Red Wine Chocolate Cake

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This elegant red wine chocolate cake is made up of three layers of moist red wine-infused chocolate cake layers. The layers are divided by raspberry buttercream, frosted with chocolate buttercream, and decorated with a gorgeous chocolate drizzle.

Why You’ll Love This Red Wine Chocolate Cake

If you’re looking for something fun, different and a little special, this is the cake for you. It takes chocolate cake to a whole new level. Here’s a few reasons to give this cake a try.

• The perfect marriage of flavors. There’s just something about the combination of chocolate, raspberry, and red wine that screams elegance and decadence all at the same time. The fruitiness of the wine and raspberry complement the richness of the chocolate perfectly. And don’t worry, the red wine doesn’t come through too strong, but you can definitely taste it!
• Tender and moist. This recipe is based on my very favorite moist chocolate cake. I just replaced the water with sweet red wine. It’s so tender and moist and completely addicting.
• Pretty in pink. This cake is sure to turn heads. Coated in smooth chocolate buttercream with a chocolate drip around the top edge and then decorated with pink raspberry buttercream, it’s so elegant. Then, once you slice into it, you get the juxtaposition of the deep brownish-black of the chocolate cake next to the light pink of the raspberry buttercream filling. A feast for the eyes!

What You’ll Need

Gather your ingredients around you! It’s time to start baking. Here’s what you’ll need to make red wine chocolate cake. Be sure to scroll to the recipe card below for precise measurements.

Chocolate Cake

• All-purpose flour – Be sure to measure your flour accurately, so you don’t end up with a dry cake. I always recommend a food scale, but the spoon and level method is also an option.
• Sugar
• Natural unsweetened cocoa powder – If you want an even deeper, richer chocolate flavor, use Dutch-processed cocoa powder.
• Baking soda – For the perfect rise and texture.
• Salt – You need a little salt for flavor. Without it, the cake can be bland.
• Eggs – Be sure to use large eggs, not small or extra large.
• Buttermilk – The buttermilk adds moisture and makes this cake nice and tender. You could also use whole milk or 2% milk.
• Vegetable oil – The vegetable oil in the cake turns out the moistest results.
• Vanilla extract
• Sweet red wine – I often use a wine labeled as a sweet red wine, such as this Cavit sweet red wine or Barefoot sweet red wine.

Raspberry Buttercream

• Raspberries – Make sure they are nice and sweet! You can use frozen raspberries. Just thaw and pat them dry first, so the excess water doesn’t water down the flavor.
• Unsalted butter – Start with room temperature butter. If it is too cold, your buttercream will turn out lumpy. If it is melted, you will find yourself with a runny buttercream.
• Powdered sugar – For a great frosting and piping consistency, I recommend using the amount listed in the recipe. However, you can reduce the amount if’d you like to. Just keep in mind that it will be thinner.

Chocolate Buttercream

• Unsalted butter – Again, the butter should be at room temperature. Butter that is too cold will turn out a lumpy frosting and butter that is melted will give you a runny frosting.
• Powdered sugar – Again, for a great frosting and piping consistency, I recommend using the amount listed in the recipe. However, you can reduce the amount if’d you like to. You just don’t want the buttercream to be too thin to keep the cake layers in place.
• Natural unsweetened cocoa powder – If you would like a richer chocolate flavor, use Dutch-processed cocoa powder instead. It’ll also be a darker color.
• Vanilla extract
• Heavy cream

Red Wine Chocolate Ganache

• Semi-sweet chocolate chips – Stick with semi-sweet chocolate for the same consistency.
• Sweet red wine – You can use the same one you use in the cake.
• Heavy whipping cream – Stick with the heavy cream. Milk or half and half will make the ganache too thin.

How to Make Red Wine Chocolate Cake

Here’s a quick rundown of how to make this unbeatable chocolate red wine cake. Don’t forget to scroll to the recipe card below for more detailed instructions.

Make the Cakes

• Prep. Preheat the oven to 300°F, line the bottoms of three 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper, and grease the sides.
• Make the cake batter. Whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk in the eggs, buttermilk, and vegetable oil followed by the vanilla and red wine.

• Bake. Divide the batter between the cake pans and bake for 30-33 minutes.
• Cool. Allow the cakes to cool in their pans for 10 minutes before transferring them to wire cooling racks to cool completely.

Make the Buttercreams, Assemble and Decorate the Cake

• Puree. Puree the raspberries in a food process and then strain to remove the seeds.

• Make the raspberry buttercream. Beat the butter until smooth and then mix in half of the powdered sugar followed by 3-4 tablespoons of raspberry puree. Mix in the remaining powdered sugar. If the frosting is too thick, mix in more raspberry puree.
• Make the chocolate buttercream. Beat the butter until smooth and then mix in half of the powdered sugar and the cocoa powder. Mix in the vanilla extract and half of the cream followed by the remaining powdered sugar. If the frosting is too thick, mix in more heavy cream.

• Stack, fill, and frost. Remove the domes from the cooled cake layers, place one layer on a cake plate, and pipe a damn of chocolate buttercream around the edge. Fill the inside of the damn with 1 cup of raspberry buttercream and spread it out evenly. Top with the second cake layer and repeat. Top with the final cake layer and frost the outside of the cake.

• Make the chocolate ganache. Heat the wine and heavy cream in the microwave until just boiling and pour it over the chocolate chips. Let them sit for 2-3 minutes and then whisk until smooth.
• Decorate. Drizzle the chocolate ganache around the edge of the cake, then spread the remainder over the top of the cake. Once the ganache has firmed up a bit, pipe the remaining raspberry frosting around the top edge of the cake. Garnish with extra raspberries, if desired.

Does This Cake Really Bake at 300°F?

I’m often asked if the temperature listed in the instructions is an error. It’s not. The chocolate cake is a slow-bake cake that bakes at 300°F degrees. I’ve tried baking it at 350°F for less time but it negatively impacts the texture of the cake. Go slow, my friends. The wait is torture, but it’s worth it.

Tips for Success

Pay attention to these simple tips and tricks and you’ll be a master cake decorator in no time.

• Consistency matter. When making the buttercreams, you might need to add a little extra raspberry puree (up to 6 tablespoons) or a little extra heavy cream in order to get the frosting to a nice, spreadable consistency. Check out my post on how to get the right frosting consistency for more information.
• Cool completely. Allow the cake layers to cool completely before frosting unless you want the buttercream to slide right off of them.
• Make it pretty. Before stacking, filling, frosting, and decorating this cake, do a little studying. My posts on how to level a cake and how to fill and stack a layer cake will help you achieve the prettiest results possible. Additionally, this tutorial for frosting a smooth cake as well as my post on making a chocolate drip cake will give you the upper hand on decorating as well.
• Allow the ganache to firm up. After adding the chocolate drip and before piping raspberry frosting around the outer edge of the cake, allow the ganache to firm up a bit. Otherwise, the raspberry buttercream might slide around on top of it.

Proper Storage

• Counter/fridge. Seal the cake in an airtight cake carrier or wrap the whole thing in a double layer of plastic wrap. If you use plastic wrap, prop it away from the decorations with toothpicks. You could also slice the cake and store slices in a single layer in an airtight container. This dessert will stay good at room temperature for 24 hours. After that, store it in the fridge for up to 4 additional days.
• Freezer. Pop the cake in the freezer for a couple of hours to firm up and then wrap it in a double layer of plastic wrap. Alternatively, store slices in a single layer in an airtight container. It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

More Chocolate Cake Recipes

I love chocolate cake and have dedicated countless hours and days to perfecting some seriously delicious, seriously decadent chocolate cake recipes. Here are some of my top picks.

• Drunken Chocolate Truffle Cake
• Baileys Chocolate Cake
• Best Chocolate Cake
• Chocolate Oreo Cake
• Hot Chocolate Cake
• Chocolate Pound Cake

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