Juicy Wine Cakes From A Confederacy Of Dunces Cookbook Recipes

JUICY WINE CAKES FROM A CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES COOKBOOK

Steps:

• Make cakes: Preheat oven to 325°F. Generously grease and flour six 4-inch baking molds or 12 muffin tins and set aside. Sift flour, salt and baking powder together and set aside.
• In a large bowl of a mixer, cream together butter and 1 cup sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. (Scrape down sides occasionally.) Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add cloves, if using, and vanilla.
• Using low mixer speed, gradually add flour mixture and ½ cup rum to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Beat until just combined.
• Pour batter into prepared pans until they're 2/3 full and level off tops. Bake on center rack of oven until brown and center springs back when lightly touched, about 40 minutes (30 minutes for muffins).
• Remove from oven and cool 5 minutes in pans. Remove cakes from pans and place on a rack to cool.
• Make Wine Syrup: Boil together 2/3 cup water and remaining 1 cup sugar until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, pour into a 4-cup measuring cup or equivalent shaped bowl and cool 2 minutes. Stir in remaining 1 cup rum.
• Completely submerge each cake into syrup and hold down in the liquid a few seconds. Place saturated cakes in a rimmed baking pan. Pour remaining wine syrup over cakes. Wrap pan tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• When ready to serve, place cream in medium bowl of a mixer and beat at medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Place cakes on a rimmed serving dish and pour remaining wine syrup over each. Top each with a spoonful of whipped cream and a cherry.

MOMMA'S WINE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour one 10 inch bundt pan.
• In medium bowl combine the cake mix, instant vanilla pudding, nutmeg, vegetable oil, white wine, and eggs. Beat with an electric mixer for 5 minutes.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cake cool on rack in pan for 10 minutes then remove cake from pan to rack. Let cake cool completely before slicing. Garnish sliced cake with a dollop of whipped cream or dust with confectioners' sugar and sliced strawberries.
• Variation: You can also "flour" the pan after it's been greased with cocoa powder or a cinnamon sugar mixture for a textured crust. Simply fill a clean salt shaker for easy application. This will eliminate that "white stuff" on the outside of your baked cake which makes for a prettier cake.

CHOCOLATE WINE CAKE

Steps:

• Prepare the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 10-cup Fleur De Lis Bundt Pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
• Melt chocolate in a small bowl placed over a small saucepan of simmering water. Let cool 5 minutes. In a small bowl, combine wine and milk; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and the granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs; beat for 2 minutes. Add the cooled chocolate mixture and beat until incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
• In a large bowl, whisk flour, gelatin, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to combine. Add to mixer bowl, along with the wine mixture, and beat on low speed until combined, about 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Spoon batter into prepared pan.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool 15 minutes. Using a plastic knife, carefully loosen cake from the pan; invert onto a wire cooling rack. Let cool completely.
• Prepare the glaze: Combine the butter, wine, and confectioners' sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, over medium-high heat. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Set aside until ready to serve.
• Dust cake lightly with confectioners' sugar. Slice cake and drizzle with glaze.