A Wine of Many Colors.
Did you know that Friday, September 15 is Make a Hat Day? Me, neither. More important to me, it is International Grenache Day, and I am celebrating by sharing a very special cake created by Sue Tipton, owner and vintner of Acquiesce Winery, for which she doctors a box cake mix to create the Acquiesce Grenache Blanc Cake.
Well, you know me — I love cooking too much to use mixes. With a few extra minutes, I can make a cake from scratch with the best ingredients and avoid preservatives and ingredients with names I can’t pronounce. I know, I have been called a snob and many believe to their core that their box mix is better than my scratch. Nope; can’t convince me.
So I took Sue’s brilliant idea and made it from scratch, making the small addition of lemon zest to give it a little zing. It is a wonderful cake, and incredibly moist too. Its two main ingredients are Sue’s Grenache Blanc wine and sweet olive oil — not the peppery Tuscan style. Think Sicilian, Spanish, Southern French, or, in this case, California olive oils. Lodi, to be specific. This cake goes perfectly with Grenache Blanc wine, of course.
Grenache isn’t only a white wine. Grenache grapes can be used to produce red and rosé wines, as well. As you can see from the photo above, Sue offers all the colors of Grenache. I plan to pair the 2022 rosé with something fun for the beginning of October, and I already have plans for Christina’s Outlier. Sue recommended a couple of really nice things to pair with her Sparkling Grenache Rosé, too, so stay tuned for that!
~ David
Acquiesce Grenache Blanc Cake
To print this recipe, please click the tiny printer icon below.
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- large pinch salt
- 3/4 cup Acquiesce Grenache Blanc plus 1 cup for glaze
- 3/4 cup sweet olive oil
- 1/2 cup cream
- finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- 3 eggs
- 1 stick butter
- 1 pound confectioners sugar, sifted
Instructions
- Butter and flour two 9-inch cake pans. Line the bottoms with a round of parchment. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Whisk the dry cake ingredients together in the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Whisk together 3/4 cup Grenache Blanc, the olive oil, cream, eggs, and lemon zest in a medium bowl. When well blended, add to the dry ingredients and, using the paddle attachment, mix until the batter just comes together and all dry ingredients are moistened. Then beat for an additional 30 seconds at medium-high speed.
- Evenly divide the batter between the two cake pans and bake for 22-25 minutes. Let cakes cool in the pans on a rack for 10 minutes.
- While layers are cooling, make the glaze by mixing together the remaining 1 cup Grenache Blanc with the butter and confectioners sugar in a large saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened slightly — about 2 minutes. You will have about 2 1/2 cups of glaze. Using a skewer, poke holes all over the cakes and then slowly drizzle the glaze over tops of the warm cakes, dividing it evenly between the two pans. Don’t try to drizzle it all at once; take your time. The cakes will eventually soak up all the delicious glaze.
- Turn the cakes out of the pans onto serving platters, or slice directly from the pans. You can also freeze one of the cakes for future use!
- Makes 2 9-inch rounds, serving 16-24, depending on slice size.
- Note: This can be baked using a 9-inch x 13-inch rectangular cake pan. Prepare the pan with butter, flour, and parchment as above, then bake for 30-35 minutes.
© 2024 Copyright Cocoa & Lavender
Mad Dog
September 9, 2023 at 6:27 amThat looks delicious and quite Spanish. Garnacha (Grenache) grapes are thought to have come from Spain originally and you will find a lot of them in Spanish rosado.
Cocoa & Lavender
September 9, 2023 at 6:47 amThanks, Mad Dog — I have had some wonderful Spanish Garnacha Blanca — it would work perfectly for this cake!
Mimi Rippee
September 9, 2023 at 7:46 amI bet this is wonderful! No boxes allowed!!
David Scott Allen
September 9, 2023 at 7:52 amThanks, Mimi. I agree! It’s a never-ending and non-winning battle I have with people all the time. What (besides chemicals) is in that mix that you don’t have already in your cupboard? Just a little measuring, that’s all it takes. I haven’t used a mix since my freshman year in college… 1976!
Edna Meza Aguirre
September 9, 2023 at 8:15 amThank you for the inspiration David!
Cocoa & Lavender
September 9, 2023 at 8:52 amMy pleasure, Edna!
Ronit Penso
September 9, 2023 at 8:16 amI have never understood the concept of boxed cakes. I really don’t see why anyone would use these industrial mixes.
Love the use of wine and olive oil in this cake. It looks wonderfully moist and tasty. Definitely worth trying.
One thing I would probably change though, is the amount of sugar. I think it could work just fine with much less. 🙂
Cocoa & Lavender
September 9, 2023 at 8:52 amHi Ronit, Just so you know, I tested it with less sugar and the crumb wasn’t as nice. Thus, I added the lemon zest and I think it worked well.
Ronit Penso
September 9, 2023 at 9:33 amThanks for the update, it’s good to know. Guess this cake is not for me then…
I agree about adding lemon zest to balance the sweetness. 🙂
Cocoa & Lavender
September 9, 2023 at 12:25 pmI think we all need to make adjustments to recipes to meet our needs, whethe rit is to reduce sugar or sat, or – for me – omitting garlic an draw onions. I hope you make it to your taste and enjoy it!
Ronit
September 9, 2023 at 3:48 pmI’m much more into experimenting with recipes in the cold winter days, so I’ll definitely keep it in mind. Just hoping summer will end soon! 🙂
Cocoa & Lavender
September 10, 2023 at 7:28 amIt does feel like a never ending summer, doesn’t it? We could use a break here in Arizona, as well.
Jill W Becker
September 9, 2023 at 9:11 amHave always wanted to try an olive oil cake – this will be the one!!
Cocoa & Lavender
September 9, 2023 at 12:27 pmThis one is very enjoyable!
angiesrecipes
September 9, 2023 at 10:32 amWhat an extraordinary and delicious cake! I love olive oil cake, but have never baked one with white wine. Thanks for sharing another beautiful recipe, David.
Cocoa & Lavender
September 9, 2023 at 12:28 pmThanks, Angie – the wine was new to me, as well – and it was wonderful!
Susan Tipton
September 9, 2023 at 1:39 pmLove how you’ve improved our “box” recipe! It’s such a treat to view and make your recipes . . . and your photos are just spectacular ❤️ David, you are so talented!
Cocoa & Lavender
September 10, 2023 at 7:29 amYou are so kind, Sue! Thank you for letting me play with the cake mix idea and make my own. And, the wines are fabulous! (But, I think you know that.)
Eha Carr
September 9, 2023 at 4:16 pmShall do homework regarding he wine . . . love, love, love all the fishy recipes . . . am not a good conversationalist as far as anything spelled ‘cake’ goes as you know but your presenttation is beautiful as usual . . .
Cocoa & Lavender
September 10, 2023 at 7:28 amOh, dear Eha, I know that cake is not your thing! I’m pretty sure you’ve made that clear over the years… 🤣
Ron
September 10, 2023 at 2:34 amThis is my kind of cake and it would be wonderful for a weekend wine fika.
You know, the only place you find box cakes here is in the international (North American) section of our big super grocery store and there is only one and it is always Duncan Hines chocolate cake.
If I was to bake a cake, it wouldn’t come from a box.
Cocoa & Lavender
September 10, 2023 at 7:27 amOh, this would be perfect with a wine fika, Ron! I’m glad we are on the same side in terms of cake mixes.
Frank | Memorie di Angelina
September 10, 2023 at 4:52 amI’m something of a curmudgeon when it comes to those various “days” invented by who knows who. Bah humbug!
That said, I’m up for any excuse to tipple a bit of Grenache. Or nibble on this delightful looking cake!
And by the way, I had no idea there was such a thing as a white Grenache. With this recipe in hand I have a good reason to do some further research…
Cocoa & Lavender
September 10, 2023 at 7:26 amI completely get it, Frank. But, when I have these beautiful Grenache wines in front of me, why not celebrate? My first white Granoche was actually a Spanish wine. You might be able to find it when you’re there this fall… Really good!
Jean | DelightfulRepast.com
September 10, 2023 at 10:08 amOh David, I have to wait a moment for my heart rate to return to normal. You scared me sooooo, letting me think for even a moment that you had gone to the dark side with cake mixes! Can’t tell you how relieved I was to see that was not the case! Cake looks wonderful, and I know it tastes wonderful, too, especially with the addition of lemon zest. I love making olive oil cakes and using wines in baking and cooking, so this cake is right up my alley.
Cocoa & Lavender
September 10, 2023 at 5:48 pmHeck no! I’ll never go to the dark side! I do get a lot of pushback from “busy people” who don’t have the time to muse anything from scratch… But I will always stand by homemade.
Olive oil and wine together make this cake quite addictive!
sherry
September 11, 2023 at 8:00 pmi’ve been baking a lot lately and i don’t use cake mixes from a box. But i know that many people do. and why not if it makes it easier for the cook? :=) But i definitely agree with you!
Cocoa & Lavender
September 13, 2023 at 7:39 amI think people are most offended when they make a box cake and I won’t eat it. First, badly flavored excessive calories. Second, all those preservatives. If I am going to eat cake, I want good cake. Homemade is my rule (for cookies, too).
Ben | Havocinthekitchen
September 12, 2023 at 2:27 pmWhile I enjoy some kitchen shortcuts (i.e., no way I’m making my own Phyllo dough in the foreseeable future lol), there’re also many “NOs” for me. Canned soup, boxed pasta, and boxed cake mixes are from that list. These cake looks absolutely delicious, and I love the use of vine and olive oil; it must be nice and moist.
Cocoa & Lavender
September 13, 2023 at 7:36 amOh, right — canned soups are definitely on my “no-go” list, too, Ben! And I’m not making homemade phyllo dough, either!
Valentina
September 12, 2023 at 4:13 pmI’m going to wear a hat, eat this cake and drink the beautiful wine — all at once! 😉 ~Valentina
Cocoa & Lavender
September 13, 2023 at 7:30 amThat sounds like an excellent plan! 🩵
Raymund
September 13, 2023 at 4:33 pmHappy International Grenache Day! 🍷 Your scratch-made Acquiesce Grenache Blanc Cake sounds like a delightful way to celebrate this special day. The addition of lemon zest for a zingy twist is a fantastic idea. Here’s to enjoying great wine and delicious homemade cake. Cheers! 🍰🥂
Cocoa & Lavender
September 13, 2023 at 5:05 pmI’ll definitely drink to that, Raymund! Thanks!
Pauline McNee
September 14, 2023 at 4:37 amDavid how divine, the secret to a lovely cake is a lovely glaze. I always keep a box in the cupboard, my guilty secret, just in case I have a last minute cake failure and get caught out, but I’ve never used it, not for visitors anyway, ha, ha. and certainly not for blogging. I would love to make this, using a very comparable wine. Beautiful photo too.
Cocoa & Lavender
September 15, 2023 at 8:34 amWe all have our guilty secrets, Pauline! And I admit to being annoying on this subject but I understand that everyone has different needs/desires/tolerances. For some, no canned beans are acceptable. That’s not a thing for me. My thing is all about the preservatives. If salt is the only preservative, count me in. (Hello beans and tomatoes!) Once chemical compounds are added, I’m out!
I’m so glad you like the cake and the photos — I was so lucky to have a rarely-found lilac branch to add.
Linda S Doughty
September 15, 2023 at 7:41 amToday is the day, but I’ll have to save this one for a time when I can gather the ingredients and after my lemons ripen next spring. In the meantime, where’s my hat? Can I find sweet olive oil in Tucson? Thanks, David!
Cocoa & Lavender
September 15, 2023 at 8:40 amLinda — understand waiting for a fresh, organic lemon. I can’t wait for that season, too. I need more preserved lemons, for sure!
There are a lot of sweet olive oils available in the Tucson area. California oils tend to be so, as do Sicilian and Spanish. Think of oils coming from warmer climates where the olives can ripen longer on the trees. Trader Joe has a few, and World Market, too. Check what the bottle says. Not all use the word “sweet” — but you can look for other words smooth, fruity, mild. Avoid grassy, pungent, peppery oils. I hope that helps.
And I am sure you have a hat somewhere!
Linda S Doughty
September 15, 2023 at 9:13 amThat helps! Thank you. I have a horrible memory of brownies my mother made using rancid olive oil and I don’t want to repeat that experience! Donning, as is typical in southern AZ, my sun hat!
Cocoa & Lavender
September 15, 2023 at 10:04 amYes, hats are de rigueur here in the desert!
Yes, there is nothing worse than rancid olive oil and so many local restaurants use it — especially when you request oil and vinegar for your salad.
2pots2cook
October 4, 2023 at 6:00 amMaking cakes from scratch doesn’t make one a snob! There is nothing tastier than food from scratch although it seems people have forgotten the old ways! Good ways! Bravo David!
Cocoa & Lavender
October 4, 2023 at 8:46 amI agree but o know many people who think me a snob for this. It won’t stop me, though — I will always bake from scratch. Thanks, Davorka !
Christina Conte
November 5, 2023 at 12:02 pmLove, love, love this recipe, David! And who are these people who think box cake is better than homemade? As they say, you don’t need that kind of negativity in your life! Anyway, I’m not too long back from 6 weeks of gallivanting around Europe, so it will take me a wee bit to catch up on all your wonderful recipes!
Cocoa & Lavender
November 6, 2023 at 2:06 pmIt’s amazing how many people prefer the box mixes… And they really are pretty snarky to me about being a non-box snob! I know I’m not alone…