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Cupcakes and Cutlery

Easy Cocktails and Recipes | Mom Life and Style | Orange County Blogger

Easy and Delicious Sherry Wine Cake Recipe

December 21, 2020 By Sharon Garofalow 25 Comments

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Sherry white wine cake recipe

This Sherry Wine Cake recipe is full of flavor and super easy to make. It tastes like Christmas and can be served at breakfast or for dessert.

It’s one of my favorite holiday traditions but it’s so tasty I make it all year long.

Top of a bundt cake with powdered sugar on it.

Some links in this post may be affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, I earn from qualifying purchases by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. I also participate in affiliate programs for other retailers. 

This post was first published on December 8, 2014. I’ve updated it to include better instructions and more helpful information.

I’m a white wine lover. So when I first heard of Sherry Wine Cake, I was all, “Hell yes!”

But I didn’t know much about sherry wine. Since the first time I made this straight out of the 70’s dessert, I’ve grown to love fortified wine.

And it’s complex flavor is really the best for this recipe.

It’s the perfect wine cake recipe for Christmas and has become a holiday tradition and one of my all-time favorite easy desserts.

Because who doesn’t want to eat a wine bundt cake?!

Close up of the top of a Bundt cake topped with powdered sugar.

My Go-To Wine Cake Recipe for Christmas

Wine cake seems like the perfect girl’s night dessert idea (and it is). But when you taste it, you realize it’s the perfect Christmas breakfast idea.

The nutmeg makes this cake recipe a perfect holiday cake.

Of course, you can eat it other times of day too, (it would be fantastic after dinner with a cup of coffee).

Don’t worry if you have kids, most of the alcohol cooks out during baking and you are left with a super flavorful, moist bundt cake.

I don’t let my kids try all of my alcohol infused cupcakes, but this cake is fine.

This wine cake recipe with sherry doesn’t have frosting. A simple dusting of powdered sugar is all you need to finish this dessert.

It reminds me of snow. Sadly, its the only snow we see in this part of Southern California. 

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Ingredients to make a sherry wine cake

How to Make Sherry Wine Cake

This sherry cake recipe couldn’t be easier! While it’s great at the holidays, it is also a great dessert to serve year-round.

Scroll down to the end of the post for a printable recipe card with full measurements and more detailed instructions.

Ingredients

  • Yellow Cake Mix
  • Vanilla Pudding
  • eggs
  • oil
  • Sherry Wine
  • nutmeg
  • powdered sugar for dusting

I love recipes that start with a boxed cake mix as the base. It keeps things super quick and easy. And this recipe uses a cake mix.

The vanilla pudding gives it richness and helps boost the vanilla flavor of the cake. Then you add fresh nutmeg and sherry wine and magic happens.

There is nothing better than nutmeg in baked goods. Especially at the holidays. 

What is Sherry Wine?

Sherry is a fortified wine which means it has added flavors and typically brandy. It adds a depth of flavor to the cake that is really lovely.

Most are darker in color, similar to a maple syrup. There is sometimes a warm almond-like note in the smell. 

And unlike using other types of alcohol in baking (check out my Rum Cake recipe), there isn’t a harsh alcohol flavor.

Could you use regular white wine? Sure. But it wouldn’t give it as much flavor as sherry. Sherry is great for cooking so grab a bottle! You can find it at any grocery store.

You do NOT want to use sherry cooking wine. It’s not going to be drinkable on it’s own. It’s not going to be the same quality and it isn’t going to create a delicious cake that you’ll want to cram in your face hole.

Between this type of wine and the pudding, the cake is moist and flavorful! 

Best Sherry Wine for Christmas Cake

There are tons of different varieties of sherry wine to use for your Christmas cake. I grabbed cream sherry, but I’ve also used sherry that had some orange flavoring in it.

I don’t think you could go wrong with any of them.

It comes in a variety of price points so choose what you feel comfortable with. And you can drink it over ice so it won’t just sit around in your cupboard. Add a splash to some bourbon, yum!

Cake batter in a mixing bowl with a spoon in it.

Directions

In a mixing bowl, add the cake mix (not made, just the dry powder), vanilla pudding (again, not made, just the powder), oil and sherry wine.

Mix to combine.

Mixing bowl with cake batter and an egg with a mixer in it.

With a hand mixer on medium, beat the batter. Add 4 eggs, one at a time, mixing well between each.

Then continue to beat for another 5 minutes after the last egg.

You could use a stand mixer but mine is hard to get to and I’m lazy.

Close up of cake batter in a bowl with nutmeg added.

Add the nutmeg and beat to combine.

Pour the batter into a prepared bundt pan.

A prepared pan typically means to butter and flour a pan so the cake won’t stick. Again, I’m pretty lazy and I prefer to use the baking spray.

It hasn’t failed me yet!

Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes. Try not to over bake, but it should be cooked all the way through.

It will be a dark color, usually just past golden. It looks a bit like gingerbread to me.

Close up of the side of a bundt cake with powdered sugar on it.

Turn it out of the pan immediately and let cool completely.

I bought this bundt pan specifically for this sherry bundt cake recipe. I can’t believe I didn’t have one before!

I love that it basically decorates the cake for you. I’m not that great with making pretty baked goods so this pan does all the heavy lifting which is awesome.

Sprinkle it with powdered sugar then eat your face off.

This delicious Christmas cake makes your house will smell AMAZING! It’s all nutmeg and vanilla.

A bundt cake topped with powder sugar on a holiday table.

This is a great cake to bring to a holiday party because it is totally unexpected. It’s straight out of the 70’s and people LOVE anything nostalgic!

(This pink strawberry angel food cake dessert is my most pinned recipe because it reminds everyone of when their grandma used to make it!)

A wine bundt cake is also my go-to hostess gift during the holidays.

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More nostalgic dessert ideas

  • This Cherry Pineapple Dump Cake is so quick and easy to make! You won’t believe the ridiculous flavor the butter and cake mix makes together!
  • Old-fashioned Peppermint Chocolate Egg Creams are more refreshing than milkshakes and your kids will love them.
  • Small Batch Cookie Bars are great to make when you have several children because they can make these however they want. Let them add their favorite toppings and leave off what they don’t love.
Continue to Content
Yield: 12 servings

Sherry Wine Cake

Sherry Wine Cake

This Sherry Wine Cake tastes like Christmas and I'm here for it. With tons of nutmeg and flavorful sherry wine, this bundt cake is easy and delicious to serve during the holidays or any time of year.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 box Yellow cake mix
  • 1 small box instant vanilla pudding, 3 oz
  • 3/4 cup oil
  • 3/4 cup Sherry wine, I used a Cream Sherry
  • 1 tsp nutmeg, freshly grated, if possible
  • 4 eggs
  • powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions

  1. In a mixing bowl, add dry cake mix and dry pudding. (not made, just the powder)
  2. Add oil and sherry wine.
  3. With a hand mixer beat on medium to mix well.
  4. Add in one egg at a time, beating in between each egg.
  5. Beat for about 5 more minutes after the last egg.
  6. Add nutmeg and mix well.
  7. Oil and flour a Bundt pan (or use spray like I do).
  8. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes and test.
  9. Watch carefully - do not over bake.
  10. Turn out of bundt pan immediately.
  11. Let cool completely.
  12. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
  13. Then eat your face off.

Notes

I mean, I put 12 servings. But I like REALLY large pieces so...You can feed a lot of people with it. But you won't want to.

Nutrition Information

Yield

12

Serving Size

12 Servings

Amount Per Serving Calories 377Total Fat 18gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 14gCholesterol 65mgSodium 459mgCarbohydrates 49gFiber 1gSugar 30gProtein 4g

Nutrition information isn't always accurate.

Save this recipe to your favorite Pinterest board!

Pin any image in this post to save it! Or click the "P" to the left to follow me on Pinterest. Made this yourself? Rate this recipe by clicking the stars in this recipe card up above.

© Sharon Garofalow
Cuisine: American / Category: Dessert
Top of a powder sugar covered bundt cake on a plate with text around it.

This Sherry Wine Cake is such a fun dessert idea! It’s easy to make and even easier to eat! And it’s the perfect thing to serve your guests at Christmas. 

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About Sharon Garofalow

Sharon lives in Southern California with her adorable family. She loves to share ideas to make mom life easier and encourage busy gals to make time for themselves too! Sharon's "me" time often includes watching Hallmark Channel movies, sipping sauvignon blanc, trying not to eat Salt and Pepper potato chips, and planning girlfriend getaways.

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More About Sharon
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Holiday Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies with M&Ms

Comments

  1. Ann Conover says

    December 30, 2020 at 9:44 pm

    You can use apple sauce to any cake mix. Just use the same amount of apple sauce as oil and it will stay moist longer than oil.

    Reply
    • Sharon Garofalow says

      January 1, 2021 at 9:49 am

      Thank you! Such a great tip!

      Reply
  2. Cristie says

    August 16, 2020 at 1:59 pm

    This is so amazing. My mom always used cinnamon and a marble cake mix. Basically, in the box of yellow cake mix is a small packet of cocoa. When you are ready to place everything in the greased Bundt pan, you take maybe a 1/2 a cup of batter and mix it w/ cocoa packet then swirl it with a fork – into pan with the remaining better. Looks marbled and beautiful for serving. Yum, yum!

    Reply
    • Sharon Garofalow says

      August 17, 2020 at 12:18 pm

      That sounds delicious! I’m going to put that on my dessert bucket list! Thank you for sharing!

      Reply
  3. Doris Matthews says

    December 22, 2019 at 9:36 am

    I was given this beautiful bundt cake along with the hand-written recipe 50 yrs ago!
    Along the way I misplaced that much used, much adored scrap of paper.
    I was certain it was an ancient mystery that I could never exactly recapture from
    my memory….and I was delightfully stunned when I came across a recipe for
    Sherry Wine Cake!!! It’s the very same as my “Christmas Bundt”
    I am sooo happy, I plan to make at least 5 bundts, for gifts, this weekend.
    NOW….the only difference is… I put in 2 TBLs ground NUTMEG.
    (pungent fresh nutmeg would surely call for less)
    Merry Christmas Cake everyone!

    Reply
    • Sharon Garofalow says

      December 23, 2019 at 12:46 pm

      I’m so glad you found it! I’m about to make one right now!!! Happy Holidays!

      Reply
  4. Irene says

    September 12, 2019 at 8:41 pm

    My cake will be done in 10 minutes and it smells so good in this kitchen. I’m actually not making the cake for me I making it for a very good friend of mine but I’m also making dinner for her Saturday night so we will have some cake after dinner.

    I only had white cake mix so I think it’ll work just as well. Thank you for the recipe!

    Reply
    • Sharon Garofalow says

      September 13, 2019 at 9:59 am

      Oh good! Smells amazing, right?! I’m sure the white cake works too. Let me know how you like it! If you have time, I’d love it if you gave it a star rating on the recipe card in the post!! Thanks so much! I’ve made a similar cake with rum too! But this wine cake will always be my favorite!

      Reply
      • Irene says

        September 28, 2019 at 2:43 pm

        The cake was absolutely delicious but I have a question about something. Unless I read the instructions wrong it told me to take the cake immediately out of the bundt cake pan when it came out of the oven. Well that didn’t work because part of the top of the cake came off.

        Did I do something wrong?

        Reply
        • Sharon Garofalow says

          September 30, 2019 at 10:02 am

          Oh no! I’m so sorry to hear that! I want to be clear that I do not consider myself a skilled baker so I don’t have any idea about that! I started to do a little research and found this great video that might help you! https://youtu.be/6WlT52yr798 I’m going to watch it and then try the cake again to make sure I’m providing enough info! She said to wait about 5 minutes once you take it out of the oven before removing. And now I need to watch all her videos. :)

          Reply
  5. Sara says

    November 28, 2015 at 2:50 pm

    You had me at booze in the cake… :)

    Reply
    • Sharon Garofalow says

      December 7, 2015 at 12:26 pm

      It’s SO good!! You have to try it!

      Reply
      • Tanya says

        December 24, 2017 at 9:17 am

        My grandmother made this all my life. It is one Christmas cake I look forward to. We also used chocolate cake mix, chocolate pudding, and kahlua. It is delicious as well.

        Reply
        • Sharon Garofalow says

          December 28, 2017 at 8:35 am

          It’s so tasty! That chocolate version sounds AMAZING!!!!!

          Reply
        • Doris says

          December 22, 2019 at 11:14 am

          Wow! I must try this, thanks!

          Reply
          • Sharon Garofalow says

            December 23, 2019 at 12:45 pm

            You’ll love it!!!

  6. Andrea Fellman says

    November 24, 2015 at 6:15 pm

    This looks lovely! This would be perfect for any holiday occasion – thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  7. Julia says

    November 23, 2015 at 7:24 pm

    Yum! I do not even own a bundt cake pan because I’m that domestically challenged, but these pictures alone have me drooling. It’s just so pretty!!

    Reply
    • Sharon Garofalow says

      November 24, 2015 at 7:18 am

      Ha! Thank you Julia! I bought the pan just for this cake. Because wine.

      Reply
  8. Laura says

    November 23, 2015 at 10:29 am

    Love me a good classic bundt cake! Especially one that says I can do it while my daughter naps (and have some sherry to drink while I am it!) Thanks for linking up!

    Reply
    • Sharon Garofalow says

      November 23, 2015 at 3:11 pm

      Ha! Oh, I remember nap time. The rush to get everything done or else sit still for once. :)

      Reply
  9. Melissa says

    December 8, 2014 at 8:07 am

    This looks awesome! It’s totally 70s and I like that too. I wanna make it just to smell it.

    Reply
    • Sharon Garofalow says

      January 8, 2015 at 1:12 pm

      Its all about the nutmeg. I think I am going to have to make this one more time before winter is over.

      Reply
      • Robin Haney says

        December 7, 2015 at 10:05 am

        Yes, use cream sherry for the wine cake. I keep the yellow cake mix, the instant vanilla pudding, cream sherry in my pantry at all times. It’s a great cake to make in a pinch. I also use two teaspoons of ground nutmeg, but it’s not freshly ground.

        Reply
        • Sharon Garofalow says

          December 7, 2015 at 12:27 pm

          It’s that nutmeg that really makes this special. I only let myself make it once a year because I would make this ALL the time!

          Reply

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Based in Southern California, I am the mom to two amazing boys and married to the raddest man in all the land. Cupcakes and Cutlery is your resource for simple solutions to help you be an awesome wife and mother and not lose yourself in the process. Email me at [email protected]! MORE ABOUT SHARON

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