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 28 to 30 minutes. (See Note 1 below). Let cake cool completely in pan.
Make the ganache:
  1. Place chopped chocolate, diced butter, and corn syrup in a large microwave-safe bowl and heat on high power in 20-second intervals until melted, stirring in between intervals.
  2. Stir in the confectioners sugar and 2 tablespoons Cabernet. Let stand at room temperature until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
  3. Invert cake onto a plate, and invert again onto a platter.
  4. Evenly spread the ganache on top, letting it drip down sides if desired.
  5. Evenly sprinkle with flaky sea salt and let cake stand until ganache sets a bit more, about 20 to 30 minutes before slicing into wedges and serving.

Notes

  • Check the cake with a toothpick starting at 28 minutes since baking times vary; overbaking can dry the cake.
  • Use room temperature egg and wine for better batter blending.
  • Adapted from Food & Wine; cabernet sauvignon adds distinct flavor to both cake and ganache.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1slice Calories 302kcal (15%) Carbohydrates 41g (14%) Protein 3.5g (7%) Fat 13g (20%) Saturated Fat 7g (35%) Sodium 211mg (9%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 26g (52%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 12 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 302

% Daily Value*

Serving 1slice
Calories 302kcal 15%
Carbohydrates 41g 14%
Protein 3.5g 7%
Fat 13g 20%
Saturated Fat 7g 35%
Sodium 211mg 9%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 26g 52%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.