A Recipe for A Dreary Day

These last days have been very, very dreary and grey. Typical Berlin after holidays: Cold, wet, grey, not very nice. And, I have to admit, it affects one's mood. Whilst browsing through old notes I found an old recipe, sleeping there for at least 20 years, from my grandmother (not a cliché, she existed, her name was Johanna).  It is a recipe for a Rotweinkuchen, a red wine cake. Delicious! And easy to do! I immediately set to baking it and the result improved my mood for the next 3 days, not to mention my waistline.

Here is the recipe for the Rotweinkuchen:

Ingredients:
For the cake:
250g butter, room temperature
250g sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4 medium eggs
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tbsp. cocoa powder
125ml dry red wine
250g all-purpose flour (Typ 405)
1/2 tsp. baking powder (Backin)
1/2 tsp. baking soda (Natron)
1/2 tsp. of salt
100g semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

For the glaze:
150g semi-sweet chocolate glaze
1 tbsp. coconut oil


Preparation:
1. Preheat the oven to 190 °C. Line a baking form (preferably a Marmorkuchen or Gugelhupf form) with baking parchment or grease and dust with finely ground breadcrumb (Semmelbrösel). Set aside.


2. Put butter, sugar and vanilla extract in a large bowl and mix until fluffy and light. Add the eggs one after another and mix in well. Mix the flour with baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and cocoa. Then slowly mix in the red wine until well combined. Fold in the chopped chocolate (keep about 2 tablespoons for the decoration). Pour the batter into the prepared baking form, smooth out the top and bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Take out of the oven and let cool down and then remove carefully from the form and let cool down completely on a wire rack.


3. Chop the chocolate for the glaze and put into a heatproof bowl together with the coconut oil, place on a pot with simmering water and melt. Mix until well combined. Take off the heat, let it cool down a bit and then pour over the cake, sprinkle with the remaining chopped chocolate.