We just got internet installed at the new house. We have been in a dead zone for a long time. Being able to do a video chat for the first time was glorious. The WIFI is working, but the hard wired stuff is not. More testing to do, but we are cooking with gas!

I still have some red wine to dispense of. This time a semi dry red. I typically drink a dry red rather than a sweet one. However, when I get a bottle of wine to share and the other person is a sweet wine drinker, I will go with a semi dry. Sweet enough for the sweet wine drinker, but not too sweet for me. Since this is a sweeter wine, I am using this one for a dessert. I found a recipe for Red Wine Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Butter Cream from Spend with Pennies. They had me at raspberry butter cream. It’s another 9×13 cake with frosting. It takes one full cup of wine, so it will help knock down the bottle. I can also knock down the sugar and fat to lower the calorie count.

Here are the original stats:

Here’s what I changed:

• I replace the sugar with their sweetener equivalents.
• I replaced the oil with unsweetened applesauce.
• I replaced the salted butter with unsalted butter to lower the sodium.
• I replaced the milk with coconut milk to remove the dairy.
• I replaced the AP flour with almond and coconut flour to lower the carbs.
• I increased the servings from 15 to 24 to lower the calories.

Here are the final stats:

Here is the final recipe:

Low Carb Red Wine Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Butter Cream

Serves 24

For the cake

• 1 1/2 cups almond flour
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 2 cups granulated sweetener
• ¾ cup dark cocoa powder blend
• 1 tablespoon baking soda 
• 1 cup sweet red wine
• ¾ cup unsweetened coconut milk room temperature
• ¾ cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 3 large eggs room temperature

For the frosting

• 1 ¼ cups fresh raspberries 
• 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
• ¾ cup vegetable shortening 
• 6 cups powdered sweetener divided
• pink gel icing color as needed

• Grease a 9 x13-inch cake pan and preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C).
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the flours, sweetener, cocoa powder, and baking soda. In a medium bowl, combine the wine, milk, applesauce, vanilla extract and eggs. Pour the wine mixture into the flour mixture and mix until smooth. (The batter will be thin).
• Pour into the prepared pan and bake 34 to 36 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs. Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool completely.
• Add the raspberries to a food processor and puree. Strain the puree through a mesh sieve to remove the seeds, and then set the puree aside. You should have about 5 tablespoons (75 ml) of puree after straining it.
• Beat the butter and shortening until smooth. Add 3 cups of powdered sweetener and mix until smooth. Add raspberry puree and mix until smooth. Add the remaining 3 cups powdered sweetener and mix until smooth.
• With your cake horizontal, frost the cake as you wish.
• Serve.