Wine Soaked Grape Cake is from Sharon O’Connor’s Wine Tasting recipe box, “Small Plates for Wine.”
I made a couple of changes that I will note in the recipe. How did it taste? Good. I think the Marsala from California I had on hand was a little strong—a sweeter dessert wine with lower alcohol content might be a better choice next time. Maybe a fruit wine from Palisade’s Carlson Vineyards or a mead (honey wine) from Meadery of the Rockies.
This cake would be a great choice for a wine tasting party, perhaps paired with the same dessert wine used in the recipe. Hot coffee or tea for a brunch is another good option.
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour (I used 1 ½ cup + 1 tbsp. of sifted high altitude flour and sifted dry ingredients again)
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. salt
- 6 tbsp. unsalted butter (softened)
- ¾ cup sugar
- 3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp. grated orange zest (Not a fan of such a strong orange flavor so I used 1 tsp. each orange and lemon zest)
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 cup dessert wine
- 1 ½ cup seedless red grapes (I increased to 2 cups)
- Turbinado sugar for sprinkling (optional)
Preheat oven to 400˚F. Lightly coat a 10” springform pan with olive oil (line outside with foil).
Combine dry ingredients in one bowl: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt.
Combine wet ingredients in a second bowl: beaten eggs, zest, vanilla, wine.
Add wet to dry to create a smooth batter. Transfer into pan and insert grapes into the top. Bake 20 minutes. Sprinkle with sugar (opp.) and bake additional 10 minutes. 30 minutes total, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool. Remove sides. Serve warm.
A Bountiful Heritage 