Red Wine Chocolate Cake Recipe | Wine and Glue (2024)

FAQs

What red wine goes best with chocolate cake? ›

Some red blends actually have hints of chocolate, which will be much more evident when paired with a rich devil's food cake. Syrah, Cabernet, and Grenache are some of the best wines with chocolate cake.

Red blends like cabernet, Grenache, and Syrah are excellent pairings for rich devil's food. The “off-dry” characteristic of Riesling is perfect for bringing out the flavors of vanilla-flavored cake. Pick up a white cake with vanilla icing from Jarosch, and get a bottle of Riesling on your way home and enjoy!

Ganache. Add your chocolates and cream to a microwave proof jug/bowl, and heat for 30 seconds. Stir well, and microwave on 10 second bursts till the ganache is smooth, stiring each time. Pipe drips down the side of the cake, and then fill in the top and spread it over.

While Chocolate Cake is made primarily with cocoa powder and sometimes melted chocolate, Red Velvet Cake is made with a small amount of cocoa powder, but is also known for its signature bright red color, which is usually achieved by adding red food coloring to the batter.

Traditionally, dark chocolate has always been paired with the likes of vintage port. We know this definitely works (see here for a pairing we have for such aficionados). But dark chocolate also works extremely well with many other red wines. And indeed, dark chocolate works well with many other spirits and drinks.

Think of it as matching sugar with sugar. Sweet white chocolate pairs well with sweet wines high in residual sugars and bitter darks with dry wines with just a hint of residual sugar. A good rule of thumb is to always pair wines that are equally or slightly more sweet than the chocolate being eaten with it.

Think of it like vanilla/almond extract combo, and add into pie filling, cake mix, and cookie dough. Red wine, port, or brandy adds a nice sweetness, along with the winey flavor, great for gingerbread, chocolate cake, and syrupy glazes.

Wine can be used in baking, too!

For certain types of cakes, using wine or sherry in place of some of the fat not only lightens up the cake but adds complimentary flavors.

How do you keep chocolate cake moist? ›

Adding extra wet ingredients like yoghurt or sour cream can really help your cake retain moisture, especially if you're cooking with chocolate which is notorious for drying out a bake.

Coffee is made for baking. Its rich, bittersweet flavour adds depth to cakes, cheesecakes, pies, cookies, muffins, loaves, and soufflés. It boosts the chocolatey appeal of Fudge Layer Cake with Chocolate Avocado Icing, Coffee Brownies and soft, fudgy Coffee Chocolate Crinkle Cookies.

Chocolate cake is often pretty moist and dense, while red velvet cake is typically has a much lighter biter. The difference in texture between the two is because of the vinegar and buttermilk used in red velvet cakes that help to lend a softer and much more tender texture.

Red velvet also has a bit of cocoa powder for a subtle chocolate taste, but thanks to buttermilk and vinegar, you can spot a tart tang that sets it apart. And wait, there's more than taste!

Modern devil's food cakes are 'devilishly' chocolatey, and the rich, chocolate flavor and dense texture are the highlight. “Modern devil's food cakes are 'devilishly' chocolatey, and the rich, chocolate flavor and dense texture are the highlight,” she says.

Plus, ripe, dark fruits just work with chocolate. For example, jammy blackberry or black cherry flavours in a wine will act like a dollop of compote on your chocolate cake. In my experience, soft, plush red wines work best because they match the airy texture of a good chocolate cake.

The classic red wine region of Stellenbosch, and warmer zones such as Swartland can provide ripe Rhône valley red grape varieties with chocolate notes.