Sangria cake is a tender red wine cake flavored with orange, lemon, and fresh berries, then finished with a light citrus glaze. It takes the fruit-and-wine notes of Spanish sangria and turns them into an easy dessert that slices neatly and works well for parties; recipes vary, so this version keeps the cake moist without soaking it in wine.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, plus 1 teaspoon (3 g) for the berries
- 1½ teaspoons (6 g) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (2.5 g) baking soda
- ½ teaspoon (3 g) fine salt
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs (about 100 g without shells), at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) finely grated orange zest, from about 1 large orange
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) finely grated lemon zest
- ¾ cup (180 ml) dry red wine, such as Tempranillo, Garnacha, or another fruity, not heavily oaked wine
- ¼ cup (60 ml) fresh orange juice
- ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) vanilla extract
- 1 cup (150 g) strawberries, hulled and cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) pieces
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar, sifted, for the glaze
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) red wine, plus up to 1 teaspoon (5 ml) more as needed, for the glaze
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh orange juice, for the glaze
- ½ cup (75 g) mixed berries and ½ orange, thinly sliced, for serving or decoration
Instructions
- Prepare the pan and oven. Set a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-inch (23 cm) round cake pan, line the bottom with a parchment circle, and lightly grease the parchment. A light-colored metal pan gives the most even browning. If using a dark metal pan, begin checking the cake a few minutes early.
- Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk the 2 cups (250 g) flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, toss the cut strawberries with the remaining 1 teaspoon (3 g) flour. This thin coating helps keep the fruit from sinking, though a few berries may still settle into the cake.
- Cream the butter and sugar. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar with a hand mixer on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Scrape the bowl once. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition until incorporated. Mix in the orange zest, lemon zest, and vanilla. If the mixture looks slightly curdled after adding the eggs, continue; it will come together when the flour is added.
- Build the batter. Stir the red wine and orange juice together in a measuring cup. Add about one-third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low just until the flour mostly disappears. Add half the wine mixture, then another third of the flour, the remaining wine mixture, and the remaining flour, mixing briefly after each addition. Stop as soon as no dry streaks remain. Fold in the floured strawberries with a spatula. The batter will be soft and slightly loose, not pourable like a drink.
- Bake the cake. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for about 40 to 44 minutes, rotating the pan once after 25 minutes if your oven browns unevenly. The cake is ready when the top springs back lightly, a tester inserted near the center comes out with a few moist crumbs rather than wet batter, and the center reaches at least 200°F (93°C) on an instant-read thermometer. That exceeds the USDA FSIS safe minimum of 160°F (71°C) for egg dishes; check the cake itself, not the pan. If the top browns before the center is done, tent it loosely with foil and continue baking.
- Cool before glazing. Set the pan on a rack for 20 minutes. Run a thin knife around the edge, turn the cake out carefully, remove the parchment, and let it cool right-side up on the rack for another 50 minutes. Glazing while the cake is warm can make the icing run off and soak into the surface.
- Make the glaze and finish. Whisk the powdered sugar with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) red wine and 1 tablespoon (15 ml) orange juice until smooth. Add more wine a few drops at a time if it is too thick; the glaze should fall from the whisk in a slow ribbon. Spoon it over the completely cooled cake, leaving some of the edges visible. Arrange a few berries and orange slices on top shortly before serving, or serve the fruit alongside. Let the glaze set for 10 minutes before slicing.
Tips
- Choose a wine you would drink. A dry, fruit-forward red gives the cake a rounded berry and citrus flavor. Avoid very sweet wine, which can make the crumb taste cloying, and strongly oaked wine, which may taste bitter after baking. There is no need for an expensive bottle; a modest dry red is enough.
- Bring cold ingredients closer to room temperature. Soft butter and eggs blend more evenly, helping the cake rise with a fine, tender crumb. If you forgot to set the eggs out, place them in a bowl of warm—not hot—water for about 10 minutes. Do not melt the butter; melted butter changes the texture and can make the cake dense.
- Measure flour without packing it. Spoon it into the measuring cup and level the top, or use the listed gram weight. Too much flour makes the cake dry. Mix only until the last flour streaks disappear, since prolonged mixing can toughen the crumb.
- Plan the fruit topping around serving time. Fresh sliced fruit releases juice as it sits. Keep it off the glazed cake until shortly before serving, especially if you want the glaze to stay neat. For a smoother finish, leave the cake plain and offer the fruit in a separate bowl.
Serving Suggestions
Serve the cake at room temperature so its citrus aroma and soft crumb are easy to notice. It is rich enough to serve on its own, but a small spoonful of lightly sweetened whipped cream or unsweetened crème fraîche makes a pleasant contrast to the wine glaze. A scoop of vanilla ice cream also works, particularly if the cake is served after a casual dinner.
For a party, cut the cake into 10 generous wedges or 12 smaller pieces and arrange extra berries and orange slices on a platter beside it. Avoid putting a large pile of wet fruit directly on each slice too far ahead; the juice can soften the cut surface. Coffee, black tea, or sparkling water with citrus are simple nonalcoholic accompaniments. If serving wine separately, choose one that is dry and not more assertive than the cake.
Variations
Use white wine and stone fruit. Replace the red wine with the same amount of dry white wine, and swap the strawberries for 1 cup (150 g) finely diced peaches or nectarines. The cake will have a lighter color and a delicate orchard-fruit flavor. Pat very juicy fruit dry before folding it in so it does not add excess moisture.
Make it alcohol-free. Replace the ¾ cup (180 ml) wine in the batter with ½ cup (120 ml) red grape juice plus ¼ cup (60 ml) water, and add 1 teaspoon (5 ml) lemon juice to keep the flavor bright. For the glaze, use orange juice instead of wine, adding it gradually until the sugar reaches a drizzleable consistency. The result is sweeter and less wine-like, so reduce the granulated sugar in the cake by 2 tablespoons (25 g) if you prefer a less sweet finish.
Try a loaf shape. The batter can be baked in a greased 9-by-5-inch (23-by-13 cm) loaf pan lined with parchment. Bake at 350°F (175°C), start checking at 45 minutes, and expect roughly 48 to 58 minutes depending on the pan. Use the same visual and thermometer checks rather than relying on time alone. Let it cool fully before glazing; a loaf takes longer to cool through than a round cake.
Make a simple orange syrup finish. For a more pronounced citrus note, warm 2 tablespoons (25 g) sugar with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) orange juice just until the sugar dissolves. Brush it over the cake after it has cooled for 10 minutes, then let the cake finish cooling before adding the glaze. This makes the crumb a little moister and sweeter, so keep the syrup light rather than pouring it on all at once.
Storage and Reheating
Because the cake is decorated with fresh fruit and a moist glaze, refrigerate it within 2 hours of serving. Store it in an airtight cake carrier or cover it loosely once the glaze has set; it keeps well in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. For the best texture, let a slice stand at room temperature for about 20 minutes before eating. Add any extra fresh fruit only when serving, rather than storing it on the cake.
To freeze the cake, do so without fresh fruit on top. Wrap individual slices or the whole cooled cake tightly in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or for a few hours at room temperature while still wrapped, then add fresh fruit if desired. Reheating is not necessary. If you choose to heat a leftover slice, reheat it to 165°F (74°C), checking the center with a food thermometer; warm it only briefly to avoid drying it out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the alcohol cook out of sangria cake? Baking reduces some of the alcohol in the wine, but it does not reliably remove all of it. The amount remaining depends on the recipe, pan, and baking conditions, so do not treat this cake as alcohol-free. Use the grape-juice variation if you need to avoid wine altogether.
Can I use boxed cake mix? You can make a shortcut version, but follow the box’s ingredient proportions rather than simply replacing all of its liquid with wine. A practical starting point is to replace about half of the water with red wine and add orange zest, then bake as directed by the mix. Too much wine can upset the balance of liquid and leavening, leaving the center gummy or causing the cake to sink.
Can I make the cake a day ahead? Yes. Bake and cool it completely, then store it covered in the refrigerator without the fresh fruit decoration. You can glaze it the evening before or on the day you serve it. If glazing ahead, keep the cake covered after the glaze sets and add sliced fruit close to serving so the fruit does not leak juice across the icing.
Why did my cake turn out dense? Common causes include packed flour, butter that was too cold or melted, overmixing after adding flour, or old baking powder. Check that your leaveners are fresh, measure accurately, and mix on low only until the batter is combined. A dense-looking center can also mean the cake was taken out too early; check the center with a tester and thermometer before removing it from the oven.
Can I use frozen berries? Yes, but do not thaw them first. Toss the frozen berries with the teaspoon of flour and fold them in gently; expect the batter to take a little longer to bake, and begin checking at 42 minutes. Frozen fruit may streak the crumb with color and can make the berries softer, but it is a convenient option when fresh berries are unavailable.
What kind of red wine is best? Choose a dry wine with a clean fruit character, such as Tempranillo or Garnacha. A young, easy-drinking red is a better choice than a highly tannic or heavily oaked bottle, because the latter can become sharp or woody in the cake. The orange and berries provide plenty of aromatic character, so the wine does not need to be bold.
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Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes
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