It’s less than 3 weeks till Christmas (yay!) and my holiday baking is in full gear. Besides just a few sugar cookies, I’ve been making a lot of cakes and other treats, like this Naked Mulled Wine Chocolate Layer Cake. It is so festive and pretty, and super easy to make! Two layers of mulled wine infused chocolate cake filled with chocolate cream cheese frosting. I topped the cake with sifted cocoa powder but that was more because it looks pretty. You could decorate it with some more cream cheese frosting (double the recipe), toasted meringue, or just plain melted chocolate.
Recipe
For the Cake
- 2 ½ cups sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1.5 sticks Challenge Butter, melted
- 1 cup mulled wine
- 2 ½ cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 heaping Tablespoons cocoa powder
For the Cream Cheese Filling
- 1 package Challenge Cream Cheese
- ½ cup sweet chocolate chips
- 2 Tablespoons Challenge Butter
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 Tablespoon milk
Make the Cake
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1
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Grease two 8-inch round cake pans.
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2
In a large mixing bowl, with an electric mixer, beat sugar and eggs together until slightly thickened, about 1 minute.
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3
Add flour, cocoa, melted butter, mulled wine and baking powder and beat for another minute, just until the batter is smooth and creamy. Don't overbeat.
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4
Pour batter into the prepared baking pans.
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5
Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick poked into the center of the layer comes out clean.
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6
Loosen the sides of the cake from the pan with a thin knife, then turn out onto a rack and peel off the paper. Let cool completely and cut off the tops before covering with frosting.
Make the Filling
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1
Place the chocolate chips, butter and milk in a microwave proof bowl. Heat in microwave for 30 seconds, stir and repeat until it is melted.
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2
Pour melted chocolate mixture in a medium bowl, add sifted powdered sugar, cinnamon and cream cheese and mix with an electric mixer on medium speed until it is well combined and creamy.
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3
Spread the filling on one cake layer and cover with the other. Spread remaining frosting on top of the cake or decorate top with sifted cocoa powder.
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