Red Wine Chocolate Cake

It has been so long since I have posted a new recipe and it saddens me.  However, I have a good excuse ... excuses.  First, we are redoing our kitchen so I cannot bake a lot.  Second, I have been going on job interviews, which has taken up a lot of my time.  But I managed to bake last night ... FINALLY!!!

The occasion for this cake is bittersweet because we had a going away lunch for a co-worker.  Sad to see her go, but she is moving on, so it was a little celebration, too.  I wanted to make her something because I appreciate everything that she has done for me during my internship and she is an awesome person!  What kind of cake should I bake for the occasion?  I had no idea.  Then I came across a great blog, The Pastry Affair, which featured a Red Wine Chocolate Cake ... umm, yes please!

I really wanted to try this recipe because it sounded so delicious.  She baked the cake in a loaf pan, but I decided to bake it in a 9" spring form pan and it worked out perfectly.  The cake is everything that she said it would be and I am so happy that I made it.  Everyone really enjoyed it, too, and yet was surprised by the red wine flavor/aroma.

The cake is so moist and soft and fluffy.  It is rich in both chocolate flavor and red wine.  You smell the red wine and taste it right away, but then it quickly disappears and leaves you with the rich chocolate flavor that lingers in your mouth.  You really don't need to frost it, actually I think that it might take away from the cake.  I served it with a light sprinkle of confectioners' sugar and it was perfect.  It is not sweet at all, which is great because I think it would conflict with the richness of the wine and chocolate.

It was hard for me to think of a "celebration"/"good bye" cake, but when I came across this recipe I knew it was the right one.  You have the wine and the chocolate in one bite, no need for a glass of wine or bubbly .... but you might want to have a glass of milk :)

I encourage you to make this cake, enjoy it, and happy baking!

Red Wine Chocolate Cake

(adapted from The Pastry Affair)

½ cup butter, softened
¾ cup light brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
¾ cup red wine
¼ cup light sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons cornstarch
¾ cup cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 325*F and prepare a 9” circular pan (I used a 9” spring form pan).

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugars. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until smooth. Beat in the wine and sour cream (It might looked curdled, that is OK).

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add to wine mixture slowly, mixing until just incorporated.

Pour batter into prepared baking pan and bake for about 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the cake bounces back slightly (begin to check around 40 minutes). Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Serve with a whipped frosting or sprinkle with a little confectioners’ sugar.