Japanese Plum Wine and Chocolate Swirl Cake

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Inspired by and adapted from a lovely April J. Harris recipe. April's cakes are always perfect for an authentic English afternoon tea. This Chocolate and Japanese Plum Wine Swirl Cake (adapted from April’s Chocolate Orange Marble Cake) is no exception.

Light, buttery with a tender crumb, Japanese Plum Wine Swirl Cake is light and buttery with a tender crumb. In addition to English tea, Japanese matcha green tea works well the cake, too. So does a glass of Japanese plum wine! 
 

Ingredients: 
  • 1 cup softened unsalted butter
  • 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1½ cups cake flour
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 5 to 6  tablespoons Japanese plum wine
  • (1 for pink plum blossom batter, 2 for chocolate batter, 2 to 3 tablespoons for icing)
  • pink food coloring
  • 3 heaping tablespoons cocoa powder
  • ¾ cup of dark chocolate kisses or bits
  • ¾ cup powdered sugar
Directions: 

Preheat the oven to 350° Line a loaf pan (9 x5 x 2½) or 4 Valentine heart cakelet pans with parchment paper. Coat the papered pans with baking spray. 

In a kitchen stand mixer bowl, beat the butter until fluffy. One at a time, add the eggs.
Pour in the sugar. Beat for 4 to 5 minutes.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flours, baking powder and salt. Stir into the kitchen stand bowl mixer. Combine well.

Divide the batter into two clean bowls. Beat 1 tablespoon of the Japanese plum wine and pink coloring into one bowl. Sift the cocoa powder into the other bowl. Beat in the other 2 tablespoons of plum wine.

Alternate spoonfuls of the batters into the prepared loaf pan or Valentine heart cakelet pans.

Bake in the preheated 350° oven. 45 to 55 minutes for the loaf pan. 35 to 37 minutes for the Valentine heart cakelet pans. Or until a toothpick or skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler pan or in a microwave at 30 second intervals. Drizzle over the cake(s.) Let the chocolate set on the cake(s.)

Whisk together the powdered sugar and Japanese plum wine. Scatter the Japanese plum wine icing over the cake(s) with a small whisk or fork. (It’s your opportunity to feel like a Picasso!)