If a cake could capture the mood of autumn and winter, this moist red wine cake would be it: richly chocolaty and tender, with almonds and warming cinnamon, elevated by a splash of red wine. The aroma while it bakes is irresistible.
Taste and Occasion
This red wine chocolate cake is straightforward to prepare. The batter combines basic cake ingredients with cocoa, cinnamon (or gingerbread spice for the holidays), chocolate chips and red wine. I like adding a portion of ground almonds to the flour for extra moisture and a gently nutty texture; ground hazelnuts work well too.
Ingredients
You can bake this cake in a bundt pan or a loaf pan. For a larger loaf pan, increase all ingredients by about one third. During the pre-Christmas season, try gingerbread spice instead of plain cinnamon for an extra festive note.
If you enjoy fruity variations, fold in about 150 g of drained jarred cherries (tossed in a little flour) for a chocolate-cherry version. This cake is a delightful alternative to lighter year-round cakes like lemon yogurt bundt or a traditional Gugelhupf.
How to make the Red Wine Cake
Grease your pan and, if desired, dust it with ground almonds. Chill the prepared pan briefly. Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C.
Cream the softened butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, ground almonds, baking powder, salt, cocoa and cinnamon (or gingerbread spice).
Combine the wet and dry ingredients by alternately adding the flour mixture and the red wine, stirring briefly but thoroughly after each addition. Fold in the chocolate chips. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top.
Bake for about 45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Let the cake cool in the pan for a short while, then turn out to finish cooling. If you like, glaze with melted dark chocolate or a simple cake glaze once cooled.
Top Tip
For a larger pan or a loaf pan, increase all ingredients by roughly one third. If you don’t have chocolate on hand, cocoa nibs make an excellent substitute: they won’t melt, so they give pleasant crunchy bites and a nice contrast to the soft crumb.
Recipe Card
Red Wine Cake
Equipment
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1 small pan (approx. 8 in / 20 cm)
Ingredients
For the batter
- 180 grams butter, soft
- 110 grams brown sugar (or regular white sugar)
- 3 eggs, medium
- 200 grams all-purpose flour
- 60 grams ground almonds (or other ground nuts)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon (or gingerbread spice)
- 60 grams dark chocolate chips
- 100 milliliters red wine
For coating
- 100 grams dark chocolate for coating
Instructions
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Grease the pan and dust lightly with ground almonds if desired. Chill briefly. Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C.
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Cream the butter with the sugar until fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. In a bowl, combine flour, ground almonds, baking powder, salt, cocoa and cinnamon.
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Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture alternately with the red wine, stirring briefly but thoroughly. Fold in the chocolate chips. Pour into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
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Bake for about 45 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Cool in the pan briefly, then turn out to cool completely. Glaze with melted chocolate if desired.
Ingredient substitutions
Variations
This cake is perfect for cozy autumn baking. Try adding cherries for a chocolate-cherry version or experiment with different spices and coatings. It pairs well with other autumnal treats like spiced chocolate cake, apple crumble, or salted caramel muffins.
