Red Wine Chocolate Cake

A slice of chocolate red wine cake with wine buttercream.

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This Red Wine Chocolate Cake takes classic chocolate cake up a notch with reduced red wine, deepening the chocolate flavor without making it taste like a glass of Merlot.

The cake stays rich and balanced, while the red wine ermine buttercream goes all in with a bold wine flavor and a naturally pink hue. This one’s strictly for the grown-ups; perfect for wine lovers who want a dessert that’s just as special as their favorite bottle.

Prep Time30

Cook Time35

Course: Cake and Cupcakes, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: baking, red wine buttercream, red wine chocolate cake

Servings: servings

Author: Dahn Boquist

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.

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