White chocolate and raspberry cake

Method

• step 1

  Heat the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 4. Butter and line 1 x 20cm, 1 x 18cm and 1 x 16cm cake tin.

• step 2

  Sift together the flour and baking powder, then set aside. In a stand mixer, cream together the butter and caster sugar until light and creamy. Add the vanilla essence along with a little beaten egg, then beat well before adding more egg, mixing well between each addition. Add a little flour if the mixture starts to curdle. Fold in the remaining flour before gently folding through the raspberries.

• step 3

  Divide the mixture between the three baking tins and bake for 25-35 mins until golden and a skewer inserted in the middle of each cake comes out clean. Cool for 5 mins before turning out onto cooling racks to cool fully.

• step 4

  To make the icing, roughly chop 100g white chocolate and put in a heatproof bowl along with 3 tbsp of the cream. Put over a pan of simmering water, ensuring the base of bowl isn’t touching the water. Heat until melted, stirring to mix. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 5 mins before beating in the mascarpone a bit at a time until mixed and smooth.

• step 5

  Whisk together the remaining cream along with the icing sugar and vanilla essence until soft peaks form. Add the cream mixture to the mascarpone mix and whisk until holding its shape.

• step 6

  To assemble, put the larger cake on a serving plate and spread with a thick layer of the icing, spreading right to the edges. Scatter with raspberries before topping with the middle-sized cake and repeating. Finally, top with the small cake and the remaining icing and raspberries. Using a vegetable peeler or sharp knife, shave or finely chop the remaining white chocolate and scatter over the cake to finish.