I Love raspberries A very British seasonal soft berry fruit which crops from late June until October. Originally thought to be from Asia and a member of the Rose family. Most of the ones we buy in our shops in season are grown in Scotland which forming a important part of the Scottish economy.
Here at Wedding and Events Angel We have an abundance of raspberries in our vegetable garden this year..
Tips: Raspberries should be a rich pink colour, plump and dry. Berries intact with their hulls will be under ripe and sour. It’s best not to wash them if you can avoid it as they become soggy and mushy.
Storage: Keep in your fridge and eat within 2-3 days, they freeze really well, when I have too many to eat from our garden I lay them on a baking sheet in a single layer and open freeze them then transfer them to a plastic storage tub and pop them back in the freezer ready to use in one of my favourite recipes
Dark Chocolate White chocolate and Raspberry cake – a lovely rich dark chocolate fudge cake great as a dessert or delicious treat for friends and family.
Adapted from a recipe my good friend Anna gave me and bakes when I visit her in the south of France….
The good for you facts:
Raspberries are high in fibre, iron, potassium and vitamins A and C. They also contain phytochemicals including beta-carotene (helps protect against heart disease) and ellagic acid (linked with reducing the risk of cancer).
Dark Chocolate and Raspberry tray bake
Ingredients
250g, butter (softened)
250g, self-raising flour
125g, drinking chocolate powder
100g, Cocoa powder
250g, golden caster sugar
4, eggs (beaten)
3 tbsp. Natural yogurt
Decoration
100g, melted white chocolate
100g, fresh raspberries
Method
- Pre-heat oven to 180c/fan 160/ gas mark 4. Line a 30x20cm cake Tin with grease proof paper.
- In a food mixer or a bowl, cream butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs, all of the dry ingredients and yogurt, mix well until combined.
- Pour the cake mixture into the cake tin, smooth over with a spatula and make it level. Sprinkle over the frozen raspberries pushing each raspberry into the mixture.
- Place into your pre-heated oven, on the middle shelf for 45mins. Half way through the baking time cover with a double layer of baking parchment to prevent it from burning, until risen and cooked.
Tip: to test if the cake is cooked press the cake lightly, it should bounce back without much resistance and come slightly away from the edges of the tin.
- Leave to cool slightly then turn out on a wire rack.
- To decorate – rest a bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water, break up the chocolate into the bowl stirring occasionally until it has melted.
- Using a fork drizzle the White chocolate in lines across the top of the cake sprinkling with raspberries and serve.
This is delicious served warm as a dessert with vanilla ice cream and freezes well for up to 3 months.
Enjoy!
Carol X
Wedding And Events Angel
