Rotweinkuchen is a German red wine cake that is infused with decadent chocolate and whispers of cinnamon. Serve it simply dusted with powdered sugar or finish it with a gorgeous pink-hued red wine glaze. It's perfect for teatime and holiday gatherings alike.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) with the oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Brush the interior of a 9-inch bundt, tube or gugelhupf pan (10 cup capacity) with soft butter and dust lightly with flour (knocking out the excess), or spray evenly with baking spray with flour (not cooking spray). Set aside.
Whisk together the flour, grated chocolate, almond meal, cocoa powder, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt into a mixing bowl. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs and egg white, one at a time, and beat until smooth, scraping down the sides in between additions if needed.
Add half the flour mixture and mix on low speed until mostly combined. Then add the wine and vanilla, stir on low speed to mix, and finish with the remaining flour mixture, stirring just until smooth.
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth out the top. Bake for about 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven, cool for about 15 minutes, then unmold it onto a wire rack to finish cooling.
Meanwhile, make the glaze (if using). Whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and red wine until smooth.
When the cake is cool, pour the glaze over the top, or if not using glaze, dust the top with confectioners’ sugar. Serve.
Notes
This red wine cake is fancy enough for guests and perfect for the winter holidays. It's also lovely alongside a cup of tea or coffee, and would also do nicely paired with a glass of red wine (of course!).
Grating the chocolate will be the most time consuming part of the cake preparation, but is well worth it for the results. I use a coarse Microplane grater to grate the chocolate. Keep in mind that larger pieces of chocolate are easier to grate.
If you plan to serve this cake to children, you can try swapping the red wine with non-alcoholic red wine just to be safe. You could also try using some grape juice mixed with lemon juice as another alcohol-free alternative.