White Chocolate and Raspberry Cake

Last weekend, in a I'm-so-late-to-the-party-is-it-worth-turning-up-at-all type of fashion, Spring finally sprung.

A temporary reprieve perhaps, but the entire nation could enjoy the sunshine, relieved we hadn't offended Spring in some unforgivable way that meant a freezing winter would metamorphose into a soggy Summer without so much as a glimpse of a frolicking lamb or a blooming daffodil.

It was even warm enough to manage to be sitting outside for the first time since...2009. Admittedly we were all still wearing our thermals. That's right, the thermals we haven't taken off since October....2009.

In the Cotswolds, where I spent the weekend, mainly outdoors making the most of the warmth, our cheeks glowed with sunshine and fresh air. As opposed to a fancy blusher and running for the number 414 bus.

And look, we even had a brew and a slice of cake outside!

'Course normal service has since resumed: rain, rain, rain, a bit of sun with the rain, rain, rain.

This cake was based on a recipe found on Good Gobble blog who in turn was inspired by a recipe in The Primrose Bakery Cookbook.

Baker's notes...

• Adding the raspberry jam to the cake provides a lovely sweet moistness to the sponge
• The fresh, tart raspberries compliment with sweetness of the white chocolate perfectly. And while a little out of season the fresh berries did provide a tantalising promise of what may come this summer