Mulled Wine Cake: A Santa Hat Cake With Cherries Cooked in Mulled Wine and a Sour Cream Filling

This mulled wine cake is a festive Santa hat cake that combines a light sponge, aromatic cherries cooked in mulled wine and an airy sour cream filling.

The mulled wine gives the cake a deep, holiday aroma, while the sour cream filling keeps the flavor fresh instead of heavy. It looks like a bakery cake but the steps are simple. Please note: the cake contains wine. The wine in the cherry layer is cooked, but the glaze is never heated, so alcohol remains and the cake is not suitable for children; see the non-alcoholic variation below.

How to Make Mulled Wine Cake

Bake a light sponge. Cook the cherries in mulled wine thickened with cornstarch. Layer the cherries and a sour cream filling between the sponge layers, pour a mulled wine glaze on top and decorate with coconut so the cake looks like a Santa hat.

At a Glance

• Prep time: 30 min
• Baking time: 30 min (plus about 3 hours chilling)
• Servings: 12
• Difficulty: Medium
• Calories: about 360 kcal per slice
• Trend: Zero-waste

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Make the sponge

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) (conventional, top and bottom heat). Line the bottom of a 10-inch (26 cm) springform pan with parchment paper.
2. Separate the eggs. Put the whites in a large bowl.
3. Add the 4 tablespoons cold water and beat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the pinch of salt.
4. Gradually add the 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon (120 g) sugar and beat until the meringue is stiff and glossy.
5. Beat in the 4 yolks one at a time.
6. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, cornstarch and baking powder.
7. Sift the dry mixture over the egg foam and fold it in gently with a spatula only. Do not use the mixer.
8. Pour the batter into the pan, smooth the top and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Check with a skewer.
9. Let the sponge cool completely, then cut it horizontally twice to make 3 layers.

2. Make the cherry layer

1. Drain the cherries. Put the bottom sponge layer back into a clean springform pan (or use an adjustable cake ring).
2. Take about 3 1/2 tablespoons (50 ml) from the 1 1/2 cups (350 ml) mulled wine and stir the 1/3 cup (40 g) cornstarch into it.
3. Heat the remaining wine (about 1 1/4 cups / 300 ml) with the sugar in a saucepan.
4. When the wine starts to boil, pour in the cornstarch mixture. Stir until thick, like pudding.
5. Remove from the heat and fold in the drained cherries.
6. Immediately spread the hot cherry mixture evenly over the bottom sponge layer in the pan.
7. Set the middle sponge layer on top and press down gently. Let it cool.

3. Make the filling and assemble

1. Whip the chilled 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon (200 g) heavy cream until stiff.
2. In a second bowl, mix the sour cream, 1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons (60 g) sugar and the cold-set gelatin. Beat quickly with a mixer for about 1 minute.
3. Carefully fold the whipped cream into the sour cream mixture with a spatula.
4. Spread about 2/3 of the filling over the middle (cherry) layer in the pan.
5. Set the top sponge layer on it and press down gently.
6. Spread the remaining 1/3 of the filling over the top and smooth it.
7. Refrigerate the cake for at least 2 hours.

4. Glaze and decorate

1. In a bowl, whisk the 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon (200 ml) mulled wine with the 10 g cold-set gelatin until smooth.
2. Pour the glaze at once over the set filling on top of the cake and spread it quickly.
3. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
4. Carefully remove the cake from the pan, loosening the edge with a thin knife.
5. Santa hat decoration: Whip the 1/2 cup (100 g) heavy cream with the whipped cream stabilizer.
6. Brush the sides of the cake with a thin layer of this whipped cream (or leftover filling) and coat them thickly with shredded coconut. This is the hat brim.
7. Pipe the rest of the whipped cream into one large pom-pom in the center of the cake with a piping bag.
8. Sprinkle the pom-pom with shredded coconut too.

Video Recipe

Tips for Perfect Mulled Wine Cake

1. How to make the Santa hat: The secret is shredded coconut. Once the cake is set, brush the sides with a thin layer of whipped cream or filling and coat them with coconut for the white brim. Pipe the pom-pom on top from whipped cream and sprinkle it with coconut too.
2. Work fast with the cold-set gelatin: It starts to set as soon as it meets the sour cream, so have the whipped cream ready beforehand.
3. Gelatin substitute: Cold-set instant gelatin (the German “gelatin fix” stabilizer) is sold in Central Europe and is hard to find in the US. As an adaptation, you can soften about 2 1/4 teaspoons (one 1/4-oz envelope) of unflavored powdered gelatin in 2 tablespoons cold water, dissolve it gently, cool it and beat it into the sour cream mixture. This is not part of the original recipe, so test it first.

Easy Variations

• Alcohol-free version: Use good-quality cherry or red currant juice instead of mulled wine, flavored with cinnamon and cloves (steep, then strain).
• Chocolate version: Instead of the mulled wine glaze, pour dark chocolate ganache over the top of the cake.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

The recipe is based on a version by Sandras Backideen, adapted by the We Cook With Love team.

Enjoy! Try more recipes from our kitchen.