This red wine chocolate cake has two layers of moist, chocolate cake smothered with whipped red wine chocolate ganache! The red wine imparts a slightly fruity flavor to the dark chocolate, for the most decadent dessert for date night, Valentine's Day, or any random wine Wednesday!
Finely chop the dark chocolate and place into a large bowl.
Place the heavy cream in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1-2 minutes or until hot to the touch but not boiling.
Pour over the chopped chocolate and let sit for about two minutes.
Using a spatula, gently mix until the chocolate is fully melted and the ganache is mostly smooth. It will still be very thick.
Place the red wine in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1-2 minutes or until hot to the touch but not boiling. Pour into the ganache and continue to mix until it's fully combined and silky smooth.
Let sit at room temperature or in the fridge until is has thickened enough to hold its shape. If your ganache is too firm, microwave for 10 seconds to soften and then stir until ganache is the desired consistency.
Then using a hand mixer, whip the ganache until it's light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Be careful not to overwhip or the ganache will become grainy.
Cake
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a separate large bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil and sugar until combined. Then whisk in the eggs and vanilla.
Slowly whisk in the red wine, then gently fold in the dry ingredients until just combined. The batter will be thin.
Evenly spray each cake pan with an oil based pan spray (I don't recommend butter as the butter solids can cause the cake to stick to the pan).
Pour ½ of the batter into each cake pan (they will only be about half full).
Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
Place a cooling rack on top of each cake pan and invert. The pan should slide cleanly away.
Let the cakes cool completely to room temperature before trimming.
Once the cakes are fully cooled. Using a sharp bread knife, trim the cakes until the layers are even. Note: trimming is not always necessary! These cake layers cook up pretty evenly, so you may not need to trim at all!
Place the bottom layer of cake on your cake stand and spread about ⅓ of the whipped chocolate ganache on top and smooth into an even layer. Then top with the second layer.
Smooth the rest of the ganache frosting over the top and sides of the cake as desired.
If you don't plan on eating the cake immediately, chill in the fridge so that the ganache stays solid. But remove from the fridge at least 30 minutes before eating for the best texture.
If you want to top with flowers, do so immediately before serving!
Notes
This recipe is designed for 2 six inch cake pans. It will also work with 1 eight inch cake pans or 12 cupcakes.Store the cake in the fridge for up to 4 days. However, it will taste best when served at room temperature! I like to let it sit at room temperature for about an hour before serving.