Chocolate and Raspberry

I only moved home for summer this week and I have already settled in and managed to bake a cake for my family. I was meant to be adding pistachio nuts to this recipe but I did not realise the small local shops at home did not sell pistachios!! I have not quite got used to the country living again quite yet!

In summer, we usually have lots of wild raspberries growing in our garden which is so handy when it comes to baking and making jam! There hasn't been much growth yet but hopefully with a bit more sun I'll be able to use the homegrown raspberries rather than the Co-op's!

I like being home because I am back in the kitchen I was used to baking in for years and also, I can use my hen's eggs in my recipes.

☆ - Prep Time: 30-35 minutes.
    Cooking Time: 30 minutes.
    Easiness: Easy.

Ingredients: 

The Sponge:

• 175g self-raising flour.
• 225g caster sugar. 
• 225g unsalted butter. 
• 4 eggs. 
• 50g cocoa powder. 
• 80g raspberries finely chopped.

The Topping:

• 150g dark chocolate, melted.
• 35g cocoa powder.
• 20g butter, melted.

Method: 

The Sponge: 

1. Preheat the oven to 180° and grease two round cake tins. 
2. Weigh out the butter and the sugar and cream together until light and fluffy. 
3. In a separate bowl, sieve in the cocoa powder and the flour. 
4. Add in the eggs to the butter and sugar, one at a time with a bit of the flour and cocoa alternately. Then add the rest of the flour and cocoa powder to the mix and stir thoroughly.
5. Once the batter is mixed, add in the finely chopped raspberries and stir into the mixture. 
6.  Pour evenly into the two cake tins and place in the oven for 30 minutes. 

The Topping:

1. Melt the butter and chocolate over a low heat. Once the mixture is smooth, remove from the heat. 
2. Whisk in the cocoa powder. The mix should still be runny.
3. Pour over the cooled cakes and place one cake on top of the other creating a sandwich. 
4. Put the rest of the chocolate on the top of the cake and spread to the sides using a palette knife.
5. I placed a handful of raspberries in the middle just for decoration. 

Thanks to Harriet for the lovely plate.

I always like to enjoy my cakes with a cup of tea once I have tidied the kitchen and can relax. 

Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed this post.