Mulled red wine and chocolate cake
Serves: 12-14
Prep time: 25 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photographed by Tara Fisher
Mulled red wine and chocolate cake
Serves: 12-14
Prep time: 25 minsTotal time: 
See more recipes
Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
464Kcal
Fat
24gr
Saturates
15gr
Carbs
55gr
Sugars
42gr
Fibre
1.5gr
Protein
6gr
Salt
0.4gr
Sainsbury's magazine
Our team of trained chefs and skilled food writers love cooking up everything from innovative seasonal recipes or clever shortcuts, to step-by-step guides and classic recipes for friends and readers alike.
Sainsbury's magazine
Our team of trained chefs and skilled food writers love cooking up everything from innovative seasonal recipes or clever shortcuts, to step-by-step guides and classic recipes for friends and readers alike.
Ingredients
- 250ml red wine
- 2 mulled wine spice sachets
- 150g soft unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
- 250g soft dark brown sugar
- 100g caster sugar
- 4 medium eggs, lightly beaten
- 250g plain flour
- 75g cocoa powder
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- ½ rounded tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp mixed spice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the icing
- 375g mascarpone
- 225g icing sugar
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
To decorate
- 1 x tub of edible white shimmer pearls or silver balls
- 2 tsp icing sugar
Step by step
Get ahead
Bake the cake up to 2 days in advance, store in an airtight container; ice the cake up to a day in advance. The undecorated sponge can also be frozen.
- Preheat the oven to 160°C, fan 140°C, gas 3. Grease and line the base of a 23cm, 9cm-deep cake tin.
- Place the red wine and the mulled wine spice bags in a small saucepan and heat gently until they come to a simmer. Remove from the heat and pour the wine and spice bags into a bowl to cool to room temperature. Once cool, squeeze out any extra liquid from the spice bags, then discard.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter until smooth, then add the sugars and beat together until pale and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Gradually add the eggs, beating constantly. Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, mixed spice and a pinch of salt. Mix briefly, then gradually add the cooled red wine and vanilla extract, mixing until just combined.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for about 1 hour and 10 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. The cake will dome and crack slightly, but don't let this worry you. Leave to cool in the tin for 30 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, make the mascarpone icing. In a medium bowl using an electric whisk, whisk together the mascarpone, icing sugar, vanilla extract and a pinch of salt, until the mixture is light and fluffy – about 1-2 minutes.
- Once the cake has cooled, pile the mascarpone icing on top, and, using a palate knife, try to recreate a snowy landscape. Finish with a scattering of edible shimmer pearls or silver balls. Dust with icing sugar.
