Rosé Cake With Buttercream

Ingredients

Rosé Cake
6 Tbsp Unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 C Canola oil
1 1/2 C Sugar
1 Tbsp Vanilla extract
2 2/3 C + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp Baking powder
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/2 C Rosé Wine
1/2 C Milk
6 Lg Egg whites, room temperature
Pink food colouring
Fresh Raspberries for garnish, if desired

Filling
3/4 C Seedless Raspberry Jam

Rosé Frosting
6 C Powder Sugar
1/3 C Butter, softened
1/3 C Rosé Wine

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F and prepare two 8-inch round cake pans by lining the bottoms with a round of parchment paper and generously greasing and flouring the sides. Be sure to shake out excess flour.

In a large bowl, beat butter on medium-low speed with hand mixer until creamy. Add sugar, oil, and wine. Beat until all ingredients are well-combined and creamy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and then stir in your vanilla extract. In separate bowl, whisk together your flour, baking powder, and salt. Measure out your milk. With mixer on medium speed, gradually alternate between adding the flour mixture and the milk, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Stir until each one is almost completely combined before adding the next. Occasionally scrape down sides and bottom of bowl.

In separate bowl, combine your egg whites and, with a hand-mixer on high-speed, beat until stiff peaks form. Using a spatula, gently fold your egg whites into your batter. Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl so that ingredients are well-combined, and DO NOT to over-mix.

Evenly divide cake batter into prepared pans.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake layer comes out clean or with few crumbs (should not be wet). For best results, rotate your cake pans halfway through baking to ensure even baking. Cakes will be a light golden brown when done baking.

Remove cakes from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the inside rim of each pan and invert each onto a cooling rack. Once cooled completely, spread the seedless raspberry jam onto of the one cake and top with second cake. Allow to sit in fridge for 15 min to let the jam and cake combine. Remove from fridge and cover with Rosé Buttercream frosting. Garnish with fresh raspberries.

Originally published in The Wine Cellar September 2018.

Red Wine Chocolate Poke Cake

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake
2 Cups All purpose flour
1 1/2 Cups Sugar
3/4 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa powder
2 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Salt
2 Extra Large Eggs
1 Cup Buttermilk
1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
3/4 Cup Red Wine, like a Cabernet Sauvignon
1 Tsp Vanilla
1/2 Cup Hot Water

Ganache
1 Cup Whipping Cream
2 Tbsp Butter
2 1/2 Cups Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
3 Tbsp Red Wine

Whipped Cream Topping
2 Cups Whipping Cream
3/4 Cup Powdered Sugar
1/8 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa
3 Tbsp Red wine
1/2 Tsp Vanilla
2 Tsp Espresso Powder


Directions:
Grease a 9" x 13" cake pan and preheat oven to 350F

In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients and set aside. In a separate bowl combine eggs, oil, milk and vanilla till well blended. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix well. Add 3/4 cup of the red wine to batter. Slowly pour the hot water and mix well, while trying not to splash. Pour batter into cake pan and bake for approximately 35 to 40 minutes, or till a toothpick come out clean. Remove cake from oven and poke holes all over. I used the handle of a wooden spoon. Set cake aside.

In a medium bowl, add 2 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips. In a medium sauce pan, over medium heat, bring 1 cup whipping cream and butter to a boil. Remove from heat and pour over the chocolate chips and mix until smooth, add red wine. Pour ganache over cake immediately, spreading over holes. DO NOT let the ganache sit and cool before pouring over cake, as it will become too thick and not soak into the holes as well. Place cake in fridge to cool and soak.

Once cake has cooled, start the red wine whipping cream. Place a medium metal bowl and beaters in freezer for 10 minutes. Measure out ingredients, and add whipping cream, powdered sugar, cocoa, and espresso powder to chilled bowl. Whip till thickened, while still whipping, add vanilla and red wine. Continue to whip until stiff peaks form. Spread whipping cream over the top of cake and garnish with chocolate shavings if desired. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Originally published in The Wine Cellar April 2018.

White Wine Cookies

Ingredients

1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup oil (I used canola oil)
1/4 Tsp salt
1/2 Tsp baking powder
2 1/4 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar for coating
1/2 Tsp ground cinnamon


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°.

In a medium mixing bowl add wine, oil, sugar, salt and baking powder and
mix well, gradually add flour, a little at a time, until it all comes
together. Transfer to a slightly floured flat surface and knead lightly
approximately 10 times. Dough will be soft, so don’t work it too much. Cut
off a little dough at a time, roll into a small chubby rope (about 5" long)
and bring ends together to form a circle. In a small bowl mix 1/4 cup sugar
and 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Dip cookie in sugar and and place on parchment paper
lined cookie sheets, bake for approximately 25-30 minutes, or golden in
colour. Enjoy!

Originally published in The Wine Cellar March 2018.

Dark Chocolate Pavlovas with Red Wine Soaked Strawberries and Red Wine Syrup

Ingredients

Pavlovas:
6 Large egg whites
2 Cups castor sugar
3 Tbsp unsweetened dark cocoa powder, sifted
2 Tbsp red wine
2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped

Wine Soaked Strawberries:
1 Pint fresh strawberries halved or quartered
1/2 Cup red wine
1 Tbsp sugar

Red Wine Drizzle:
1 Cup red wine
Whip Cream for garnish - optional

Instructions:

For Pavlovas:
Preheat oven to 350°.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Decide if you want individual pavlovas or one large one. For one large, draw a 9 inch circle on the paper with a pencil. If individual, draw a circle or a little heart shapefor the size of the pavlovas you want. Flip the parchment paper over so the pencil marks are on the bottom.

In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form with electric mixer. Then beat in the sugar a spoonful at a time until stiff peaks form. The meringue should start to look shiny. Now sprinkle the sifted cocoa powder, wine and chopped chocolate over the egg whites. Gently fold in the ingredients until thoroughly mixed.Using a spoon gently drop dollops of meringue into each of the circles on the parchment paper. (I could not pipe them because the chopped chocolate would clog the piping bag). Gently even out with a small spatula. Put the meringues in the oven and immediately turn the oven down to 300°.

Bake for about 30 minutes to one hour and 15 minutes depending on the size. The pavlovas should be crispy and dry on top. Press your finger gently past the crust and you should feel a squishy spring like texture. Turn off the oven but leave the pavlovas in there. Open the door slightly and cool completely.

For Strawberries:
Combine all ingredients and refrigerate for at least an hour.

For Wine Drizzle:
Place wine in a small saucepan and bring up to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and let the wine cook down until it is the consistency of syrup. Do not cook until it is hard.

To Serve:
Place pavlovas on a plate, gently place a small dollop of whipped cream on top and carefully spoon strawberries with a little bit of the juice on each pavlova. With a spoon drizzle the wine syrup over the top of each pavlova.

Originally published in The Wine Cellar February 2018.

Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes with White Wine Caramel Sauce

Ingredients

2/3 C Crushed Gingersnaps
2 Tbsp Melted Butter
1 pkg Cream Cheese
1 Can Pumpkin Puree
1/4 C Sugar
1/4 C Brown Sugar
1/2 Tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
1/4 Tsp Cinnamon
1/4 Tsp Nutmeg
1 Tsp Vanilla
2 Eggs

Directions

Line muffin tin with heavy duty muffin liners( i use the foil lined liners). In a medium bowl, combine gingersnap crumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle into the bottom of each liner, and press down with back of spoon. Bake for 5 minutes. In a large bowl mix cream cheese, pumpkin puree, sugars, spices and vanilla. Add eggs a mix till fluffy. Pour into cups 2/3 full. Bake at 325F for 25-30 minutes. Cool in pan on wire racks, then remove and refrigerate. Drizzle Caramel sauce before serving.

White Wine Caramel Sauce

Ingredients

1 c sugar
1 c Sweet White Wine (like German Riesling)
2 Tbsp salted butter

Directions

Place 1 cup of sugar a large saucepan (larger than you would ever think you would need). Heat the sugar over medium heat. DO NOT STIR the sugar, until the edges start to melt. After that point, you can stir the sugar occasionally to aid the melting process. (This will take about 15 minutes, be patient.)

While the sugar is melting heat the wine in a small saucepan. Simmer over low heat until it has reduced by half. Remove from the heat.

Once your sugar has completely melted, reduce the heat to medium low and continue to cook it to a deep golden/amber color. (This will take about 10 minutes.)

Once the sugar has reached that beautiful dark caramel color, remove it from the heat. Gently pour the wine reduction into the caramelized sugar, drizzling it down the side of the pan. Your sugar will bubble, sputter and steam (all of the water and alcohol in the wine is instantly coming to a boil because the sugar is so hot).

Your sugar will turn into a solid mass. Heat your sugar and wine mixture over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has melted again and the mixture begins to thicken, 15-20 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and mix in butter, stirring until the mixture is smooth. Store any unused caramel sauce in the refrigerator for up to 2 months. The caramel sauce will harden in the fridge, soften it by heating for a few seconds at a time in the microwave.

Originally published in The Wine Cellar October 2017.

White Wine Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

INGREDIENTS

3 Cups Flour
1 Tbsp Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 Cup Unsalted Butter
2 Cups Sugar
4 Large Eggs
Zest of 3 Lemons + 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1 tsp Vanilla
3/4 Cup Buttermilk
1/2 Cup White Wine (I used a Citrus forward Pinot Grigio)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 325F Mix flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time. Add lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla to the butter mixture. Add flour mixture and the buttermilk, alternating 1/2 cup of each, mix after each addition. Add wine to cupcake batter. Line muffin tin with paper liners and fill each cup 2/3 full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Makes approximately 24 cupcakes.

To finish each cupcake, using a filling piping tip and pipping bag, fill piping bag with lemon curd ( recipe below), and insert into cupcake. Fill cupcake and as you pull out of the cupcake, pipe a small amount of lemon curd on top of the cupcake. Using a star tip and a clean piping bag, pipe seven minute frosting (recipe below) on top of lemon curd. Using a kitchen/pen torch, brown the meringue.

Lemon Curd

8 Large egg yolks
Finely grate lemon zest of 2 lemons
1/2 Cup Lemon juice
1 Cup Sugar
1/8 Tsp Salt
10 Tbsp unsalted butter, cold cut into chunks

DIRECTIONS

Combine yolks, zest, lemon juice and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, while scraping sides of pot to ensure mixture is well blended, until mixture is thick enough to coat back of spoon. Approximately 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add butter, one chunk at a time. Add salt and mix till smooth. Strain through fine sieve into a medium bowl. Cover surface of lemon curd with saran wrap to prevent skin from forming. Refrigerate about 1 hour till set.

7 Minute Frosting
1 1/2 Cup+ 2 Tbsp Sugar
2/3 Cup water
2 Tbsp Light corn syrup
6 Large egg whites, room temperature

DIRECTIONS
Combine 1 1/2 cups sugar, water and corn syrup in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves. Now continue boiling WITHOUT stirring until candy thermometer reaches 230 degrees. Meanwhile, whisk egg whites with a mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form. While still mixing egg whites, add the 2 tbsp sugar to egg whites until combined. Soon as syrup reaches 230 degrees, remove from heat. While mixer is on medium low speed, pour syrup down the side of bowl in a slow and steady stream into egg white mixture. Raise speed to medium high speed until mixture is cooled and stiff peaks form, about 7 minutes. Use IMMEDIATELY.

Originally published in The Wine Cellar March 2017.

Dark Chocolate Stout Cake with Irish Cream Cream Cheese Icing

INGREDIENT LIST

Dark Chocolate Stout Cake
1 cup Stout beer
1 cup + 1 tbsp   butter
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1 3/4 cups caster/superfine sugar
2/3 cups sour cream
2 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 cups plain flour
2½ tsp baking soda

Irish Cream Cream Cheese Icing
4-5 cups sifted icing sugar
1/2 cup butter at room temperature
8oz cream cheese at room temperature
4-6 tbsps  Irish Cream (to taste)

DIRECTIONS

Dark Chocolate Stout Cake
Preheat oven 350°F and butter and line a 9" springform pan.
Melt the butter into the Stout in a saucepan over low heat.
Whisk in the cocoa and sugar and take the saucepan off the heat.
Beat the sour cream with the eggs and vanilla in a separate bowl until combined, than add to the beer mixture.
Whisk in the flour and baking soda until combined.
Pour the cake batter into the pan and bake for an hour. The middle of the cake may still be slightly wet when you take the cake out, but it will firm up as it cools down.
Leave to cool completely in the pan as it is quite a damp cake and could collapse.

Irish Cream Cream Cheese Icing
Cream the butter and icing sugar together until well mixed.
Add the cream cheese in cubes slowly until incorporated.
Add in Irish Cream  and continue mixing for 5 minutes until the icing is light and fluffy.
Dollop lashings of the icing onto the top of the cake to recreate the froth on a glass of a Stout. If you want, you can cut the cake in half and put icing in the center. There will be enough. Enjoy.

Originally published in The Wine Cellar March 2016.

Cheesecake With Red Wine Chocolate Ganache and Strawberries

INGREDIENT LIST

Cheesecake
2 pkg (each 8 oz/250 g) cream cheese
3/4 cup (175 mL) granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon juice
2 tsp (10 mL) vanilla
Pinch salt
3 cups (750 mL) sour cream

Crust
1 cup (250 mL) graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup (175 mL) granulated sugar
2 tbsp (25 mL) butter, melted

Red Wine Ganache
2 oz dark chocolate, chopped into a few pieces
1/2 C unsalted butter
2 oz red wine (I used a Shiraz)

DIRECTIONS

Cheesecake & Crust:

• In bowl, stir together crumbs, sugar and butter until well moistened; press onto bottom of lightly greased 8 or 8-1/2-inch (2 or 2.25 L) spring form pan. Centre pan on large square of foil; press up to side of pan. Bake in centre of 325°F (160°C) oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Let cool.
• Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat cream cheese until softened. Gradually beat in sugar; beat for 3 minutes or until smooth and light, scraping down bowl twice. Using low speed, beat in eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down bowl often. Blend in lemon juice, vanilla and salt, then sour cream. Pour over crust.
• Set spring form pan in larger pan; pour enough hot water into larger pan to come 1 inch (2.5 cm) up side of spring form pan. Bake in centre of 325°F (160°C) oven for 1-1/4 hours or until shine disappears and edge is set yet centre still jiggles slightly. Turn off oven. Quickly run knife around edge of cake. Let cool in oven for 1 hour. Remove from water and transfer to rack; remove foil and let cool completely.

Ganache:
Place the chocolate and the butter in a microwave-safe bowl.
Microwave for 10 seconds and then remove and stir.
Repeat step 2 until the chocolate is all melted.
Slowly pour in the wine and mix thoroughly.
Place in the refrigerator until it hardens enough to easily pour but not too runny, about 5 minutes.

Garnish with fresh strawberries and serve with a nice Red Wine like our KenRidge Australian Shiraz.

Originally published in The Wine Cellar February 2016.

White Wine Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf

INGREDIENT LIST

1 1/2 c flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp poppy seeds
3 eggs
1 c sugar
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 c lemon juice
1/2c White wine ( use a wine that has citrus notes)
1/4c coconut oil
Zest of one lemon

Lemon Glaze
1 c powdered sugar plus 1 tbsp
2 tbsp Milk
1 tsp Lemon Juice

DIRECTIONS

Poppy Seed Loaf
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, poppy seeds and salt in a large bowl.

Using a mixer in a separate bowl, combine butter and sugar. Add eggs and mix until fluffy.

Then add vanilla, lemon juice, zest and white wine.

Combine the wet ingredients into the dry, then add oil. Mix until smooth.

Pour batter into a greased and floured loaf pan and bake for 40-45 min until toothpick comes out clean.

Lemon Glaze
Combine powdered sugar, milk and lemon juice in bowl and beat on low with a mixer.

When loaf is cool, pour glaze and allow to set before slicing. Enjoy!

Originally published in The Wine Cellar May 2015

Red Wine Brownies

INGREDIENT LIST

Brownies
3.5 oz semi sweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 c butter
1/2 c red wine or port
1/2 c brown sugar
1/4 c sugar
2 eggs
1/2 c flour + 2 tbsp
1/4 c cocoa
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Vanilla

Glaze
2.5 oz semi sweet chocolate
1 Tbsp butter
3 1/2 Tbsp red wine or port


DIRECTIONS

Brownies
Grease and flour 8X8 pan and preheat oven to 350F.

Melt butter and chocolate either in double boiler or in the microwave in 40 sec intervals, until smooth. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, sugars, and vanilla. Once well combined, add wine. Now add the flour mixture, and whisk till batter is smooth and has thickened slightly.

Pour into prepared pan and bake for 30 min. Depending on oven, you might need more time. If needing more time after 30 minute marker, watch brownies. A undercooked brownie is better than a overcooked brownie. These brownies are very moist and fudgy.

Glaze
In a microwave safe bowl or glass measuring cup (I like the glass measuring cup, it’s easier to pour), melt chocolate in microwave for 40 second intervals until smooth.

Next, stir in butter. Then add wine until well combined (if it looks like the chocolate is slightly pulling away from wine, it is ok as it will come together once cooled).

Now pour over warm, not hot, brownies. Make sure you tilt pan side to side to ensure entire brownie is coated.

Allow to cool and slice into approximately 1.5 inch squares. Store in an airtight container for up to a week, if they last that long ;)

Originally published in The Wine Cellar April 2015.