Red Wine Strawberry Chocolate Fudge Cake: A decadent adult birthday cake

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I’m a little cake crazy – I LUV cake! I mean, who doesn’t? What other food symbolizes celebration like cake does? Cake is there for every celebratory milestone from your baby shower, through your graduation and wedding all the way up to your golden anniversary. And let’s not forget all those birthdays in between!

And I love to create cakes…

But I have to tell you guys, this cake is one of the best ones I have ever created. I don’t want to toot my own horn or anything, but by this point, I KNOW A GREAT CAKE. And that’s because I’ve been making and decorating cakes for over 15 years. And believe me, you will want to find any excuse to celebrate with this decadent and delectable Red Wine Strawberry Chocolate Fudge Cake cake! A whipped creamy mascarpone strawberry kirsch filling is sandwiched between luscious red wine fudgy chocolate cake, all encased in a rich red wine dark chocolate ganache with ganache dipped strawberries on top. And best yet, there is no fancy decorating required! If you are looking for birthday cake recipes for adults or a Valentine’s day cake for your sweetheart, this cake is the ultimate!

I used to work at a place where you had to bring your own birthday cake in on your birthday. I thought that was a pretty awesome policy; you get what you like and it saves everyone else the hassle. So, one year when I was very much into elaborately decorated fondant character cakes,  I made this wine shaped cake. The entire thing is edible – the bottle was made out of fondant and painted with confectioners glaze to make it shiny. Then I made the “Mommy Juice” label and had it printed on a frosting sheet. “Mommy Juice” is what my BFF and I used to call wine when my kids were little so they would not keep asking to drink it and we could actually enjoy drinking it. This cake was special and it was tasty, but decorating this cake took me too many hours to count.

Then I started making my BFF the same types of character birthday cakes every year and it became a tradition.  Here are a couple of cakes from past birthdays:

I also did them for my husband and my kids. Every year. And sometimes I’d make 2 or 3 for each kid’s birthday. One for their ‘real birthday’, one for the party and one for daycare. I made these 2 birthday cakes and these birthday cupcakes for my daughter’s 4th birthday:

I-N-S-A-N-I-T-Y

Nowadays, I think that’s waaay to much work, plus my focus has shifted to the inside of the cake.

So when I told my BFF that I wasn’t going to do elaborately decorated cakes anymore and asked her if she wanted a chocolate red wine cake or butter tart cake for her birthday, it was no surprise when she picked the chocolate red wine cake.

And this, my friends, was the result!

It turned out amazing! So, if you are looking to make a red wine cake recipe with glaze and you are not a cake decorator, this is THE ONE! There is no fancy decorating required. You simply pour on the glaze, it begins to harden, making it easy to smooth with a spatula.

So why not celebrate your wine lover’s birthday in style -without the elaborate decorating?! Because all those birthdays between the graduations, weddings and baby showers are also celebratory milestones and deserve a special cake too!

If you are looking for other birthday cake recipes for adults give these cakes a try:

Root Beer Float Cake

Red Velvet Ice Cream Cake

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Red Wine Strawberry Chocolate Fudge Cake

This decadent Red Wine Strawberry Chocolate Fudge Cake cake is the ultimate birthday cake for adults! A whipped creamy mascarpone strawberry kirsch filling is sandwiched between luscious red wine fudgy chocolate cake,  all encased in a rich red wine dark chocolate ganache with ganache dipped strawberries on top.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Italian, North American

Prep Time 45 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes

Servings 12 slices

Calories 1099 kcal

Author Terri Gilson

Ingredients

Cake:

• 3 cups all purpose flour flour
• 2 tbsp all purpose flour
• 3 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 3 cups brown sugar
• 3/4 cup butter softened
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup applesauce (unsweetened)
• 4.5 squares (ounces) Bakers semi sweet Chocolate melted ** not chocolate chips!
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/3 cup boiling water
• 3/4 cup red wine such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Shiraz

Filling:

• 1 1/4 cups mascarpone cheese
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 4 tbsp granulated sugar add sweetness to liking
• 3 cup whipping cream
• 1 tbsp kirsch
• 2/3 cup strawberries hulled and finely chopped

Red Wine Chocolate Glaze:

• 454 grams dark swiss chocolate (at least 70 % cocoa) 16 oz
• 2 cup butter (unsalted)
• 1 cup red wine Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon
• 4 tbsp powdered sugar a.k.a. icing sugar

Garnish:

• 6 strawberries whole, hulled

Instructions

Red Wine Chocolate Fudge Cake:

1. Sift together flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

2. Cream butter. Gradually add brown sugar and continue beating for 5 minutes.

3. Melt chocolate in microwave on 1/2 power (5 on my microwave) for 60 seconds, then remove and stir. If it needs more time, put back in for 20 second intervals, removing and stirring until just melted.

    **Do not get any water/liquid near chocolate or it will seize.

   *If you are more comfortable using a double boiler to melt your chocolate you can do that. 

   
   

4. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add applesauce, then vanilla and  melted chocolate.

5. Alternately blend in flour mixture and sour cream, one third at a time, on low speed of electric mixer.

6. Add boiling water and red wine; blend well. (Batter will be thin.) 

   Pour into three greased and floured (I used Wilton Cake Release to prevent sticking) 8 inches layer pans to about 2/3 full. 

7. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cake tester inserted into center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove and finish cooling on racks.

8. When cake is cool, slice 'humps off cakes' to even out.

Mascarpone Strawberry Whipped Cream Filling:

1. Beat whipping cream to soft peaks, then add granulated sugar and beat to stiff peaks.

2. Stir in mascarpone cheese until blended, then add vanilla and kirsch. Fold in strawberries. Set aside in fridge. 

3. When ready, fill cake with mascarpone strawberry whipped cream filling between the first and second cakes, then between the second and third. Top with third cake.

Red Wine Chocolate Glaze/Ganache:

1. Melt chocolate in microwave on 1/2 power (5 on my microwave) for 60 seconds, then remove and stir. If it needs more time, put back in for 20 second intervals, removing and stirring until just melted. 

2. Melt butter in microwave until liquid (check at 45 seconds and add more time if needed) Stir melted butter into chocolate. 

3. Meanwhile, bring wine just to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat.

4. Whisk wine and powdered sugar into chocolate butter mixture. You need to move quickly, as the glaze will begin to set. 

5. Set filled cake on a wire rack set over pparchment Pour glaze over cake and spread it across the top and over the edges and begin to smooth with an offset spatula. Let cake stand at room temperature and smooth again. Then refrigerate  until glaze is set (15 - 20 minutes)

Garnish:

1. Dip each strawberry halfway into remaining glaze/ganache and set on parchment paper to harden. You can put them into the fridge to speed up the process

2. Pipe a little whipped cream on the spot where you plan to place strawberries on cake and add 6-8 strawberries. Pipe some whipped cream around the bottom of the cake, if desired (optional)

Recipe Notes

NOTE: I buy a 454 g container of strawberries and that is enough