Try the intoxicating combination of red wine, cinnamon and chocolate, combined in this German red wine cake recipe. A favourite treat when the leaves change colour and the weather colder. The cake has a lovely moist texture and a rich aroma that will be a highlight at any coffee and tea party.

Learn how to make red wine cake. The recipe is simple to put together so that it is perfect for unexpected visitors.

What is German Red Wine Cake?

This cake is basically a chocolate cake with red wine flavouring. The cake is made from a simple sponge cake dough which is flavoured with red wine, cinnamon and chocolate chips (affiliate link).

In Germany, this recipe is called "Rotweinkuchen". "Rotwein" is the word for red wine in German. "Kuchen" is the word for cake. As an English speaker, you pronounce it "ROTT-WINE-COOK-EN".

Origins of the cake

This cake is home in many regions of Germany. It is especially popular in the Palatinate area, where the cake is a traditional recipe.

You will in particular come across it in the wine-producing areas of Germany such as Rhineland, Palatinate and South Tyrol.

Red wine Chocolate cake with a glas of red wine in the background

Which red wine to use with this cake recipe?

There is no hard and fast rule on which wine to use. Any wine will do, and it is a great way to recycle an already open bottle of wine.

Although in cooking and baking there is always the advice to follow that you should not use the cheapest wine on offer. Bake with something that you would generally also drink by itself.

The stronger the wine, the stronger the taste in the cake later. I would opt for a dark red, milder red wine personally.

If you are keen on trying a German wine I would recommend a Dornfelder or Dunkelfelder.

Can you taste the wine in the cake? What are the flavours?

Yes, you can taste the wine. That makes it so wonderful. It has a slightly boozy flavour, which you can influence according to how much wine you add. If you don’t like it too strong you can substitute it with some of the suggestions below or thin out the wine.

This recipe is quite a wine heavy. If you like you can reduce the quantity of wine to 150 ml, and add 50 ml of water to it.

There is a distinct flavour of cinnamon paired with the bitter, a little acidic taste of the red wine and dark chocolate. A wonderful combination that is very comforting.

Is it safe for children to eat a cake baked with alcohol?

It is not safe for children to eat anything that is prepared with alcohol. There is no way of being 100% sure that all the alcohol has evaporated, so I would not advise that you share this cake with children.

If you want to share the cake with your children, I would recommend taking a little off the main cake mix before adding the wine and placing it into a mini Bundt case or a cupcake case.

This way you do not have to miss out on the rich red wine flavour and your children will be safe while enjoying their “own special” cake.

Can I swap to a non-alcoholic substitute for red wine?

There are several ways you can substitute red wine in this recipe. Although you will miss out on the flavour, it does not 100% taste the same. Use the same quantity described in the recipe and substitute with:

Non-alcoholic red wine
A little grape juice mixed with a little lemon
Juice of sour cherries
Apple juice mixed with a little lemon.

How to glaze this cake?

This cake has such a rich red wine and chocolate flavour that it does not need a glaze to stand out.

Dust the cake with some icing sugar.
Glaze the cake with a dark chocolate glaze
The last alternative is using a German Red Wine Glaze. For that, you mix 100 ml of icing sugar and 2 tablespoon wine to a nice glaze. It ends up having a lovely pink colour.

What to serve with this cake?

In Germany, you will enjoy this cake with coffee or tea. Coffee complements the rich boozy flavour of this cake.

The kids have juice or milk with their non-alcoholic version.

Which baking form to use?

You don’t have to use a Gugelhupf to bake this cake. You can also bake it in a loaf form or a normal cake ring. I used a 25 cm Gugelhupf which was slightly too big so use a 20 cm Gugelhupf.

The loaf form I used was 30 cm x 13 x 8cm.

Baking Essentials (Affiliate Link)

How to store the Red Wine and Chocolate cake?

The cake will keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days. It also freezes very well, up to three months.

The pictures you see are taken in 2020. I first published this recipe in 2013, but wanted to reshoot this cake, as I did not think the originals did the recipe any justice. You can see them at the end of this post.