These Red Wine Lebkuchen Cakes are a dense holiday spice cake studded with bittersweet chocolate chip pieces. The star of the cake, aside from the spices, is red wine. It is in both the cake and the topping. The glaze contains no food coloring. Just add the wine to tint it a beautiful shade of pink.
German gingerbread contains Lebkuchengewürz. Similar to the spices in American gingerbread, most German versions contain additional ingredients such as cardamom, star anise, and, sometimes, dried lemon and orange peel.
A recipe for the German holiday spice mix or lebkuchengewürz can be found below. It’s great for baking, but also adds great flavor to the homemade mulled wine.
The Spicy Story Behind this German Spice
First, let’s talk about magic in these Lebkuchen Spice Brownies. No, not the fairy-tale kind, but the culinary kind that makes your kitchen smell like Christmas. Yes, I’m talking about German Lebkuchen spice. This fragrant blend has a history as rich as its flavor, and it’s about to take you on a tasty time-travel adventure.
To begin with, Lebkuchen isn’t new. In fact, it dates all the way back to the Middle Ages. Back then, sugar was rare, so bakers relied on honey. Naturally, they needed something extra to make those honey cakes special. Enter spices—cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom, and more. However, these weren’t local pantry staples. They traveled thousands of miles along trade routes before arriving in Europe, which made them a pure luxury.
A Festive Tradition
Meanwhile, German monks started baking these spiced honey cakes for holidays. Consequently, they became a festive tradition. By the 15th century, Nuremberg had turned into the Lebkuchen capital of the world. Why? Because it sat on major spice trade routes and had a reputation for high-quality baking. As a result, Lebkuchen became a symbol of wealth, celebration, and indulgence.
Over time, the spice blend evolved. Today, when you mix cinnamon for warmth, cloves for depth, ginger for zing, and cardamom for mystery, you’re recreating centuries of flavor. In other words, every pinch of Lebkuchen spice is like a tiny history lesson you can taste.
So, the next time you bite into a chewy, nutty, perfectly spiced confections, like these Lebkuchen Spice Brownies, remember this: those flavors once sailed across oceans, crossed mountains, and landed straight in your holiday tin. Therefore, this isn’t just a spice mix—it’s a cultural treasure.
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon clove
For a festive serving option, use a small Holiday cutter (tree, star, etc.) to cut the cake into small portions.
Red Wine Lebkuchen Cakes
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1+ 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1+3/4 cups cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons lebkuchen spice
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon fresh orange zest
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 3+ 1/2 oz bittersweet chocolate
- 1 cup red wine any type
For the glaze:
- 1+2/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup red wine
Instructions
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Sift together the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
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Chop or grate the bittersweet chocolate into very small pieces.
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Place the unsalted butter, firmly packed sugar, spices, freshly grated lemon, and orange zest in a mixer and beat on medium-high speed until creamy (about 3 minutes).
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Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Beat in the pure vanilla extract.
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Add the eggs one after the other, making sure each is incorporated fully into the batter before adding the next.
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Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
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Mix again to make sure everything is evenly combined.
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Turn the mixer speed down to low. Add half the sifted dry ingredients.
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Add the wine and then the rest of the dry ingredients.
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Mix in the chocolate.
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Preheat the oven to 400F.
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Grease an 8 x 12 pan and line with baking paper.
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Spread the batter out evenly into the pan.
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Bake for 25 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
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Transfer the cake to a cooling rack set up over a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Let cool completely.
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Whisk together the powdered sugar and red wine until it forms a smooth glaze.
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Pour the glaze onto the cake and use a rubber spatula to even it out over the top.
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When the glaze has dried, cut the cake into small pieces. Arrange on a platter and serve.
Lebkuchen Spice Recipe:
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon teaspoon ground anise
- 1/2 teaspoon ground star anise
Instructions
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Whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl.
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Transfer to an airtight container.
So, do you like this Red Wine Lebkuchen Cakes Recipe? Then also check out some of these other delicious recipes:
LEBKUCHEN STAR DOUGHNUTS
LEBKUCHEN SPICE BROWNIES
LEBKUCHEN SPICE VODKA MARTINIS
