So, I discovered two cake-centric wines this week. What an odd coincidence. I DO like wine, though I’m not a sommelier in training by a shot. But bumping into these made me think about how cute it would be to have a dessert-and-wine nightcap/fete with friends. You know, I could make a layered chocolate cake or vanilla cupcakes to go with these. Or even make cakes with these IN them. Oy. Alcohol and sugar. My baker’s brain is exploding.

Layer Cake

Farmed from vineyards in Napa Valley, California (Cabernet Sauvignon); Puglia, Italy (Primitivo); Mendoza, Argentina (Malbec)  and South Australia (Shiraz). Brainchild of vintner Jayson Woodbridge, whose inspiration for the line was supposedly his grandfather (as you can probably already tell, I’m a bit of a sucker for family histories): “My old grandfather made and enjoyed wine for 80 years. He told me the soils in which the vines lived were a layer cake. He said the wine if properly made, was like a delicious cake layered with fruit, mocha and chocolate, hints of spice and rich, always rich. ‘Never pass up a good layer cake,” he would say.”

He has a blog with recipes for food pairings for his wines HERE. (Braised Lamb Shanks and Shiraz? Sign me up for that!)

Cupcake Wine

I actually saw these in Costco. Crafted in Monterey along California’s Central Coast, winemaker Adam Richardson has developed nine flavor profiles for the company, including: Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Petit Sirah, Dry Riesling, Malbec, Blanc de Blanc Chardonnay and a Rose Pinot Noir, which intrigues me even more because it’s such a pretty pink color in the bottle!

The company’s website has a great recipes section as well, full of interesting cupcake recipes that pair well with their wines. And by interesting I mean Lemon and Rosemary Cupcakes with Toasted Hazelnuts that’s supposedly perfect with their Riesling. There’s also Chipotle Chocolate Cupcakes with Maple Glazed Bacon for the Cabernet Sauvignon. Goodness. Bacon cupcakes and wine. The world has gone mad.

You’ve probably figured out that none of these taste like the baked goods they’re named after. But the idea of a themed nightcap is so delicious, I just may have to do it one of these days!