{recipe} Red Wine Coffee Cake

After a month of putting up only photos, I decided I couldn’t go another day without putting up a recipe. I’m wracked with guilt over my inattention to creating useful contributions to the blogosphere. OK, not really. But here’s a recipe anyway!

This recipe combines two delicious things: wine and cake! This cake is moist and flavorful, with a tender crumb and rich flavor- thanks in part to the “secret” ingredient: red wine in both the cake batter and the glaze.

RECIPE: Red Wine Coffee Cake
Makes 1 bundt cake

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, loosely packed
• 2 eggs
• zest of 1 orange
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• large pinch of salt
•  3/4 cup red wine

METHOD:

• Preheat oven to 350. Grease a bundt or tube pan liberally with spray, butter, or vegetable oil.
• Using a mixer, combine melted butter and sugars and mix until well blended.
• Add eggs and beat for about 3-5 minutes, until mixture is fluffy.
• Combine orange zest, cinnamon, allspice, baking powder, flour, and salt in a bowl. Add about 1/3 of the dry ingredients and 1/3 of the wine and mix gently. Repeat twice until all ingredients are added and thoroughly mixed together.
• Spoon the batter into prepared pan and spread to even out. Bake for 30-40 minutes. Cake is done when a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
• Let cool in the pan for about 15 minutes. Flip onto baking rack and let cool to room temperature.

For the glaze:
Combine 1/2 cup red wine and 2 cups sifted powdered sugar in a small saucepan with a whisk over medium heat. Bring to a boil then turn off the heat and continue whisking until there are no lumps. Let cool 15 minutes then pour or spoon over the cake.