source: Oprah Magazine October 2012
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients
18 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature, plus more for greasing
2 and 1/4 cups packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk
2 and 1/4 cups red wine
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 and 1/2 cups dutch-process cocoa powder
3/8 teaspoon baking soda
1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
Frosting Ingredients
24 ounces cream cheese (three 8-ounce boxes) at room temperature
3/4 cup (1 and 1/2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 and 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
Directions
To make the red-wine velvet cake: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line the bottom of three 9″ round cake pans with parchment paper. Grease parchment and sides of the pan. Place butter in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, cream butter butter on medium speed until smooth. Add brown and granulated sugars and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs and yolk, beat until incorporated, then add red wine and vanilla. (Don’t worry if the butter looks a little uneven and grainy.)
Mix flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Sift the dry mixture over the wet ingredients. Mix until 3/4 combined, then fold in the remaining dry mixture with a rubber spatula.
Divide batter among prepared pans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of each layer comes out clean. The top of each cake should be shiny and smooth. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove cakes from the pans and let cool completely on a rack. (If cakes have domed a bit and you want even layers, trim tops using a long serrated knife held horizontally.)
To make frosting: In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Mix in vanilla, then gradually stir in confectioners’ sugar.
To frost cake, place one layer on a cake stand or plate and spread with 1 cup of frosting. Repeat with the next 2 layers and spread the top and sides with the remaining frosting.
Makes 1 cake, to serve 16 to 20
Also, try: the Black Forest Cheesecake recipe