Mulled Wine Cake

Ingredients

• 1.25 cups red wine
• 4 whole star anise pods
• 8 whole cloves
• 6 allspices berries
• 2 tablespoons brandy

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Generously oil a 10-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment.

2. 2

   Combine red wine, star anise, cloves, allspice berries, and brandy in a saucepan, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to low; simmer gently for 15 minutes. Reserve 2/3 cup hot mulled wine for the cake batter, and set aside the remaining mulled wine to cool completely.

3. 3

   Whisk together flour, cocoa, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cayenne, brown sugar, and white sugar in a bowl. Add zest, oil, and eggs. Use a fork or whisk to stir together until flour disappears.

4. 4

   Whisk in reserved 2/3 cup hot mulled wine until a smooth, shiny batter forms; transfer into the prepared cake pan. Tap on the counter a few times to release air bubbles.

5. 5

   Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, but begin checking for doneness at 25 minutes. A toothpick inserted near the center should come out virtually clean. The cake may take a few minutes longer, depending on your oven.

6. 6

   Cool cake in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes, then turn the cake out of the pan and remove the parchment. Cool cake completely on the wire rack.

7. 7

   Whisk confectioner's sugar with 3 to 4 tablespoons cooled mulled wine together in a small bowl until you have a smooth, pourable icing. If icing is too thin, add a little more confectioner's sugar; if too thick, add a little more wine. Drizzle icing over the cake using the whisk, waving it back and forth and letting the icing fall onto the cake in any pattern you want.

8. 8

   For the optional wine syrup, bring 1 cup mulled wine and 1 cup white sugar to a boil and cook for 1 minute. Cool completely and chill before using.