Raspberry & Chocolate Chip Cake

I have a small Bundt tin which I have developed this cake for but it also works really well in a loaf tin. 

If making as a Bundt be sure to spray the tin well with cake release before adding the batter. 

After baking leave to cool completely in the tin with a wire rack and damp tea towel covering it. If using a loaf tin grease and line with parchment.

150g Raspberries (I use frozen as they hold their shape better) 

100g chocolate chips (I use milk, but dark would work also) 

180g self-raising flour

150g unsalted butter, softened

1 tsp vanilla extract

150g caster sugar

3  eggs, beaten 
3 Tbsp good raspberry jam
Icing Sugar
Dried rose petals
Freeze dried raspberry pieces

You will also need a 900g (2lb) loaf tin or a 6 cup Bundt tin, the inside buttered and the base and ends lined with a strip of buttered baking parchment.

Preheat the oven to 160˚c

Tip the flour, butter, sugar, vanilla extract and eggs into a bowl and either using a freestanding mixer or an electric hand-whisk beat until really light and creamy.

Spoon the half cake mixture into the prepared tin, now spike that with half of the raspberries, and tsp's of the raspberry jam (making sure the jam doesn't touch the sides of the tin). Mix the chocolate chips through the remaining cake batter. Spoon over the raspberry layer, spike the top of the batter with the remaining raspberries.

Bake on the middle shelf of the preheated oven for about 55-70 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes away cleanly. If it starts to darken too quickly cover with foil. 

Cool the cake in the tin for about 5 minutes and then carefully lift it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Mix together the icing sugar with a little water until you have a thickish paste, now drizzle over the cold cake and decorate with the rose petals and freeze dried raspberry pieces. 

*When baked in the Bundt tin it will bake to the lower time or slightly less.