Red Wine Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Cherry Buttercream

My husband and I fell in LOVE with South African red wines while we were there.  They are unique, bold, robust and full of flavor! Very strict US customs laws and expensive shipping make it tough for distributors to import to the States, so we have had some trouble finding good variety since we have been back.  One night, Chris brought home a bottle with a description made just for him! “A burst of intense rich coffee and chocolate aromas with ripe nuances of mulberry, plum and maraschino cherries”.  

The wine is amazing and I suggest if you like the sound of it you should run out and buy it!  The coffee is the most prominent of all the flavors but you taste the hints of chocolate and its sweetness reminds you of cherries.  After doing a little research, I discovered the wine maker now has the nickname Starbucks and that is why it is called Barista DUH?! (read here if you want to learn more).  

I immediately thought of a recent post I had read on Love and Olive Oil about a red wine chocolate cake and thought this wine would be perfect, especially since coffee brings out the flavor in chocolate.  I decided it would be the perfect birthday cake for my husband.  Since he loves cherries and chocolate together I wanted to do it with a cherry buttercream.  Similar to Lindsay from Love and Olive Oil, I decided to use my-go to chocolate cake recipe and just swap the milk for the wine.  

Since this cake is so intense, it would also be lovely as a bundt cake (or mini individual bundt cakes), which make a great, quick dessert for a dinner with friends.  If serving this as a bundt cake, simply serve with powdered sugar or a dollop of whip cream.  If you are married to someone who loves cherry you can drizzle it with a cherry compote as well :)

Chocolate Wine Cake (inspired by Love and Olive Oil)

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups dry red wine (I would use a wine you like to drink because the wine does not cook off entirely)

Directions: 

1. Grease three 6 inch pans (this also can be made into a two-layer 8 inch cake) and line them with parchment paper.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
3. In the bowl of your mixer, beat the butter with the sugar at medium-high speed until fluffy, 4 minutes. 
4. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until incorporated. Add the vanilla and beat for 2 minutes longer. 
5. On a low speed (stir if you have), work in two batches and alternately fold in the dry ingredients and the wine, until just incorporated.
6. Separate your batter evenly into the pans.
7. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until cake springs back when lightly touched in center.
8. Let cool 10 minutes and then flip your cakes onto parchment paper to cool
9. To assemble your cake start with leveling your layers.  Place each layer on a cake stand and cut off the domed top of the cake with a serrated knife. 
10. Next place the first layer (flat side down) on your cake stand and spread with a layer of the cherry buttercream (about 1/4 cup - it is really personal preference).  
11. Place your second layer on top of the first and spread with the a layer of the cherry buttercream.  
12. Next place your third and last layer on top with the flat side up
13. Cover the entire cake with a thin layer of your chocolate buttercream and place in the refrigerator for 20 minutes (this is what is called the crumb coat, it does not have to be perfect it just holds in the crumbs that form from leveling the cake and creates a base to cover the cake.
14. After the 20 minutes are finished you finish frosting your cake with your desired look

(Alternatives: 10 inch Bundt pan and cook for 40-50 mins or 8 mini bundt cakes cook for 30 mins).

Chocolate and Cherry Swiss Buttercream

4 large egg whites

1 cup of sugar

2 1/2 sticks of butter (20 tablespoons)

1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 oz melted bittersweet chocolate

1/4 cup cherry compote (or cherry jam if you do not want to make)

Directions

1. Whisk egg whites and sugar together in a large glass bowl over a pot of simmering water.
2. Whisk occasionally until you cannot feel the sugar granules when you rub the mixture between your fingers.  
3. Transfer the mixture into the your mixer and whip until it turns white and about doubles in size (10 minutes).  Make sure no water gets into the egg whites!
4. Add the vanilla
5. Turn the mixer down slightly and add the butter in small pieces on a medium to high speed, work quickly and continue to whip.  Once all the butter is in turn the speed up to high and continue to whip until it comes together.  THe mixture will curdle first but do not stop, continue to whip and I promise it will come together (could take up to 10 minutes)!
6. Once it is all together put 1/2 cup of the buttercream in another bowl and combine it with the cherry jam.  Make sure to fold the cherry and the buttercream together until the cherry is fully incorporated (Note: you will probably have some left over).  
7. Add the 2 oz of melted and cooled chocolate into the remainder of the buttercream and blend until the chocolate is fully incorporated. 

Cherry Compote (fabulous for ice cream!)

10oz bag of frozen cherries

1/4 cup of sugar

1/2 tbs of cornstarch

1/3 cup of water

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients together in a small saucepan.  
2. On medium heat bring them to a boil.
3. Let it boil for 5 minutes until slightly thickened
4. You can strain out the cherries but I prefer to mash them with the back of the spoon as it is boiling.