I was woken a few nights ago by magpies carolling. Calling to each other in the dark still of night, still cold and frosty I wondered for their safety. Were foxes out prowling? Was there some kind of territorial stand-off with larger beaked more resilient kookaburras? These weren’t questions that would allow me to rest so as one does is 2022, I reached for my phone and started googling. It’s mating season, no danger just the natural rhythms of nature and one of the first calls of a shift in the seasons. I drifted off to sleep to their carousing, their lullaby rocking me to my slumber.

Today as I write this, my back is warmed by the north sun. Unencumbered by clouds, not tempered by rain it’s beams thaw the winter chill from my bones though my lap is cosy under a crocheted woollen blanket still. Shadows dance in my kitchen drawing my gaze through the window, the wattle is blooming. No longer a tree adorned with small chartreuse coloured buds the little golden pompoms have exploded all over the tree like tiny little golden fluffy pearls. Sunshine and wattle a beacon reminding me spring is wriggling its way out of a cold hibernation and bursting forth.

The pruned rose bush and hydrangea is also budding, the earth is warming and the suns daily sweep across the sky is climbing, bathing our terrace in warmth inviting us outward.

I’m reminded of the joy of outside dining, taking a break in the garden with a coffee and baked treat, hosting a long leisurely Sunday lunch, or balmy nights passing platters and clinking glasses. It’s coming round again, the time to host, celebrate and entertain. Until then cake and coffee will do.

As a child one of my favourite chocolate bars was one called a Milky Bar. A bar of creamy white chocolate it was always one that could make me smile and indeed still does. Today white chocolate is frequently paired with raspberries in muffins, their tart pop a perfect foil for the richness of the chunks of white chocolate. These are lovely of course but I like to level it up. White chocolate mud cake and raspberries are a whole other story. Whilst this cake bakes beautifully in a 20 cm round tin it is rich and indulgent and can be hard to polish off cut into traditional wedges. I like to make it in a brownie/slice tin as a slab adorned with raspberry flavoured cream cheese frosting cut into little squares…..or not so little as the occasion requires. A cake/slice Hybrid if you will. It’s a super moist cake allowing you to make ahead and will eat well for up to a week locked away in an air tight container, though if iced I suggest the fridge…if it lasts that long.

Ingredients:

150gm White chocolate chopped

250 gm butter chopped into small cubes

1 ½ c caster sugar

½ tsp salt flakes

½ c milk

½ c sour cream

1 ½ c plain flour

½ self raising flour

2 eggs beaten

1 heaped tb white hot chocolate powder

200 gm raspberries

Method:

Preheat oven 160c non fan forced. Grease and line a 30cm x 20cm brownie/slice tin.

Combine butter, chopped white chocolate and sugar in a saucepan over low heat and slowly heat until all ingredients melted and sugar is dissolved. You made to taste test a couple times to check the sugar….call it quality control. Stir through vanilla, milk and sour cream until combined remove from the heat and allow to cool. I always decant into a cool jug or bowl to speed this part up. Allowing it to cool in a hot saucepan will only slow this process down.

While that’s cooling, in the bowl of a stand mixer, combine dry ingredients and hand whisk to thoroughly mix. Whisk together eggs in a small bowl. Add to bowl with cooled chocolate and butter mixer. Using paddle attachment on your mixer, mix on low speed for one minute or until thoroughly combine. You only want the ingredients to just combine we done want to overmix it.

Pour into the prepared cake tin and dot with the fresh raspberries. Bake in the oven 1 ¼ hours. It will be golden brown and have a crisp sugary crust. Check the cake after 45 minutes to make sure it’s not browning too much on top. Pop a loose sheet of foil over the top the rest of the bake if it does look like its cooking too quickly.

Allow to cool completely in the tin before removing.

Icing:

My kids love this cake uniced and dusted with icing sugar. You might like to try this too, especially served with thick cream.

If you prefer something a little more luxurious, you might like to ice it with a raspberry cream cheese frosting.

250 gm cream cheese softened

100 gm soft butter

Raspberry powder

Combine all ingredients in a stand mixer using whisk attachment and whip until light and fluffy.

Raspberry powder can be hard to get. I make it using crisp freeze dried raspberries whizzed in a vitamix and then sieved to remove seeds. If this is a bridge too far for you, you can use raspberry essence found in the cake making section of supermarkets or a couple spoonfuls of raspberry jam though the flavour will be more subtle and the icing a little thinner.

Notes:

You can of course make this in a 20cm round or square regular cake tin. It will need to be one of regular height and will take 1 hour 40 minutes to cook though I suggest checking it at 1 ¼ hours to see how it’s going. If it’s browing quickly pop a loose sheet of foil over the top.

You can also fold the raspberries through the cake. Do this very gently to try and keep as many as you can whole.

If raspberries aren’t in season try dropping teaspoon sized dollops of raspberry jam randomly across the top of the cake mix before popping in the oven. Using a skewer, gently swirl them through the batter distributing the jam through the ‘mud.’