Spiced Red Wine Chocolate Cake

Tender, melt in your mouth chocolate cake flavored with red wine and gently spiced.

Spiced Red Wine Chocolate Cake

Makes 1 - 20cm (8 in) cake

This single-layer chocolate cake is perfect for when you want a simple chocolate cake without the hassle. Super tender and melt in your mouth because of the reverse creaming method, this cake is something special. The chocolate is enhanced by the flavors of red wine, coffee and is gently spiced to take it over the top. This recipe is perfect for your holiday dessert menu.

“Recipe Tips:

1. I like to use a red wine that has red fruit and/or berry notes.

2. You can sub freshly ground black pepper for the Sichuan pepper.”

Ingredients

100ml (0.50 c) milk

48g (4 T) coconut or vegetable oil

60g (1/3 c) dark or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

18g (2.5 T) cocoa powder

162g (1.25 c) AP flour

150g (0.50 c + 2 T) sugar

60g (0.25 c) brown sugar, light or dark

4g (1 t) baking powder

4g (1 t) kosher salt

2g (0.50 t) ground cinnamon

1g (0.50 t) instant coffee

1g (0.25 t) baking soda

1g (0.25 t) ground ginger

1g (0.25 t) ground Sichuan peppercorn

0.5g (1/8 t) ground nutmeg

63g (4.5 T) butter, cubed and kept cold

1 large egg, room temperature

6g (1.5 t) vanilla extract

150ml (0.75 c) red wine

Recipe Know-how

1.      Preheat oven to 180 C / 350 F.

• Line the bottom of a 20cm (8 in) round cake pan with parchment. Butter and flour the sides of the pan and set aside.

2.      In a small pot place the milk and oil. Heat on a medium flame until the milk is steaming heavily but not boiling.

• Off the flame, add the chocolate and cocoa powder. Allow to stand for 1 minute and then stir until well combined. Cool completely.

While the chocolate cools, continue on with step 3.

3.      In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugars, leavening, seasoning and spices, mixing well.

• Add the butter to the dry ingredients and rub together with your fingers until the mixture is sandy and all of the flour has been coated in the fat.

Break up any large clumps of flour as necessary.

• Add the egg and vanilla to the chocolate mixture, mixing well and set aside.

• In a small pot, heat the wine to boiling. Take off the heat and cool 30 seconds.

• Add the wine and chocolate mixtures into the dry ingredients whisking well to combine.

• Once the batter is well combined, using your whisk, mix the batter vigorously for 10  seconds.

• Pour into prepared cake pan and tap on the counter a few times to release air bubbles.

4.      Bake cake for 20 - 25 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

• Allow cake to cool 15 minutes in the pan.

• Remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.

5.      Dust cake with powdered sugar or cocoa powder.

6. Serve.