Featured Recipe

Red Wine Fudge Cake

Name: Red Wine Fudge Cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 1 cup unsalted butter softened (sub coconut oil same amount); 3/4 cup granulated sugar; 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar; 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract; 3 large eggs; 2 cups all-purpose flour; 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder; 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon fine salt; 3/4 cup red wine (dry red or substitute red grape juice with 1 tsp apple cider vinegar); 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips; 1/4 cup powdered sugar

By Kate

Created on 03 February 2026

Dense chocolate cake rich with red wine, butter, and dark sugars. Cream butter with sugars, add eggs carefully for proper emulsification. Dry ingredients sifted together ensure even rise, folded into wet in stages. Red wine adds acidity and depth. Bake in greased bundt till toothpick test passes, cake springs back to touch. Glossy chocolate glaze with melted bittersweet chocolate, butter, powdered sugar, and a splash of red wine poured on chilled cake. Substitutions include coconut oil for butter and apple cider vinegar for wine. Watch bake color and texture, moisture key to avoid dryness or gumminess.

Prep: 15 min

Cook: 50 min

Total: 65 min

Serves: 8 servings

chocolate cake dessert baking wine

Introduction

Dense, rich, and a bit tangy from red wine. Butter creamed properly with sugars gives body, eggs added slowly sustain fluffiness. Mixing dry ingredients separately then folding is not just formality—it regulates gluten development. Red wine cuts through chocolate heaviness with acidity and fruit notes, but if none handy, red grape juice + a splash of vinegar works. Bake time is a guideline, visual cues better—look for spring back and clean toothpick. Don’t rush cooling or stripping from pan or risk cracks or crumbles. The glaze needs gentle melting to avoid seizing chocolate. Fudge meets wine in aroma and flavor, just right for confident bakers.

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter softened (sub coconut oil same amount)

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

3 large eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

3/4 cup red wine (dry red or substitute red grape juice with 1 tsp apple cider vinegar)

1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup powdered sugar

About the ingredients

Butter or coconut oil will provide the fat and tenderness needed. Unrefined sugars (dark brown) add molasses notes, balancing the wine’s acidity. Using cocoa powder with a fine grind ensures a silkier crumb. Baking soda activates with wine acidity, your leavener. Red wine variety matters—dry reds like Cabernet or Merlot are best, sweeter reds muddy flavor. Vinegar and grape juice substitute but adjust sweetness. Vanilla extract boosts overall aroma. When using chocolate chips for glaze, bittersweet or semisweet preferred to avoid too sweetness. Powdered sugar anchors glaze texture against sheer wine addition.

Method

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease a bundt pan generously with nonstick spray or butter plus flour—prevents sticking without scraping later.

Cream butter with both sugars and vanilla extract in stand mixer bowl using paddle attachment. Beat on medium till light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Proper creaming traps air for cake rise—don’t rush or underbeat or heavy.

Add eggs 1 at a time, beating just until combined and creamy after each addition. Overbeat now can cause curdling or dense crumb.

In separate bowl sieve flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together. Sifting breaks up lumps, helps even texture.

Slowly add dry mix to wet in 2 batches on low speed to avoid flour clouds and overmixing gluten which toughens texture.

Pour red wine gradually into bowl. Mix on medium until batter looks glossy, uniform, no streaks. Batter should drip thickly from spatula but be pourable.

Scrape batter into prepared bundt pan; smooth top with spatula. Tap pan lightly on counter to release air bubbles.

Bake in center rack; listen for subtle hissing from oven as moisture evaporates. Check near 45 minutes with toothpick. Comes out clean or with few moist crumbs is done. Cake springs lightly when pressed, edges pull away from pan slightly.

Cool on wire rack 10 mins before invert onto plate. If cake sticks, warm pan slightly or loosen edges gently with small knife to prevent crumbling.

For glaze: Microwave butter and chocolate chips in short bursts 20 seconds each, stirring frequently to avoid scorching. Add powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons red wine. Whisk briskly until shiny and spreadable. If too thick, whisk in more wine slowly.

Pour glaze over cooled cake. Let set 15 minutes before slicing to allow glaze to slightly firm but remain soft. Store leftovers lightly covered to keep moist.

Technique Tips

Preheat and greasing pan first prevents last-minute rushing, which leads to sticking. Creaming butter and sugar is aeration in disguise—don’t skip beating time. Eggs must be added one by one for stable emulsion; if batter curdles, add small amount of dry ingredients to bring together instead of adding all at once. Mixing dry with wet in stages avoids tough cake from gluten overdevelopment. Red wine poured last adds moisture and acidity, adjust amount to batter consistency—too thin batter means more flour needed. Baking times vary but springy surface and clean toothpick are firm indicators. After baking, letting cake rest in pan avoids breaks; inverted removal when slightly warm lessens stickiness. Glaze microwaving must be in short intervals, stirring prevents burning. If glaze thickens too much, wine thins it; add cautiously—too runny glaze runs off cake. Pour while glaze warm and cake fully cool to avoid melting glaze into cake.

Chef's Notes

💡 Start with room temp ingredients; eggs, butter need warmth. Cold components lead to curdled batter. Cream butter for fluffiness. Beat it—3 to 4 mins. Don’t bowl rush. Keep it light, keep it airy, that’s your lift.
💡 Careful with eggs. Add one at a time. Beat until incorporated, no more—qualified balance. Overmixing = dense cake. Also sift dry ingredients; air helps rise too. Texture smoothens, lumps vanish. Essential.
💡 Observation key; watch for the hissing sounds, that’s steam escaping. Check doneness with toothpick near 45 mins. Clean or moist crumbs means done. Key indicators; springy top, edges pulling from sides.
💡 Cooling is crucial; 10 mins in the pan. Don't skip that. Too soon—crumble city. For glaze, microwave in intervals. 20 seconds max—stir, prevent burning chocolate. Blend until shiny; consistency matters.
💡 Glaze potluck—if too thick, add more wine slowly. Control it; too runny, cake drowns. Poured warm over completely cooled. That’s the balance—heat retains gloss, holds on cake but not too wet.