Let me just say: if cakes had personalities, this one would be the effortlessly charming guest who arrives with a bottle of Prosecco and a bouquet of peonies. Nigella’s Raspberry and White Chocolate Cake is a soft, deeply satisfying sponge speckled with tart raspberries and flecks of melting white chocolate. It feels like it belongs at a garden party in early summer, maybe under a striped parasol, surrounded by laughter and mismatched vintage plates.
But here’s the thing-despite sounding like something you’d buy from an upscale patisserie, this cake is wildly doable in your own kitchen. I first made it on a rainy Tuesday when I needed something indulgent but not fussy. You know the mood. I had some raspberries that were about to turn and a half-eaten bar of white chocolate (yes, I’d been nibbling) and I remembered seeing this cake in one of Nigella’s books, How to Be a Domestic Goddess-which, by the way, is like a warm hug of a cookbook.
The result? A cake that strikes a beautiful balance-sweet but not cloying, fruity without being too bright and with just the right amount of gooey bits to make you pause and savor every bite.
Nigella Raspberry And White Chocolate Cake Recipe
Ingredients Needed
Let’s talk ingredients. One of the things I love about this cake is how unfussy it is. No trips to obscure baking shops or online orders for weird extracts. Most of this is probably already in your pantry and if not, the substitutions are forgiving.
- 125g soft unsalted butter. Don’t cheat with margarine here; it’s the butter that gives the sponge its richness.
- 125g caster sugar – Regular sugar works if you don’t have caster, just give it a blitz in a food processor.
- 2 large eggs – Room temperature, always. Trust me on this one.
- 150g plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp vanilla extract. Use the good stuff if you can.
- 100g white chocolate, chopped – I once used a chopped-up white Toblerone. Game changer.
- 150g raspberries – Fresh are best but I’ve used frozen in a pinch (just don’t thaw them first).
- 4 tbsp milk – Whole milk gives the best texture but again, use what you’ve got.
The charm of this cake is how homey it feels. It’s not about precision. it’s about stirring, folding and feeling like you’re making something warm and lovely.
Equipment Needed
This is not one of those cakes that needs specialty tools or a stand mixer that costs as much as a holiday. Here’s what you’ll need:
- A mixing bowl – Preferably one with a bit of weight to it. I have a ceramic one that’s chipped on the rim and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
- Electric hand mixer or a whisk – If you’re going old-school and whisking by hand, maybe skip arm day at the gym.
- Rubber spatula – For folding in the raspberries and white chocolate without turning everything into mush.
- 20cm round cake tin. Springform if you have it, greased and lined.
- Cooling rack – Or the back of a baking sheet in a pinch.
I once made this cake in a borrowed Airbnb kitchen with nothing but a fork, a salad bowl and a baking dish. It still turned out beautifully lopsided and delicious. Moral of the story: don’t stress the tools too much.
Instructions To Make Nigella Lawson’s Raspberry And White Chocolate Cake
Here’s where the magic happens. Set aside an hour. Put on some music (I personally recommend some Ella Fitzgerald or Fleetwood Mac). Light a candle if you’re feeling extra. Here we go:
- Preheat your oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F. Grease and line your cake tin.
- Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. This step always reminds me of baking with my gran, who used to tell me, ’If your arm isn’t tired, you”re not done yet”.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add a spoonful of flour if the mix looks like it might curdle. (Spoiler: it’ll probably look a little wonky. That’s fine.)
- Stir in the vanilla extract. Breathe in. It already smells good.
- Sift in the flour, baking powder and bicarb. Mix until just combined. Don’t overmix-we’re baking a cake, not bread.
- Fold in the chopped white chocolate and raspberries. Gently. Like you’re tucking a baby into bed. Too rough and the raspberries will bleed everywhere (which, honestly, still looks kinda pretty).
- Add the milk to loosen the batter a bit. You want a soft dropping consistency.
- Spoon into the tin, level the top and bake for about 25-30 minutes. You’re looking for golden edges and a skewer that comes out with just a few crumbs.
- Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack. Try not to burn your fingers because the smell is absolutely torturous.
You can dust it with icing sugar, serve it with crème fraîche or just eat it straight from the cooling rack. No judgment here.
What I Learnt
This cake taught me the quiet beauty of baking when no one’s watching. The kind of baking you do not for a birthday or a celebration but just because Tuesday needs something soft and sweet. It reminded me that elegance doesn’t have to be complicated and that raspberries and white chocolate are soulmates that somehow always find their way back to each other in the batter.
More personally, it helped me slow down. You can’t rush folding raspberries into cake batter. You can’t speed up that golden crust forming in the oven. There’s a pace to baking that gently insists you be present-and in our ever-buzzing world, that’s a small act of rebellion.
FAQs
Can I Use Frozen Raspberries Instead Of Fresh For This Cake?
Yes! I actually prefer using frozen raspberries sometimes-they’re super convenient and give you a great burst of flavor when baked. Just make sure to fold them in gently so the batter doesn’t turn pink. And, since they’re frozen, there’s less chance of them turning mushy.
How Can I Make The White Chocolate Flavor More Intense?
Good question! If you want to punch up that white chocolate flavor, you can add a bit of extra melted white chocolate to the batter or even sprinkle some finely chopped pieces into the cake. Trust me, the extra chocolatey goodness is totally worth it!
Can I Make This Cake Ahead Of Time?
Absolutely! The cake actually gets better after a day or two, as all the flavors have time to develop. You can bake it in advance, just make sure to store it in an airtight container to keep it fresh. If you’re planning to serve it for a special occasion, you could even freeze it-just let it cool completely before wrapping it up and freezing.
