Decadent Red Wine Chocolate Cake

Newest Chocolate obsession and guess what?  It includes red wine!  Are you celebrating this decadent, dynamic duo along with me?  

 This Decadent Red Wine Chocolate Cake has a wonderful earthy, fruity flavor with the red wine that perfectly complements this velvety smooth dark chocolate cake. 

The texture is tender, moist and is perfect for all special occasions, especially when entertaining! Paired with creamy cream cheese frosting, this is a chocolate lover’s dream with wine included! 

Even beginning bakers will be able to slay this recipe with ease.  There’s no fuss, unless you’re drinking multiple glasses of wine while making a wine cake.  It can go downhill real quick if that happens.  

However, if I can make 2 recommendations, use a premium quality baking cocoa and a red wine that you wouldn’t mind drinking on it’s own.  Using red wine instead of buttermilk or sour cream brings a deep red hue to the cake.  It’s really beautiful.  

I was really inspired to make this cake after talking to my son Derek a few weeks ago.  His girlfriend Emily had just made a red wine chocolate cake and he was telling me about how amazing it was.  

Emily is an excellent baker, btw.  Her family owned a restaurant when she was young, so she learned how to master cook and bake first-hand, so she definitely knows how to throw down!  So, of course, being the chocolate lover that I am, I wanted this recipe!! And with the addition of red wine, it sounded so intriguing and hell yes, I was all about, let’s do this!

So thank you Emily for sharing one of your family’s recipes with me!   We all thank you!

RED WINE…

As I noted above, use a red wine that you would normally drink.  I love delicious Pinot Noir and it’s usually what I have stocked around the homestead.  Emily used a rich Cabernet Sauvignon.  But you could use a nice Merlot, Zinfandel or Syrah/Shiraz. That said, red wines are often classified by “body-type”. 

My 3 Other Go-To Chocolate Cake Recipes

Easy Keto Chocolate Cake

Super-Moist Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

EASY VEGAN CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE GANACHE

For a nice decorative touch to your cake, add some chocolate curls, truffles or some fresh cut seasonal flowers would be beautiful. It is close to Mother’s Day after all and what better way to show mom (and all the adults in the room) some love!    

Print Recipe

4.8 from 10 votes

Decadent Red Wine Chocolate Cake

 This Decadent Red Wine Chocolate Cake has a wonderful earthy, fruity flavor with the red wine that perfectly complements this velvety smooth dark chocolate cake. The texture is tender, moist and is perfect for all special occasions, especially when entertaining! Paired with creamy cream cheese frosting, this is a chocolate lover’s dream with wine included! 

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time40 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: 2 layer, boozy dessert, chocolate, chocolate cake, cream cheese frosting, red wine, wine

Servings: 8 Servings

Author: Kim Lange

Ingredients

Decadent Red Wine Chocolate Cake

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder not Dutch process
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks unsalted butter softened
• 2 cups light brown sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups dry red wine

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8 oz cream cheese softened
• 2 tablespoons butter softened
• 2 cups confectioner's sugar or more if you prefer sweeter icing
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease two 9" round cake pans (works best if you also line the bottom with parchment paper). In a bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
• In a large bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter with the sugar at medium-high speed until fluffy, 4 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until incorporated. Add the vanilla and beat for 2 minutes longer. Working in two batches, alternately fold in the dry ingredients and the wine, until just incorporated.
• Scrape the batter into the prepared pans, and bake for 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pan for at least 2 hours, then turn it out onto a rack; let cool completely.
• Prepare the frosting by using mixer by beating the cream cheese, butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla and salt together until smooth and creamy. Ice cake - should be just enough to adhere the two layers and ice the entire cake. (See Notes)

Notes

Double frosting recipe if you want more frosting. I used a double batch on the cake pictured, but more frosting in middle and top of cake and less on sides, resembling a naked cake.

Recipe from Emily Snider