I am on my way home from attending #FreshSummit in Atlanta. I hope you were able to follow along with our #TeamFreshSummit tweets and social media postings. While I am in the air winging my way across the country I thought you would enjoy this wonderful chocolate treat!
We recently had a wonderful friend visiting from France and I knew I wanted to make a special dessert for him … a chocolate cake with red wine in it. How perfect! What Frenchman could resist this cake with a whipped mascarpone cream topping? The Artist and I couldn’t wait to try it too and all three of us were very excited. I am happy to report that this recipe did not disappoint!
My personal favorite chocolate to bake with, Guittard – any high quality brand will give you the best flavor
Our French friend brought us a beautiful bottle of plum liqueur called Prunelle de Bourgogne from Dijon where he lives (that’s why we love him, LOL). As soon as I took a sip, I knew it would be amazing in baked goods. With the red wine already in the cake, I poured a couple of tablespoons into the whipped cream/mascarpone mixture. It added a beautiful sweetness and fruit-notes to the whipped topping. I am really looking forward to finding other ways to incorporate it into my cooking and baking. Thank you Tarek!
Bundt cake with shower of powdered sugar
Baked in a bundt pan, this is an easy to make, deeply chocolatey cake that would be fantastic for any party, potluck, or food gift. People would love to receive this and it transports well. You can even make the whipped cream topping ahead and store it in the refrigerator until you leave. Then give it just a few strokes with a whisk when you arrive and it is ready for serving!
One for the cake and one for us! 🙂
If you are serving people who cannot have or do not like alcohol, you could substitute non-alcoholic wine or just use more milk. This substitution would also work if you have children with picky palates. But honestly, you couldn’t taste the wine with all the chocolate. It added a subtle fruit undertone and a certain heady perfume to the cake.
The Artist (right) and our friend Tarek enjoying a day in the Burgundy region of France
I made this cake gluten-free, just substituting my standard GF AP flour blend for the same amount (120g per cup) of regular flour. With no other adjustments it was a very heavy batter and the cake had the texture of a pound cake or flourless cake. I have adjusted the recipe to add one additional egg if you are using gluten-free flours. If you are making this and it still feels too heavy, feel free to add a little more milk. Remember, with gluten-free flours you don’t have to be as concerned about over-beating the batter.
Nothing is more decadent or delicious than whipped mascarpone and cream!
This lovely recipe is from Kate of Food Babbles – thank you Kate for a lovely dessert that everyone really enjoyed. I will definitely be making this again! Kate has a plethora of delightful recipes that I know you will love. Pop over and tell her Hi!
Happy Chocolate Monday!
Gluten-Free Tips:
Use a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend (my standard recipe is here) and add one extra egg or a splash of milk. Mix together, and if still too heavy, add more milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you get the perfect consistency. Remember that gluten-free batters are heavier and stickier than regular wheat versions. As you know, the moisture in the air varies from day to day and will affect how much liquid your gluten-free flours need. Use your best judgement and I’m sure it will turn out beautifully!
- Red Wine Chocolate Cake
- 4 oz bittersweet chocolate
- 1-3/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar
- 10 tbsp butter, at room temperature
- 3 large eggs, slightly beaten (use 4 eggs if making gluten-free)
- 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour or gluten-free all-purpose flour blend
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup red wine
- 1/3 cup whole milk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- Mascarpone Whipped Cream
- 1 cup mascarpone cheese
- 1 cup chilled heavy cream
- 2 tbsp plum liqueur, espresso, or rum, optional
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla paste or pure vanilla extract
- Make the Cake: Preheat oven to 350°F and butter a 10-cup Bundt pan. Make sure you get the butter in all the indentations. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, melt the chocolate and set aside to cool slightly.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the brown sugar and butter together until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes on medium-high speed. Add the eggs and beat until combined. Add the cooled chocolate and mix until incorporated.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a measuring cup with a spout, combine the wine, milk, and vanilla.
- Add the dry ingredients to the chocolate/butter/sugar mixture in the mixing bowl. Pour in the liquid ingredients. Beat on low until everything is combined, and then increase speed to medium and beat until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary. Use your spatula to drop the batter into the pan, moving around the edges until the entire pan is full. Smooth the top of the cake with the back of the spatula.
- Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in the pan before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare the Whipped Cream: In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip together the mascarpone, cream, liqueur (if using), sugar, and vanilla until soft peaks form.
- To Serve: When the cake has cooled, cut into slices, top with a dollop of the Mascarpone Whipped Cream and serve.
- To Store: Wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap and store at room temperature or in the refrigerator. If chilled, rewarm slightly before serving. Keep the whipped cream in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Whisk it lightly to loosen up and incorporate any separated liquid before serving.
- Yield: about 12 servings
- Note: You can use regular whipped cream if you prefer, but the mascarpone adds a lushness that will have your family begging for more! 🙂
Create a New Tradition Today!
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