Red Wine Chocolate Cake Is the Perfect Holiday Dessert
This wildly fudgy chocolate layer cake is the perfect finale for a special dinner, whether for a holiday or any other type of celebration. It also has a secret ingredient: merlot. The resulting cake doesn’t actually taste at all like red wine — although it would taste very good paired with a glass — but the wine adds a depth and richness to the flavor, and makes it taste even more chocolatey than it would if you made it with chocolate alone.
“My chocolate merlot cake always makes an appearance for the holidays,” says Alice Choi of Hip Foodie Mom. “It’s actually pretty easy to make and everyone always has a slice (or two) and loves it! Merlot fans will love this cake, and don’t worry — you cannot taste the wine at all. The merlot just helps to enhance the flavor of the cake. It’s the best!”
I usually add coffee to my chocolate cakes to make them taste extra rich and chocolatey, but next time I’m going to have to try red wine instead. It works so well to enhance the chocolate flavors of the cake that Choi puts it in the frosting as well. The recipe calls for 3/4 cup of red wine in the cake itself, and half a cup in the frosting. That leaves plenty in the bottle to drink with dinner or dessert.
If you’re planning on trying this for the holidays and want to give it an extra-festive look, Choi recommends decorating it with sugared cranberries on top, or maybe a pinecone or two. But if you prefer to leave your chocolate cake alone, it’s absolutely fine to just frost it and enjoy.
Get the recipe: Chocolate Merlot Cake from Hip Foodie Mom
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