Sangiovese Chocolate Cupcakes
When it comes to Valentine’s Day, I don’t see the need for a specific holiday to show my love and affection. Why can’t that just be everyday?! Nonetheless, it can be an excuse to make some festive treats and brighten up the long, cold winter. This week I made Sangiovese Chocolate Cupcakes and they are the perfect dessert to make for Valentine’s Day. The recipe doesn’t call for the full bottle of wine, so enjoy the rest with the cupcakes!
Crazy Cake
Sangiovese Chocolate Cupcakes are based off of the classic “crazy cake” recipe. It’s also known as “wacky cake” or “depression cake”. Crazy cake was a common dessert during the Great Depression because it doesn’t use milk, eggs, or butter. It’s now a go-to recipe for many vegans. The cake is so simple, yet very delicious and was one of my favorite treats as a kid. It’s also very adaptable to make different flavors. In this case, I swapped out the water for Sangiovese wine. Any red wine would work, but I prefer dry reds because they won’t add much sweetness and have a stronger flavor that will be more prominent.
Frosting and Decorating
The frosting for Sangiovese Chocolate Cupcakes is very simple: just powdered sugar, softened butter, and Sangiovese. I had to add five tablespoons of wine in order to get as much flavor and color as I was looking for. That’s more liquid than I normally add to frosting, so it’s best for winter when it won’t be affected by temperature as much. Nonetheless, it’s important to work quickly before it gets warm and it may help to chill your mixing bowl and beaters beforehand.
To decorate Sangiovese Chocolate Cupcakes, I used Wilton Decorating Tip 1M and a plastic piping bag. After filling the bag with frosting and twisting the opening on top shut, squeeze the bag with even pressure starting in the middle of the cupcake. Make circles of frosting around the cupcakes until you reach the outside edge. If you prefer extra frosting, keep swirling on top of the first layer of frosting with increasingly smaller circles until you reach a point in the middle. Enjoy!
You had me at “Sangiovese” 😉
they look great!!!
Thank you so much!! 😊🍷