6 Wine and Cake Pairings That Will Surely Surprise You

Despite being a delicious combo, it’s not often that we team up cake and wine. And, that’s exactly why washing down a heavenly slice of cake with a great wine might be perfect for when you’re in a mood for a little indulgence or looking to delight your guests.

Though it can be a little tricky to pair the two given their sugar content, this quick guide will help you discover six amazing cake and wine pairings that bring out the best in each other!

1. Cheesecake with White Dessert Wine

Cheesecakes are rich, lush, creamy and not too over-the-top sweet, which makes this timeless dessert a favourite of many. But what wine do you pair it with? Now, cheesecakes come in a myriad of flavours, and that can often lead to confusion over this.

That’s why considering the fat content of your cheesecake rather than its flavour can work in your favour. Since most cheesecakes are quite rich with high fat content, a dessert white wine like Sauternes offers the perfect balance of acidity to cut through the richness.

2. Red Velvet Cake with Pinot Noir

This deliciously sinful dessert is rich, smooth, chocolatey, cream cheesy — it’s a damn delight!

A very popular cake that’s versatile enough to be served at any occasion, be it a birthday, wedding, brunch or high tea, it’s quite a crowd pleaser.

The wine that best complements the deep richness of this cake is Pinot Noir which nicely highlights the dark chocolate flavour with its light fruitiness.

Another wine that pairs very well with the red velvet is Cabernet Sauvignon. Though it is a full-bodied red wine, its deep cocoa and vanilla notes offer a great match for the cake’s chocolate crumb and cream cheese frosting.

3. Vanilla Cake with Riesling

You can never go wrong with a classic Vanilla cake. It’s simple to put together, everyone loves it, and it serves as the perfect canvas for a lot of different types of frosting. No wonder, when in doubt, people reach for the vanilla cake.

But what can truly elevate this basic dessert to something mind-blowing is a glass of “off-dry” Riesling to go with it. This wine matches the sweetness of the vanilla cake while bringing its flavours to the forefront.

4. Chocolate Cake with Red Blends

Chocolate and red wine are a match made in food heaven. For rich, dark chocolate cakes like the Devil’s Food cake, opt for red blends like Grenache, Cabernet, Malbec and Syrah. These wines have subtle notes of chocolate that blend beautifully with the gooey richness of the cake. Plus, oak-aged reds add a hint of vanilla and spice that goes well with the flavour of chocolate, which, in turn, brings out the deep earthiness these red wines might have.

5. Strawberry Shortcake with Sparkling Rose Wine

A summertime favourite, Strawberry Shortcake is perfect for all of your spring and summer gatherings. The wine to be called the best mate of this cake is a light and bubbly Rose Wine. The reason the pairing works so well is that the fruitiness and berry undertones of this wine accentuate the star of this dessert — fresh, juicy, in-season strawberries.

6. Carrot Cake with Ice Cider

What better way to beckon the autumn than with a fine piece of carrot cake? The warm, spicy cake encased in a buttercream frosting acts as a perfect foil for a good iced cider that can counter the cake’s sweet creaminess with its light, crisp, and refreshing taste. The subtle fruitiness of the cider gives the carrot cake a delicious lift, which makes them a great pair.

So there you have it — six cake and wine pairings for you to enjoy. Remember these tips for your next cake delivery and pick a bottle of wine from this list to pair with it.