Red Wine Cake with Cocoa Cream: a spectacular dessert where the wine becomes an integral part of the recipe, not just a curious ingredient.
In this preparation, red wine is used both in the dough and in the final cream, which remains visible on the surface and when cut. The base is simple and light, without butter, designed to absorb the cocoa and red wine cream poured at the end of cooking. The result is a soft and fragrant cake, where wine never overpowers the cocoa but complements its taste with an elegant aromatic note. The choice of wine is essential: it is better to opt for a young, fruity, and low-tannin red, capable of enhancing the cocoa without being bitter.
The cream, enriched with a small amount of dark chocolate, provides shine and structure, making the cake perfect also visually. It is an ideal dessert to serve as an end-of-meal dessert, at room temperature, when you want to offer something different from the classic chocolate cake, but equally satisfying.
It stays soft for days, which I loved in the following days. So open a bottle of good red as we prepare the Red Wine Cake with Cocoa Cream together.
READ F.A.Q. AND TIPS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE RECIPE
ALSO AVAILABLE IN THERMOMIX VERSION
OTHER INTERESTING RECIPES
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 8 People
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Creative
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter, and Spring
Ingredients
- 3 eggs (medium)
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup rice oil (or sunflower oil)
- 1/3 cup red wine (Nero di Troia)
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 packet baking powder
- 5 1/2 tbsps butter
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 3 tbsps unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3/4 oz 70% dark chocolate (or whatever you have in the pantry)
- 1/6 cup red wine (Nero di Troia)
Tools
- Cake Pan 8 inches
- Electric Whisks
Steps
Beat eggs and sugar for a few minutes, then add the oil in a slow stream using whisks on low speed.
Pour in the red wine and mix.
Finally, add the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula to avoid spills. Pour into the greased mold and bake in a preheated oven at 320°F for 40/45 minutes. Use the toothpick test. Remove from the oven without taking the cake out of the pan.
Melt the butter with sugar and sifted cocoa in a saucepan.
When all lumps have disappeared, pour in the wine (pre-heated) and mix.
Turn off the heat and add the dark chocolate. Mix until completely melted so the cream becomes shiny, soft, and delicious.
Pierce holes with a kitchen fork while being careful not to touch the bottom of the pan.
Pour the cream over the cake in multiple stages to allow it to penetrate well.
Thermomix Dough:
Base
Insert in the bowl eggs and sugar 5 min – speed 4
With blades in motion speed 3, pour: oil slowly, red wine (90 ml) 30 sec
Add the dry ingredients: 20 sec – speed 4
Pour into the mold and bake as indicated above.
Cream
In the bowl:
butter and sugar 3 min – 140°F – speed 2
Add sifted cocoa 20 sec – speed 3
Pour in red wine (40 ml) 2 min – 176°F – speed 2 and then the chocolate.
The cream should be fluid and shiny, not dense.
Note:
The cake should be pierced and poured over while still hot, so it absorbs part of the cream, leaving a visible layer on the surface.
The wine for the cake: better just opened, at room temperature and not too alcoholic.
Tips & Variations
What wine to use: choose a fruity and smooth red (Nero di Troia, Merlot, young Montepulciano). Avoid very structured or oxidized wines.
More indulgent effect: reserve part of the cream and pour it over the cake only when it’s lukewarm, for an even shinier surface.
Extra flavor: you can add a pinch of cinnamon or a bit of vanilla only in the cream, so as not to mask the wine.
Storage: it remains soft for up to 4 days under a glass dome.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Is the wine noticeable in the cake?
No, the wine does not dominate the taste. It is perceived mainly in the aroma and the cream, delicately and elegantly.
Does the alcohol evaporate during cooking?
Mostly yes. Only the wine’s aroma remains, not the alcoholic effect.
Can another type of red wine be used?
Yes, as long as it is young, low in tannins, and not barrel-aged.
