Cabernet Dark Chocolate Cake

This dark chocolate cake is sinful, decadent, swoon-worthy and a little boozy. In essence, this cake is everything.

This dark chocolate cake is for chocolate lovers.

I only know a handful of people who would say they do not care for chocolate. I try to stay away from them. Chocolate is a universal unifier, I am leery of those who say they don’t care for it. Aside from uniting us as people, chocolate has many powers. Dark chocolate is said to be an antioxidant that could also potentially lower blood pressure. It seems to be able to cure PMS like nobodies business, aid in cognitive functions, and in general, make us happy.

Chocolate can also be an addiction, just like any other vice out there. Just ask my 14-year-old. Seriously, I’m a little worried – she may need an intervention. She lies about how much chocolate she has eaten, she steals chocolate from her siblings or the baking pantry if she is really desperate. She will sneak chocolate in any form into her room and lock the door then she will plant the wrappers in the room of her siblings. She will eat the last of my homemade brookie bars, chocolate peanut butter sandwich cookie, boxed cookies, boxed chocolate, scoop of ice cream, etc and not feel one bit of remorse. Yes, my daughter is addicted to chocolate.

About This Dark Chocolate Cake

The logical thing to do is to not have it around, but with my penchant for baking, it is impossible to completely rid the house of all chocolate. So this brings me to this cake. My daughter hates dark chocolate, so this cake is a real winner for the rest of us. There is a whole cup of dark cocoa powder in this layered cake, which makes the flavor quite intense. The red wine adds a deep flavor that boldens the dark chocolate. The cake is soft and fluffy and is made even better the red wine ganache filling (which you could just eat with a spoon) and the creamy chocolate buttercream. Yes, this dark chocolate cake is a dark chocolate lover’s dream.

I will just sit here with my second piece of cake (or third, but who’s counting) while I figure out how to deal with my daughter’s addiction. Surely, something will come to me.

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Yield: 12

Cabernet Dark Chocolate Cake

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This dark chocolate cake is sinful, decadent, swoon-worthy and a little boozy.  In essence, this cake is everything.

Prep Time 1 hour

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 cups cake flour
• 1 cup unsweetened dark cocoa
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups of sugar
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup cabernet
• ½ cup hot water
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• Ganache
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate
• 3 tablespoons cabernet
• Frosting
• ½ cup butter
• ½ cup shortening
• 8 oz melted semi sweet chocolate
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 5 tablespoons heavy cream

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease 3 8-inch pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, and espresso powder. Mix in the sour cream and vegetable oil until creamy. Beat in eggs one at a time until incorporated. Beat in red wine, water, and vanilla. Beat just until combined (do not overbeat) Note: the batter will be runny. Divide batter between the baking pans and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place the cakes on a cooling rack to cool completely. Once cooled, remove the cakes from the pan and remove the parchment paper as well.

While the cake is baking, prepare the ganache. Place chocolate chips in a bowl. In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream just until bubbles begin to form around the edges. Remove cream from heat and pour over chocolate chips. Let the mixture stand for a minute, then whisk until smooth. Whisk in the wine. Refrigerate ganache until it is spreadable, about 10-15 minutes.

While cakes are cooling, prepare the buttercream. Melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and allow it to cool for a few minutes. In the bowl of a mixer, beat together the butter and the shortening until creamy. Beat in the melted chocolate until combined. Slowly beat in the powdered sugar one cup at a time, adding enough heavy cream until the frosting is spreadable.

To assemble the cake, place one cake layer bottom side up on a serving plate, cover with half the ganache. Top with a second layer and the remaining ganache. Top the cake with the last layer (bottom side up). Cover cake with a light layer of frosting and refrigerate until set. This will trap any crumbs and make frosting the cake so much easier. Frost the cake with the remaining frosting and top with fresh fruit if desired.

Nutrition Information

Amount Per Serving Calories 0Total Fat 0gSaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 0mgFiber 0gSugar 0gProtein 0g

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