Name: Red Wine Chocolate Cake with Red Wine Buttercream Frosting
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 135 min
Ingredients: 1 cup unsalted butter (softened); 2 cups gluten free flour (I recommend King Arthur Measure For Measure Gluten Free Flour); ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder; 1 tsp baking soda; 1 tsp salt; 2 cups brown sugar; 3 large eggs; 1 tsp vanilla; 1 ¼ cups red wine (your preferred drinking red wine); 2 cups red wine (your preferred drinking red wine); 1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature); 4 cups powdered sugar; ⅛ tsp salt; 1 tsp vanilla; ¼ cup mini chocolate chips, optional (see note)

This is a moist and dense chocolate cake with a subtle hint of red wine flavor. The frosting is slightly fruity from the red wine and adds the perfect finishing note to the cake.

Prep 40

Bake 35

Total 2 15

Yield 16 slices

Print Recipe

Prep Time 40

Cook Time 35

Cooling time 1

Total Time 2 15

Servings: 16 slices

Course: Dessert

Ingredients

For the cake:

1 cup unsalted butter softened
2 cups gluten free flour I recommend King Arthur Measure For Measure Gluten Free Flour
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 ¼ cups red wine your preferred drinking red wine

For the frosting:

2 cups red wine your preferred drinking red wine
1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar
⅛ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
¼ cup mini chocolate chips, optional see note

Instructions

For the cake:

Preheat the oven to 350℉. Spray two 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray. Line with rounds of parchment paper.
Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment or with an electric mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar together at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.
With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the red wine, beginning and ending with the flour, mixing just until incorporated.
Pour the batter equally into the prepared baking pans and smooth the tops with an offset spatula. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting:

In a large pot, bring 2 cups of red wine to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until it has reduced to 1/4 cup, about 15 to 25 minutes. Cover the pan and let cool.
In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or with an electric mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition.
Add the salt, reduced red wine, and the vanilla. Mix until smooth and creamy.

To assemble the cake:

Put one of the layers of cake on an 8-inch cardboard cake circle or plate. Spread the top with 1 cup of frosting. Repeat with the next layer.
Cover the cake with a thin crumb coat. Refrigerate for 10 minutes to set. Then finish with the rest of the frosting.

Notes

If you prefer to not use gluten free flour, you can substitute all purpose flour using the same measurement.

If you want different shades of the red wine buttercream frosting: Before adding the reduced red wine to the vanilla buttercream, divide the frosting into four bowls. Keep one bowl plain vanilla and the other three with increasing amounts of the wine reduction.

I added mini chocolate chips to the frosting between the cakes for added taste and texture.