Red Wine Chocolate Cake

I think a lot of people are going to like this recipe! Red wine and chocolate...in cake form. It's like three awesome things in one! Says the person who isn't a huge fan of red wine. But in this cake, I love it! The wine does not fully cook out, but the flavor and depth that the wine brings combined with the dark cocoa powder is amazing and so delicious. And topping the cake with some mascarpone whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream (like I've shown here) just takes everything to an even more amazing level! Seriously, you need to try this. Maybe something to bake for the weekend?

Red Wine Chocolate Cake (barely from Smitten Kitchen)
Makes 1 (thin) 8 or 9-inch cake

6 tbsp or 85g unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
3/4 cup red wine, use something you enjoy drinking
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup + 1 tbsp all purpose flour
1/2 cup Dutch processed cocoa powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

For the mascarpone cream
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp white sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat your oven to 325F or 160C. Line the bottom of your round cake pan with parchment paper and lightly grease the sides of the pan with some butter or neutral tasting oil.

In a large bowl and on the medium speed of your mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the brown and white sugar and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and the yolk and beat well before adding the wine and the vanilla. The batter will look curdled and uneven so don't worry!

Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt together in another bowl. Pour 3/4 of the dry mixture into the wet ingredients and mix on low until just combined. Add the rest of the flour mixture and fold it into the batter with a spatula.

Spread the batter in your prepared pan and bake for 25-35 minutes, depending on the size of your pan. When the cake is ready, a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake should come out clean. Cool the cake in the pan for awhile before flipping it out and letting it finish cooling on a rack. Store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge.

If serving with the mascarpone cream, simply whip the cheese, cream, sugar and vanilla together until soft peaks form. Dollop generously on each slice of cake. (The cream should only be made right before serving the cake!)

Writing about this cake makes me wish it was the weekend already! Hope you've been having a great week so far!