We are so excited to feature Part I of our feature with Cake Bloom! Susan, who founded Cake Bloom with the intention of creating cakes inspired by nature, shares a delicious recipe for Caramel Sauce with a Pangloss Pinot Noir. 

Julia Child said it best: “I enjoy cooking with wine…sometimes I even put it in the food.”

Only, I’m a baker, so sometimes I put it in the cake…

As one might imagine, Sonoma is a baker’s paradise. Our Northern California climate gives us stunning fruit year-round that offers endless inspiration for new creations. Sometimes the fruit is fresh, like the tart, juicy, red cherries at our farmers’ market these days, and other times I get to enjoy it in the glass. 

And to be totally honest, sometimes that glass is in my kitchen if my boyfriend brings home a bottle to try, while I’m in the middle of testing out a new recipe. 

One of my favorite wines right now for sipping (and baking) is the 2013 Anderson Valley Pinot noir from Pangloss Cellars. The bright, red fruit in this rich, velvety red inspired my latest creation: a luscious burgundy-colored caramel sauce for my all-natural velvet cake. 

A play on the cherry notes of the wine and of my favorite fruit of the season here in Sonoma, my new inspiration cake was layered with goat cream cheese frosting, fresh market cherries and a generous drizzle of Pangloss Pinot Noir caramel sauce.

I teamed up with Boxwood Avenue and and A Savvy LIfestyle for an inspiration shoot inside Pangloss’s sexy new tasting room on the plaza, captured by local photographer Sarah Deragon of Portraits to the People.

Here’s a look at the action and a recipe below for the caramel below to try on your favorite cake recipe, ice cream or fancy dessert.

 

RECIPE: PANGLOSS PINOT NOIR CARAMEL SAUCE

Yields: 1 cup (enough for one 6” or 8” 3-layer cake)

1 cup sugar

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

¼ cup heavy cream

1 cup 2013 Pangloss Pinot noir

1. In a small, heavy saucepan, cook Pinot noir over medium heat until reduced to ¼ cup, about 20 minutes. 
2. Meanwhile, prep butter and set aside with heavy cream.
3. After wine has reduced, begin caramel sauce. 
4. In a medium, heavy saucepan, add sugar in an even layer over the bottom and heat over medium heat, watching carefully, until it begins to melt.
5. As sugar melts, stir with a heavy, wooden spoon until it’s completely dissolved and begins to turn brown. When caramel reaches 350 degrees F, turn off heat and add butter all at once, whisking until combined, followed by heavy cream.
6. Finish with reduced Pinot and stir until smooth. 
7. Sauce will thicken as it cools and can be used immediately or stored in refrigerator after cooled up to two weeks. Reheat and stir to reach desired consistency and temperature for serving.

 

Cake + Recipe / Sarah Deragon of Portraits to the People Photography / Styling: Boxwood Avenue + A Savvy Lifestyle / Pangloss Cellars Venue