Big City, Little Kitchen

I knew I had to make these cakes when I opened up my January issue of Gourmet; what I did not know was that it would turn into a prohibitively expensive venture.  The recipe calls for 2/3 cup of vin santo, which, as a novice dessert-wine drinker, I had no idea costs at least $40 per bottle.  Fortunately, my local wine store is staffed with people who are incredibly knowledgeable when it comes to both wine and food, and they led me to a tawny port, which would ideally replicate many of the vin santo’s qualities for about $15.  Now, if you happen to have a bottle of vin santo in-house, or are a fan of dessert wines and don’t mind investing, I would love to hear how these turn out when made as intended by Gourmet.  

However, for the non-oenophile, tawny port seems to do the job.  The flavors of the orange zest and the grapes blossom in the oven, and the port produces a warm, baking-bread fragrance that permeates the entire apartment.  The mini cakes, baked in a muffin pan, are tastefully spare and unadorned, and would make a chic counterpoint to a substantial winter dinner of pasta bolognese or cassoulet.  The only caveat:  these are best served warm and fresh from the oven; after a day or so they lose their lovely aromatic quality and fluffy texture.

Port-Spiked Grape Cakes (adapted from January 2009 Gourmet)

• 1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 2/3 plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
• 2 large eggs
• zest of one orange
• 2/3 cup tawny port
• 1 1/4 cups seedless red grapes (7 oz)

In a bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  In another bowl, rub zest into 2/3 cup sugar with your fingers, until sugar is damp and zest is well-incorporated.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Butter and flour a muffin tin.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter with the zest-and-sugar mixture on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with wine, beginning and ending with flour and mixing until just incorporated.

Toss grapes with remaining tablespoon of flour, then fold into batter.

Divide batter among muffin cups. Sprinkle with remaining 2 Tbsp granulated sugar. Bake until golden and springy to the touch, 18 to 20 minutes. Cool in pan 5 minutes, then loosen with a knife and remove. Cool to warm, 5 to 10 minutes more (tops of cakes will sink a bit when cooled).  Makes 12 cakes.