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4.75 from 4 votes

Homemade Chocolate Cake with Merlot Chocolate Frosting

This homemade chocolate cake is decadent, fudgy, and infused with Merlot red wine. A beautiful cake like this one makes the perfect holiday dessert!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: holidays, homemade chocolate cake, merlot red wine, red wine chocolate cake
Servings: 12
Author: Hip Foodie Mom

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • 8 oz unsalted butter at room temp
  • 1 ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup applesauce
  • 2 cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 3/4 cup red wine preferably merlot

For the frosting:

  • 8 oz unsalted butter at room temp
  • 1 cup unsweetened cocoa
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 5 to 6 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 1/2 cup red wine preferably merlot

Instructions

For the cake:

  • Preheat your oven to 350°F. Prep three 6” round cake pans with parchment paper on the bottom and spray with non-stick baking spray. Using your stand mixer fitted with the flat beater attachment, cream the butter on low speed. Add in the sugar and continue beating until the mixture is light and fluffy, for about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, and then add in the vanilla and applesauce and continue beating for another 1 to 2 minutes.
  • In a separate mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Unplug your stand mixer and remove the bowl from the mixer. By hand, using a rubber spatula, fold in a third of the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and then pour in a third of the entwine Merlot. Fold ingredients together until just combined. Continue this process two more times, alternating folding in the flour mixture and the wine into the cake batter.
  • Pour the cake batter evenly into the 3 prepared pans and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until a tester inserted comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool for at least 20 minutes before removing from the cake pans.
  • Makes one 6” round, 3-layer cake.

For the frosting:

  • While your cakes are cooling, you can prepare the frosting.
  • Using your stand mixer fitted with the flat beater attachment, cream together the butter, cocoa and vanilla at medium speed for a few minutes. Add in the confectioners’ sugar, one cup at a time and pour in a little entwine Merlot, and mix together until smooth. Repeat until you have a consistency you are happy with. Feel free to add a touch more wine if you need to.
  • Once the cakes have cooled completely, level each cake and frost, stacking the cakes and putting a thin layer of frosting in between each layer. There should be enough frosting for a crumb coat and an outer layer of frosting. Slice, serve and enjoy.