Chambord Raspberry Ripple Bundt Cake

I love Chambord. It is the prettiest, girliest drink imaginable – all raspberry and vanilla deliciousness – and it comes in a bottle shaped like a very glam perfume. It’s great in cocktails and simply divine on its own. While enjoying this drink of the gods (or French royalty, specifically) I occasionally – only occasionally, mind – wonder how I could incorporate it into a cake. In a flash of giddy, slightly alcohol-infused excitement, and inspired by the upcoming National Bundt Day (yes! It really is a thing!), I created this recipe. It was meant purely as a bit of fun; it’s actually ended up being, quite possibly, my very favourite cake. Ever. It smells dreamy and looks oh-so pretty. It tastes of raspberry ripple ice cream and looks like the fairies made it in the night after coming home from a big sparkly disco.

All you need to know about Bundt cakes is this: Firstly, any cake can be a Bundt cake. Bundt is just the name of the type of tin. From the simple to the elaborate, a Bundt tin is one of those big and beautiful, heavy-duty tins that look like they mean business and will last a lifetime. Secondly, the true beauty of a cake baked in a Bundt tin lies in the fact that it needs next to no decoration to look absolutely gorgeous. A Bundt tin already makes it gorgeous! A dusting of icing sugar or a simple glaze drizzled over the top is all that’s required – or in this case, a generous sprinkle of edible glitter. Et voilá, a pretty party cake for any celebration. How easy is that!

This cake slices beautifully into 16 generous slices – or about half a ‘tree’ each, if using this particular tin.

For the cake:
300g raspberries
100ml Chambord
200g unsalted butter, softened, plus a little extra for greasing the tin
250g caster sugar
1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
3 large eggs
320g self raising flour
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
100g Greek yogurt (full fat)
100g white chocolate, chopped and melted

For the glaze:
40g icing sugar
1 tbsp Chambord
Silver, pale pink or white edible glitter, to decorate (optional)

 
Place the raspberries in a bowl and pour in the Chambord. Leave them to marinate (or macerate – but it’s such an icky word) overnight – or at least for a few hours – in the fridge.
When you’re ready to make the cake, preheat the oven to 180c /350f / gas mark 4. Drain the raspberries – but remember to keep the Chambord/raspberry juice mix!
Generously brush every last nook and cranny of the tin with a tablespoon or two of melted butter (or sunflower oil), then dust with flour. Tap the tin gently upside down so the excess flour falls out. Set the tin aside.

 
Cream together the butter and sugar on a high speed until really pale and fluffy. You know the drill; it’s virtually impossible to overbeat at this first stage.
Lower the speed and add the vanilla, then the eggs, one at a time. You might need to scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure the eggs are thoroughly incorporated. Add the Greek yogurt, continue mixing until just combined.

 
On a low speed, add the flour in about three batches, mixing on medium-high for about ten seconds between each one. Once all the flour has been added, turn off the motor and pour in the melted (and slightly cooled) white chocolate. Resume mixing for just until the chocolate is completely combined and you have a fluffy, creamy mixture.

Dollop a little under half of the mixture into the tin. Smooth it a little bit with the back of a spoon.

Spoon the drained raspberries evenly on to the cake mix as shown. They’ll probably be a bit wet and mushy, that’s ok! Now pour in the rest of the cake mix and smooth it into place.

 
To make the ripple/marble effect: Using a tea spoon, plunge it into the cake and rotate it clockwise, almost as if you’re scooping ice-cream. Try to avoid going right down to the very bottom of the tin though. You’re just turning the spoon enough to fold the raspberries over and back in, as shown. Repeat all the way around the tin – it’s best to use one hand for the teaspoon and the other hand to rotate the tin.

Once you’ve marbled all over the cake, use a fork to gently smooth the batter back down so it’s quite flat. Don’t worry too much about what it looks like – remember this is actually the bottom of the cake! What you’ve done is added a pretty marbled effect to the inside of the cake, which will hopefully show when it is cut.
Place the cake into the centre of a preheated oven and bake for 60 minutes. Check after 50 minutes. If a cake tester doesn’t come out clean, but the cake is looking too dark, you can quickly place a sheet of tin foil or a baking tray over the top to stop it burning. Return it to the oven for ten minutes and test again. I found 60 minutes to be absolutely perfect. Place on a cooling rack. While it is still in the tin, brush on a few tablespoons of the reserved Chambord/raspberry juice. It will soak right into the cake and add extra flavour and moistness. Allow the cake to cool for at least 40 minutes in the tin before attempting to turn it out. When the tin is cool enough to handle, it is probably safe to remove the cake.

 
Doesn’t it smell gorgeous? I know what you’re thinking. Raspberry Ripple Ice Cream. I told you. Once the cake is completely cold, you can make the glaze. Just mix together the icing sugar and Chambord to make a thin, pale purply-pink glaze, then drizzle over the cake. I poured about a teaspoon over the top of each ‘tree’, and another between each tree. It drips down, finding its own path, which I think looks so pretty. Allow to set for a bit then finish with a generous dusting of edible glitter. Place on a pretty cake stand and you have a truly lovely cake.