Just when all the blogs are finally done bombarding with you mush, pink and chocolate, here I am sharing a Chocolate cake recipe a few days after Valentines day! Yeah… I have told this to you earlier and let me tell you once again, we don’t really celebrate Valentines day. For that matter… we don’t celebrate rose day, friendship day, nutella day, doughnut day etc etc! I don’t really like falling into the trap of celebrating highly commercialized, consumerism driven holidays and in any case if it’s about celebrating love, I believe in celebrating it everyday.
‘Then why this cake?’ you might ask… It’s hard to be seeing with all those super sinful dessert posts for an entire week and not crave chocolate you know! I am a chocoholic and I can’t deprive myself a slice of chocolate cake when my heart truly begs for it 🙂
Last week, in the middle of all the V’day blogging madness, I just shut my computer close, walked into the kitchen and baked this delicious cake just like that… That’s the beauty of super easy, single/two bowl recipes like this. In fact that’s why I love Vegan cakes. 10 minutes to mix and 50 minutes to bake!
I had this very old tried and tested chocolate cake recipe with me. which I tweaked to come up with a new red wine chocolate cake. To begin with I substituted all ingredients with healthier alternatives. There was half a bottle of red wine in the refrigerator so I added that to the batter instead of water. Since my red wine was quite dry, I thought of adding a hint of fruitiness with a little bit of homemade strawberry jam.
This Red Wine Chocolate Cake is not your usual super sweet, rich, buttery cake. Instead it’s dark, deep chocolate flavored, mildly sweet and moist with a strong hit of alcohol. I loved the tiny bits of moist strawberry pieces in it. You can make the cake sweeter if you have a big sweet tooth but I would recommend serving it with a dollop of strawberry jam or even fresh strawberries in sugar syrup.  You can even slice the cake in the middle and have a layer to strawberry jam in between.  A chocolate ganache on top (and a layer in between) is assured to take you right into chocolate heaven. I loved the light crumb of this cake which was not at all dense. I was amazed at how fluffy it turned out considering it’s completely whole wheat.  The aroma of wine was very strong when it was just out of the oven but it slowly started disappearing making the cake more moist. The cake like all chocolate cakes, tasted even better the next day but unfortunately I had only a couple of slices left.
Notes:
You can use any unsweetened fruit juice instead of wine to make this alcohol free. Like I mentioned the original recipe called for water.
Strawberry jam can be replaced with any other jam or your choice.
If you don’t have unrefined cane sugar use refined white sugar instead. You might want to reduce it to ½ cup as white sugar tends to be sweeter than cane sugar.
I have used Navadarshanam Organic stone ground wheat flour and Hintz Cocoa Powder here.
I have used Grover Red Wine in this cake. Remember the cake will have a strong taste of the wine used in it, go for something that you like.
I highly recommend you make the cake a day ahead for the best taste.
If you are not vegan, melted butter can be used instead of olive oil in the cake for a buttery taste.
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¾ cup unrefined cane sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla powder
- 5 table spoons extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup strawberry jam
- 1 cup red wine
Preheat the oven at 150 degree Celsius.
Combine all the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Â In a separate small bowl combine the red wine, strawberry jam and olive oil together. Pour the wet ingredients over dry ingredients and stir to combine well.
Pour the batter into a round pan which is greased with olive oil and dusted with cocoa flour. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until the toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let the cake cool well on a wire rack before you cut it.

65 comments :
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[…] 8. Red Wine Chocolate Cake […]
Paula Cerqueira October 21, 2014 5:31PM
I made this cake over the weekend and it was fantastic. It was so flavorful and the texture was spot on. Usually my cakes made with whole wheat flour are dense, but this was very light. I typically dislike cake, finding them to be overly sweet, but this was perfect. Thanks so much for the recipe, I will definitely make it again.
Namita September 19, 2014 2:06AM
Hello Chinmayie, This is Namita. I blog at Ambrosia. We had made beet wine last winters. With cloves and cinnamon, it was bursting with flavours. I wanted to use it in a cake-preferably egg less. My search got me here. I loved your recipe and baked one. It was one of the best vegans cakes I ever baked. A big thanks to you. I have posted it in my blog with a link to your recipe- http://ambrosiasoulfulcooking.blogspot.com/2014/09/vegan-beet-wine-chocolate-cake-whole.htm
Thanks once again, Namita
meri September 14, 2014 8:19AM
I am having trouble finding vegan red wine. My local market Stocks vegetarian and kosher but not vegan. Can you tell me which brand you used.
cook July 7, 2014 9:51AM
Looks yummmmmmmmmyyyyyyyy!
Nato May 5, 2014 12:02PM
Uh, first time vegan baking 😀 :D. i’m absolutely delighted at my cake and how it came out ! The red wine smell came out quite strong… but I think I will be used to this. 🙂 I’m proud, thanks for sharing your receipt ! Greetings from Switzerland
jay_madita February 16, 2014 2:24PM
Just a few months ago, when I saw your recipe on pinterest I knew I’d have to try it. So when I visited my parents, I offered to bake them this cake, they were super excited. And than this happened: the cake came out completely flat, i.e. has not or only risen very very little. I used baking powder instead of baking soda, but apart from that did just like you said in your recipe. What could have gone wrong? HELP! Love, Jay.
Paula Cerqueira October 21, 2014 5:26PM
Baking Powder is a combination of baking soda, cream of tartar, and starch. Because of this you need more baking powder to have the leavening results.
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[…] ‘rode wijn chocoladetaart’ terug. Het originele recept is van Chinmayie en vind je hier, waar alles in Amerikaanse cupmaten staat. Ik volgde het recept exact en woog voor jullie alles na […]
shabari August 25, 2013 5:47PM
I tried out this recipe & it came out beautiful! Thank you for sharing. All your recipes look interesting ! keep the them coming. Thanks 🙂
Aimee July 10, 2013 5:45AM
Sorry, please ignore my temperature question. I needed to do the fahrenheit conversion.
Duh!
Aimee July 10, 2013 5:40AM
Is the temperature a typo? I’m assuming it should be 350 celsius. Any advice would be great.
Thank you! I just put mine in the oven, so hopefully I am correct.
Cat May 16, 2013 1:55PM
Okay, I’m going to make this for our pool-opening party this weekend. I’m going to make one little cupcake for myself to taste beforehand to…you know…make sure it turned out all right.
Melissa April 8, 2013 11:40PM
This looks amazing! I’m thinking I’d like to make this recipe, but I want to make cupcakes instead of one big cake. How long do you suggest that I bake them? Also, do you have any notion of how many cupcakes this recipe would make?
Thanks!
Kay April 5, 2013 9:03PM
Hey, this looks *amazing*! I can’t wait to start experimenting to make it gluten free, because I can’t not have that in my life.
Jackie April 1, 2013 4:46AM
Wow, this is delicious! I made cupcakes since I don’t have a cake pan 🙂 It helps to not eat the whole cake at once haha. Next time I’ll probably put in some chocolate chips and maybe walnuts; I think icing made of cream cheese and strawberry jam would be delish on top. (I’m vegetarian, not vegan) Thanks for this recipe! So smart and yummy. I also loved your whole wheat vegan banana bread. I wasn’t sure how it was going to turn out, as it was my first vegan baked good, but it’s great! It’s inspired me to experiment with vegan baking. You rock.
Lydia March 29, 2013 10:18AM
my vegan sister loves this cake! especially because it does not involve as many dried fruits as a lot of other vegan recipes include.. made it several times already and added some rasperries – greetings from Germany!
Srishti March 23, 2013 3:53PM
I made this for a friend’s birthday today, it incorporates three of her favourite indulgences, so I thought this would be perfect. Though the taste turned out intense and yummy, the cake itself turned out flat. Maybe it does need baking powder…?
Sharanya March 22, 2013 2:06PM
I tried this and absolutely love it!
pRiyA March 22, 2013 1:35PM
I am fairly new to your blog. Seeing the delicious picture of this cake, I wanted to make it, but the ingredients were unbelievable – no eggs? no baking powder? and atta? I reduced the quantity in half and made it. I am pleasantly surprised at how good it has turned out. Next time full quantity.
Oh and it is healthier breakfast Hot Chocolate tomorrow morning 🙂
Talia March 20, 2013 7:42PM
This cake is delicious — a definite keeper!
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Dorothea Ob March 16, 2013 6:53AM
very delicious!!! I’m from Switzerland and we don’t use cups for baking. So I just used any cup (abiut 250ml) and the cake was very flat like a tarte 😛 (but EXTREMELY DELICIOUS!!!!- also my guests said so!) so how big is your cup or maybe you used a smaller pan than me, or something? 🙂
Today I’ll try the red beet chocolate mousse cake 🙂
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Kimberly March 6, 2013 11:23PM
Wow this looks delicious! Can I sub the cane sugar for, say, apple sauce? Also, there’s a link on this page for Vegan Chocolate Coffee Cake, but I can’t seem to find the recipe. Do you know where that is?
Chinmayie March 7, 2013 2:01AM
Hey Kimberly, I have lost the recipe+photos of my Vegan Chocolate Coffee Cake due to a virus attack. Several people loved it and I think I should blog it again. Please subscribe for my posts/follow me on FB to know when I re-blog it with new pictures 🙂 Cheers!
Laura! March 4, 2013 7:16PM
I made this cake this weekend for my husband. It was a huge success. I didn’t have strawberry jam so used raspberry preserves instead. It was delicious. I think I’ll make this for Easter for my family–they’ll love it!
MC @SugarSpiceMkt March 4, 2013 2:16PM
This looks great! I will try this recipe and make it wheat/gluten free with gf flour.
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Deepthi March 1, 2013 10:58AM
Made this cake yesterday .. and it came out beautifully.. but my batter was thicker than the normal cake batter.. is it like that? May be because of that the cake was a little harder the next day..
Chinmayie March 1, 2013 11:29AM
The texture of the batter and the cake depends a lot on the flour you use. You could add a few tbsp extra water/wine next time to see if that results in a softer cake I guess…
Deepthi March 1, 2013 2:12PM
Thanks Chinmayie. I used the regular whole wheat atta.. the first day the texture was awesome.. Let me try with Navadarshanam atta.. Thanks for the tips
nlee February 28, 2013 5:17AM
this was SOOOO GOOD! I added some dark chocolate chunks to mine and reduced the sugar a bit more. I then made whipped cream with a little honey, a splash or red wine and some strawberries and wow did it ever marry well with the cake. I included a couple melted strawberries (only have frozen this time of year) on top. The cake is wonderful on its own, but this made it super extravagant! mmmm mmm
Maria Galloway February 28, 2013 1:03AM
I dont have a printer could you be so kind as to forward it to my e-mail account. than you. my sister says its really yummy.But put yummy cake as header please.
Madhavi February 27, 2013 11:05AM
Thanks Chinamayie for this wonderful recipe. I now know why there are such raving reviews. I baked it and just finished my first BIG slice without guilt. I used the same stone ground wheat flour from Navadarshan and replaced with grape juice. I anticipated the cake to stick but it came out neat and clean from the tin. The texture and crumbs is perfect.
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KT February 24, 2013 5:07PM
Saw this last night (Pinterest) and had to try it. I didnt have strawbwrry jam, but did have blackberry which, I am hoping, will still compliment the wine and chocolate flavors well. I Made them this morning but for portion control, made them as cupcakes. they are in the oven now… So we’ll see how they come out. great, easy recipe… hoping for a big win!
Honey What's Cooking February 23, 2013 5:51AM
Bookmarking this.. this is fantastic. Red wine and only 5 tbsp of oil. your pictures are just gorgeous.
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Sylvie @ Gourmande in the Kitchen February 21, 2013 8:32AM
Two wonderful things on their own red wine and chocolate come together even more beautifully here.
Becca February 20, 2013 10:22PM
This cake is incredible! You know you have a winner when people immediately get up and bake your recipe after *just* sitting down to enjoy pinterest. And I have no regrets!!! Amazing! Thanks for sharing!
Chinmayie February 21, 2013 2:29AM
Thank you so much Becca 🙂
richa February 20, 2013 6:28PM
gosh this cake looks divine.. i love the strawberry jam in there.. and the texture is beautiful!
Radhika @ Just Homemade February 20, 2013 6:18PM
chin, The chocolate cake looks really moist and soft. Very tempting indeed!
Jen February 20, 2013 5:48AM
This happens very rarely, but I think (aside from the wine) I have every single ingredient for this cake in my pantry. I will call this cake Serendipity, and I will be baking it tomorrow! Have you experimented with coconut oil instead of olive oil? I may have to try it.
Chinmayie February 20, 2013 3:11PM
Hey Jen… I bake a lot with coconut oil so I am sure it can work in the recipe. I didn’t want a strong flavor of the coconut oil in this cake so I went for olive oil but if you like chocolate and coconut oil combination i don’t see why you wouldn’t like it 🙂
Donalyn February 19, 2013 4:22PM
This looks just stunning – you know you have succeeded when your readers want to lick the screen! 🙂
Deeba Rajpal (@vindee) February 19, 2013 3:31PM
Doesn’t get better than this; That’s a stunning cake! {sorry my caps lock seems to have died!}
Akshita February 19, 2013 9:47AM
You should bake and then sell these items in some shop, so i can come and buy them. i will even fly all the way from Delhi to banglore , to eat your delicious recipes
Kiran @ KiranTarun.com February 19, 2013 9:06AM
Red wine chocolate cake?!? Send some my way, oh please. That looks so moist and delicious!!
Nami | Just One Cookbook February 19, 2013 8:12AM
STUNNING chocolate cake ever! Wow, and I love the red wine addition too. How do you always come up with healthy yet delicious dessert recipes?! I highly admire of you Chinmayie!
Noodlehead February 19, 2013 6:47AM
made this last night as dessert to round out a rather boring meal of leftovers. Except I wanted my little girl to have some so substituted the wine with 1/2 tsp instant coffee in in a cup of water. I topped it with ganache and it Turned out great! thanks so much for sharing the recipe.
Chinmayie February 19, 2013 7:24AM
Thank you so much for trying out the recipe 🙂
Sarah February 19, 2013 1:22AM
This looks beautiful, a nice light crumb, but full of dark chocolate and red wine flavours. I could go a slice of this right about now.
Sanjana February 18, 2013 10:50PM
This is absolutely beautiful – I’m not a huge fan of red wine but I’m adamant to try your recipe. Love the strawberry jam idea. Really not good to be craving choc cake at this time of night! Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous! X
kankana February 18, 2013 8:06PM
wine and chocolate. Love that combination any time of the season! I never baked cake with whole wheat. always worried about the texture, but looking at these photos, I am convinced to give it a try.
Julie February 18, 2013 5:15PM
It looks amazing, definitely gonna try..but which size was the pan you used?
Chinmayie February 19, 2013 7:25AM
Julie, I used a 6″ pan.
SHYZIE February 18, 2013 4:55PM
gREAT RECIPE AND SEEMS EASY TO FOLLOW…NICE THAT YOU HAVE USED oLIVE OIL…INTERESTINGLY JAM AND WINE TOO..WILL BOOK MARK TO TRY OUT SOME TIME…THANKS FOR SHARING:))
dassana February 18, 2013 12:24PM
just loving this cake…. looks moist and gorgeous as well.
Revati February 18, 2013 12:02PM
Gorgeous pictures! I once made a red wine chocolate cake and it was a hit with everyone who tasted it..maybe its time to make another one 😀
nags February 18, 2013 9:56AM
gorgeous looking cake.
btw, i am trying to add you to my google reader but it can’t detect a feed. help?
Nash at Plateful February 18, 2013 7:20AM
Pictures are stunningly delicious!! But alas, no wine for me 🙁
Chinmayie February 18, 2013 8:53AM
Nash, you can make it with grape juice or any other juice and even water! Try it 🙂
Sanjeeta kk February 18, 2013 7:13AM
Jam, Olive oil and wine in a cake..I am completely sold for this luscious beauty!