Port Wine Cake

Port Wine Cake (Bolo de Vinho) is one cake I reserve to bake for a special occasion. This cake is flexible.  Great ruby port wine can be used on the fly, if that is all you have, but port can make this cake really delicious.

Serves 10

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup butter, room temperature
• 4 eggs, separated
• 1 cup red or white port wine
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• Greased and floured 10-inch tube pan

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

1. Using the high speed of your electric mixer, cream the butter gradually incorporating the sugar.  Add the egg yolks, one by one and beat until pale yellow and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.

2. While mixing, drizzle in the port wine. Mix the flour with the baking powder and incorporate into the egg mixture.

3. With clean beaters, whip the egg whites in a separate bowl until soft peaks form.  Gently, as you turn the bowl, fold the whites into the cake batter, until whites are no longer visible.

4. Spoon into a prepared 10-inch tube pan. Bake in the preheated oven until a wooden skewer comes out clean, about 50 minutes.  Cool the cake for about 5 minutes. Run a thin spatula around the cake and remove the Wine Cake (Bolo de Vinho) from the pan. Cool completely.  Dust with confectioner’s sugar.