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Red Wine Chocolate Cake is where dessert meets happy hour in the best way possible. This ultra rich chocolate cake gets a flavor boost from red wine, making the chocolate even more intense, without screaming wine.
But the buttercream? That’s a different story. This frosting is unapologetically packed with red wine flavor, so if you’re not a wine lover, consider yourself warned! If you do love red wine, get ready for a buttercream that lets it take center stage.
Here is Why This Red Wine Cake Recipe Works
Chocolate and wine are a dream team: The red wine enhances the chocolate, making it deeper, richer, and downright irresistible.
The buttercream is for true wine lovers: This frosting doesn’t just hint at red wine—it fully embraces it. If you love a bold, wine-forward flavor, you’re in for a treat.
Moist, fudgy, and stays that way: Thanks to sour cream and oil, this cake has a luxuriously soft texture that holds up for days.
A little extra effort, totally worth it: Reducing the wine and whipping up an ermine-style buttercream takes a few extra steps, but the payoff is a velvety, flavor-packed cake that tastes like it came from a high-end bakery.
If the buttercream is just too “winey” for your palette, try the frosting in our chocolate buttercream cake or cake with cream cheese frosting.
The Ingredients
- Pantry: All-purpose flour, sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, semi-sweet chocolate, baking powder, baking soda, salt, vanilla extract, oil.
- Fridge: Sour cream, butter, eggs.
- Other: Red wine.
Variations
Dark Cherry Red Wine Chocolate Cake: Fold ¾ cup of chopped dark cherries into the batter for. Garnish with extra cherries on top.
Espresso Red Wine Chocolate Cake: Stir 1 tablespoon of instant espresso powder into the cocoa mixture.
Recipe Tips
- Let the wine simmer until it reduces to the right amount. Too much reduction, and it’ll be syrupy; too little, and the flavor won’t be as concentrated.
- Use a wine you enjoy drinking. The flavor comes through in both the cake and buttercream, so pick a wine you actually like. Dry reds like Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot work well.
- Let the chocolate mixture cool. If it’s too hot when added to the batter, it could scramble the eggs. Let it come to room temperature before mixing.
- Cocoa powder, baking soda, and flour can clump, and sifting prevents pockets of dry ingredients.
- Cool the wine mixture for the buttercream completely. If it’s even slightly warm, it won’t blend properly into the butter, resulting in a separated or runny frosting.
- Chill the cake before frosting. You can even partially freeze the cake to make it easier to frost since it is a very tender cake.
- Although the wine is reduced and the cake is baked, I can’t say how much of the alcohol actually cooks off. I personally wouldn’t serve this to kids, so keep that in mind if you’re making it for a family gathering.
If you want a cake that is more kid-friendly, try my chocolate love cake or chocolate icebox cake.
Storage
- Room temperature: Keep the cake covered at room temperature for up to two days if your kitchen is cool.
- Fridge: For longer storage, place the cake in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to five days. The buttercream will firm up in the fridge, so let slices sit at room temperature for about 15–20 minutes before serving.
- Freezing: Store the cake in a freezer proof container and freeze for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
Chocolate Red Wine Cake
Red Wine Chocolate Cake is pure indulgence. Deep, fudgy chocolate with a rich red wine boost.
The cake itself stays balanced, letting the chocolate shine, but the buttercream? That’s another story. It’s silky, luscious, and unapologetically wine-forward, making it a dream for red wine lovers. If you’re all in on bold flavors, this cake is the perfect excuse to bake
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Red Wine Chocolate Cake
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Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1-½ cups red wine
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, (80 grams)
- 2 ounces semi sweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 2 cups sugar, (400 grams)
- 1 cup sour cream, (225 grams)
- ½ cup oil, (100 grams)
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1-¾ cup all-purpose flour, (210 grams)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1-½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
Red Wine Buttercream
- 2 cups red wine
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1-½ cups butter
- 1-½ cups granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Red Wine Chocolate Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Line the bottom of two 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper, grease, and flour the sides.
- Pour the red wine into a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer until it has reduced to 1 cup. The timing will vary depending on the width of your pan, mine took 6 minutes.
- Remove the wine from the heat and whisk in the cocoa powder and chopped chocolate until smooth. Set aside to cool.
- Combine the sugar, sour cream, oil, eggs and vanilla extract. Whisk in the chocolate wine mixture.
- Place a mesh strainer over the mixing bowl and sift in the dry ingredients then stir until well combined. Scrape down the sides and stir for another minute.
- Pour the batter into the two prepared pans and place in the center of the preheated oven. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes (a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes should come out clean).
- Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of the pans to loosen the cakes. Invert the cakes onto a cooling rack and let them cool completely.
For the Red Wine Ermine Buttercream
- Pour 2 cups of red wine into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 5 to 7 minutes until it is reduced to 1-½ cups.
- Pour the hot wine into a heat-proof container. Add the flour to the saucepan and slowly pour the wine back into the pan while whisking constantly (see notes). Continue cooking over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens. The mixture will be almost as thick as peanut butter.
- Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature. It must be completely cool before you use it in the next step. You can transfer it to the fridge to cool it down faster.
- When the red wine mixture cools, cream the butter, sugar, and salt together until light and fluffy, about 4 to 5 minutes.
- Add the completely cooled wine/flour mixture a couple tablespoons at a time, whipping between additions. Beat in the vanilla extract.
- Wait until the cakes cool completely before covering with the buttercream.
Notes
- Let the wine simmer until it reaches the right amount. If it’s over-reduced, it’ll turn syrupy; if under-reduced, the flavor won’t be as bold.
- Choose a wine you actually like. The taste comes through in both the cake and buttercream, so go with a red you enjoy drinking. Dry varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot work great.
- Let the chocolate mixture cool before mixing. Give it time to reach room temperature.
- Sift the dry ingredients. Baking soda, cocoa powder, and flour tend to clump, and sifting ensures a smooth, even batter.
- When you make the flour and wine mixture for the buttercream, do not pour the flour directly into the hot wine or it will be lumpy. Instead, slowly add the warm wine to the flour while whisking.
- Cool the wine/flour paste completely for the buttercream. If it’s even slightly warm, it won’t incorporate properly into the butter, leading to a separated or runny texture.
- Since this is a delicate, tender cake, refrigerating or even partially freezing it makes it easier to handle and frost.
- Not exactly kid-friendly. The buttercream holds onto its bold, red wine flavor (and possibly some alcohol). If you’re serving a crowd, keep that in mind.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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