One for the Road: Red Wine and Dark Chocolate Cupcakes

Long long time ago in a city far away I wrote you last. Now I am sitting on my porch in Vermont, looking out on the green mountains while the sweet smell of manure wafts through the air. (Like smelly cheese, I think it's quite the acquired smell.)

While I was packing up and going through my apartment before I left, I came across two half full bottles of wine.
My thoughts on this travesty: Those wine and chocolate nights must have been pretty wine-filled for us to A: not finish two entire bottles of wine. B: for me not to remember I had them. (And since I come from a family in which wasting wine is a cardinal sin) C: I could make Rotweinkuchen!

With a Rotweinkuchen- a German red wine cake- I would put those poor remnants to good use and when speckled with dark chocolate chunks it would be the perfect tribute to the "wine and chocolate nights" those half bottles never got to be a part of.

Rotweinkuchen is one of those traditionally dense German loaf cakes, easy to make and the prefect treat to whip up quickly for a dinner party or have at hand for a coffee and cake get-together. ( or for a red wine and cake decadence night!)

After I whipped together the cake batter i was still left with a bit of wine which a boiled down to a red wine syrup. The syrup is deep red and tastes slightly tart, a little like currants but with the deep flavor of red wine lingering in the background. I used it as a glaze on some of the cupcakes, and mixed it in with some butter cream frosting for the others. But it also tastes fantastic served warm with vanilla ice cream or drizzled over a chocolate cake.



Recipe for Red Wine Cake (Rotweinkuchen):

Recipes for this cake vary, some have ground almonds others have no chocolate, this one is fairly traditional with spices and chocolate ( perhaps a just a liiiiittle more chocolate than usual).
I also used a mini cupcake pan for the batter which made about 25 little cupcakes, this should make 12 normal sized cupcakes; for a full sized bunt cake you might have to double the recipe.

1 stick and 1 tbs of unsalted butter (same as 1/2 cup and 1 Tbs.)1/3 cup of sugar1/2 tbs vanilla1/4 tsp salt2 eggs1/2 c of good red wine ( just because you're not drinking it doesn't mean it has to be bad, so the wine you choose should be any red wine you like to drink- or have left over)1/2 c flour1 tbs cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder1 tsp cinnamon1/4 tsp nutmeg1/4 tsp instant coffee powder (optional but I think it enhances the flavor)3/4 c of chopped dark chocolate (70-80 %)- for kids i would recommend 50-60% (don't worry the alcohol in the cake will evaporate while it bakes, so there is no fear of a drunken birthday party, and if you are not such a chocolate fiend you can reduce the amount to 1/2 c.Beat together butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt until creamy; then mix in eggs and finally the red wine.
In a separate bowl combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, spices, and coffee powder. Add these dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix until well combined.Now fold in the chopped chocolate with a spatula or spoon.Pour the batter into the pan and place this into the preheated oven.
Bake at 320 Fahrenheit (160 Celsius) for about 40 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. (for the mini cupcakes it only took 25 minutes)Red Wine Syrup:
1 1/2 c red wine1/2 c brown sugarCombine ingredients in a pan and stir over low heat until the sugar is disolved.Let this simmer at a low temperature, stirring occasionally until it has reduced to a thick and dark red syrup. (about 20 minutes, but it's best to be there and make sure it doesn't burn on to the pan)Red Wine Butter Cream:
2 egg whites
6 tbs of unsalted soft butter 2 tbs of powdered sugar 2 tbs of red wine syrup
(optional 1 tbs of cocoa powder)Whip up the egg whites until they form stiff white peaks.In a separate bowl mix together butter, powdered sugar,syrup, and the cocoa until everything is creamy and there are no clumps.Add the egg whites to the butter mixture, stirring vigorously until well combined.The Butter Cream can be used right away or left out over night covered, for the next day; but don't make the mistake that I did and put it in the fridge- it will take you an extra 10 minutes of mixing to get the hardened butter soft again. That's a pain in the wrist you can save yourself.