White chocolate and raspberry cake

When asking Mark what cake he would like for his birthday the answer was 'something with chocolate or something like a Victoria sponge'. I was not sure what to do with such wide scope. Then as luck would have it, just a few days later, this months good food magazine popped through my door.

Inside was a cake recipe by John Whaite, the winner of this years Great British bake off, a sort of Victoria sponge with raspberries in and sandwiched together with white chocolate ganache. Perfect.

Simply it is a Victoria sponge but white chocolate is added, the butter and chocolate are melted first. Raspberries are added to the mix before baking and once cool the whole thing is sandwiched together with white chocolate ganache.

I do appreciate that he won and I should not mess with a master but I made a few tweaks to suit my own personal tastes and because I did not want to waste the leftover raspberries.

With the leftover raspberries I made a quick soft set jam. I used this as well as the ganache to sandwich the cake together. You could use bought jam or leave it out, as per the original recipe.

White chocolate and raspberry cake (adapted from John Whaite and good food magazine)

For the cake

200g butter
100g white chocolate
175g caster sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla paste or extract
4 eggs
200g self raising flour
175g raspberries, fresh or frozen

For the ganache

180ml double cream
200g white chocolate

For the quick jam

leftover raspberries, I had 175g
jam sugar, I used ~30g

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C FAN. Grease and line two 20cm loose bottom cake tins, If like me you only have one half the cake batter and bake one cake at a time.

Melt the butter and chocolate together in a heatproof bowl placed over a saucepan of barely simmering water.

When melted allow to cool for 1-2 minutes the beat in the sugar, vanilla and eggs. Fold in the flour and the raspberries. Spoon into the cake tins and level the top.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until golden and a skewer comes out clean.

Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

Meanwhile to make the ganache melt the chocolate and 80ml of the cream in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Oncemelted allow to cool and thicken. Once cool beat the remaining cream into the ganache until light (er).

If you wish to make the quick jam simply put the raspberries into a pan with the sugar (no need for any water) and bring to a simmer. Once simmering boil for 15 minutes, stirring from time to time and then set aside to cool. 

Sandwich the sponges together with the jam and ganache then enjoy!