One Bowl Red Wine Chocolate Cake

While I love crazy desserts as much as the next gal, sometimes simple is best. And this cake, which can be made in one bowl and only takes 30 minutes to bake, is proof. In fact, it’s my new go-to recipe. (And it has wine in it! Go figure.)

I’ve made this cake a few times and while I prefer it sans frosting, the original recipe calls for a whipped mascarpone topping which helps jazz it up a bit. However, I find it’s wonderful as-is with just a sprinkle of powdered sugar on top.

The perfect weeknight treat when spending hours in the kitchen just won’t do.

Red Wine Chocolate Cake

From Smitten Kitchen

What you need:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup white granulated sugar
1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
3/4 cup red wine (it doesn’t matter what kind)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (I used 1/2 cup 100% whole wheat flour and 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon all-purpose)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Powdered sugar for garnish (optional)

How you do it:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line the bottom of a 9-inch round cake pan with parchment, then grease the parchment and the sides of the pan with butter or cooking spray.
In a large bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add the sugars and beat until incorporated. Add the wine and eggs and beat on slow speed until combined.
Next, sift flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon into the same bowl as the wine mixture. Using an electric mixer, beat the mixture until two-thirds combined, then use a spatula to fold everything completely together.
Put the batter into the prepared pan and smooth out the top. Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. The cake should be glossy on top.
Allow the cake to cool for at least 30 minutes before turning out on a wire rack to cool completely. (Don’t forget to remove the parchment!) Serve topped with sifted powdered sugar.