Raspberry & White Chocolate Cake

INGREDIENTS

CAKES
• 400g unsalted butter
• 400g caster sugar
• 400g self-raising flour
• 8 medium eggs
• 300g raspberries
• 300g white chocolate, melted

BUTTER ICING
• 350g unsalted butter
• 700g icing sugar
• 300g white chocolate, melted

Optional to decorate – handful fresh raspberries & freeze dried raspberries

METHOD

1. Grease and line 3 x 8inch round springform cake tins and preheat the oven to 180 degrees fan.
2. Beat together your unsalted butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs and beat until combined. Then add the melted and cooled white chocolate and beat again.
3. Add flour and beat again until smooth. Then fold in the raspberries to the cake mixture.
4. Spoon equal amounts into each tin and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
5. Remove from oven, leave in the tin for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Once the cakes are completely cool I always level off the top of each one, it just makes it much easier to pipe and stack.
6. To make the buttercream, beat the butter until pale and fluffy, then add the icing sugar and white chocolate and beat again until soft and creamy.
7. Either pipe or spoon onto the first cake, add the second cake on top and repeat the process.

Optional: Once the top of the cake has been iced decorate with fresh raspberries and freeze dried raspberries

ENJOY! If you opt for Raspberry & White Chocolate Cake, please do share a picture!

Easy Lemon & Raspberry Loaf Cake

This does what it says in the title really, it’s easy and quick to make, it’s a long bake in the oven so it’s a super delicious one.

INGREDIENTS

200g nsalted butter
200g golden caster sugar
4 large eggs
200g self raising flour
1 lemon, zest and juice
250g raspberries
150g icing sugar

METHOD

1. 1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees fan and line a loaf tin
   2. Using a hand or stand mixer beat the sugar and butter until light and creamy
   3. Add eggs and beat again, then add flour and beat until combined
   4. Add lemon zest and raspberries and fold through the mixture with a spoon
   5. Pour the loaf batter into the lined tin and bake for about 55-60 mins or until a skewer comes out clean
   6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack
   7. Whilst it cools slightly mix the lemon juice with the icing sugar until a smooth paste is formed. Pour this all over the still warm loaf.
   8. You can either serve warm or allow to cool completely. It will store in an airtight container for around 3 days (if it lasts that long)Tip : this is gorgeous served with either mascarpone or crème fraiche.

ENJOY! If you opt for Easy Lemon & Raspberry Loaf Cake, please do share a picture!

Cherry & Raspberry Brownies

These are always a winner with my friends and family, everyone loves a brownie!

INGREDIENTS

200g dark chocolate
100g milk chocolate
250g salted butter
300g light brown sugar
150g raspberries
150g glace cherries
4 large eggs
140g plain flour
50g cocoa powder

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees (fan) and line a 20 x 20cm baking tray tin with baking paper
2. Combine the chocolate, butter and sugar in a saucepan and gently melt, stir it occasionally then remove from the heat
3. Stir the eggs, one by one, into the melted mixture
4. Sieve in the flour and cocoa, and then mix together
5. Stir in 1/2 of the raspberries and all of the glace cherries (chopped up), put into the tray, then scatter over the remaining raspberries. Bake on the middle shelf for 40 mins or, if you prefer it more firm for 5 mins more. (I prefer them still a bit gooey in the middle!).
6. Cool completely before slicing into squares

Enjoy!

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Raspberry & Chocolate Cheesecake Meringue

So, this looks quite complicated, it really isn’t and yet it makes a real statement but most importantly tastes AMAZING! You also don’t have to pipe the icing, that bit is completely optional.

INGREDIENTS

Meringue

4 large Egg whites
230 g Caster sugar
1 tsp White wine vinegar
1 tsp Cornflour
130 g Milk chocolate

Cheesecake

150ml double cream
150g Philadelphia full fat
100g milk chocolate melted and cooled
4 tbsp baileys liquor
2 tbsp icing sugar

Raspberry Crush

150g Raspberrys
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp icing sugar

METHOD

1. 1. Preheat your oven to 100c fan, and line baking tray
   2. Used a stand mixer with the whisk attachment (ensure it is both clean and dry) and add in the egg whites, whisk them to stiff peaks and then add in the sugar a tbsp at a time (keep the whisk on whilst you add in), avoid pouring in all at once
   3. When all the sugar is whisked in add in the white wine vinegar and cornflour and whisk again, this time for another about 3 mins.
   4. Spoon on to the baking tray (I made 6 large ones, but you could make 8 smaller ones). Then add one tbsp of melted chocolate to each meringue and swirl in gently on the top.
   5. Bake in the oven for 40-45 mins until its crisp on the outside. Turn the oven off and leave to cool in the oven for 30 mins before removing and cooling completely on a wire rack (use a spatula to put on to the rack).
   6. Whilst they are cooling make the toppings
   7. In a stand mixer beat the cream, icing sugar, baileys, cooled melted chocolate and cream cheese until stiff.
   8. In a small mixing bowl add raspberries, maple syrup and icing sugar, crush all together with the back of a fork until mixed completely.
   9. TO ASSEMBLE (do this right before serving, everything can be made in advance, store the toppings in the fridge and the meringue in an airtight container)Dollop 2-3 tablespoons of the cheesecake mixture on to the fully cooled meringues and then top that with a tablespoon of the raspberry crush, use a fork to swirl the raspberry crush into the cheesecake mixture and serve.

Enjoy!

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