Raspberry White Chocolate Bundt Cake
Smooth and delicious, this cake has a fantastic flavor combination. The crumb is dense but soft, and the cake can be frozen. Make it for Christmas, bridal showers, baby showers and Mother's Day. You'll love this recipe if you like the Nothing bundt cake version of this flavor combo!
Servings 10 servings
Ingredients
White chocolate berry cake:
- 1 or 2 tablespoons soft shortening or margarine to grease the bundt pan
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoons salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 ½ cups white granulated sugar
- 3 eggs at room temperature
- 1 ¼ cup buttermilk or whole milk with 1 tablespoon lemon juice. See Notes below for substitutions.
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup raspberries fresh or frozen
- ¼ teaspoon lemon zest optional
- 3 ounces white chocolate very finely chopped or grated (or use mini white chocolate chips)
Topping:
- 6 ounces white chocolate chopped
- ¼ cup heavy or heavy whipping cream
- ⅓ cup raspberries to decorate
Instructions
For the cake batter:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF (180°C).
- Grease with 1 or 2 tablespoons soft shortening or margarine a large 10 or 12-cup bundt cake pan. I use my fingers, but you can use a brush. Make sure every nook, cranny and angle is covered. Flour it, shaking off excess. Reserve.
- If using fresh raspberries, transfer 2 tablespoons from the total flour amount and put them in a bowl. They will be used to coat the raspberries right before adding them to the batter so they don't sink to the bottom. If using frozen ones, add them directly.
- Sift the rest of the flour, 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder and ½ teaspoons salt. Set aside. I have the ingredients measured and sift them directly over the batter.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat ¾ cup unsalted butter until creamy. Slowly add 1 ½ cups white granulated sugar and beat for 2 minutes. Use an electric mixer or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
- Add 3 eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, and then beat for 1 minute.
- Beginning and ending with dry ingredients, add them in 3 parts alternating with 1 ¼ cup buttermilk and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract in 2 parts.
- Stir ¾ cup raspberries with the reserved flour. Add them to the batter with the ¼ teaspoon lemon zest and 3 ounces white chocolate, and fold them gently with a spatula. Don't use the beater, and don't mix it too much. We want the chocolate to be incorporated but the raspberries to remain whole, coated as much as they can in flour, and not stain the batter much.
- Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan, spreading evenly.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Depending on the oven and pan you're using, it might take more.
- Let cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack, then move and lightly shake the pan, grabbing it by the sides with both hands (and a kitchen towel since it's hot!). That way, the cake starts to loosen. If it doesn't, I use a small, smooth-bladed knife to separate the batter from the sides and center tube. The raspberries sometimes stick to the walls of the pan. Do this carefully.
- Once you make sure it can be removed, do so over a wire rack and let cool completely.
For the white chocolate ganache:
- Finely chop 6 ounces white chocolate and put it in a medium bowl.
- Heat ¼ cup heavy or heavy whipping cream until it is about to get to the boiling point, remove and add immediately to the chocolate, covering it. It will seem like too much chocolate for so little cream, and there is a point there. But it will melt, and you will be able to mix it. We want a thick ganache, and for that, we need more chocolate than cream.
- Let stand for a minute and whisk until smooth. If bits of chocolate remain, microwave in 5-10 seconds bursts and whisk every time until the mixture is smooth.
- Put the cold cake on a wire rack with a parchment paper underneath or on a smooth surface like the kitchen counter or marble.
- Let the ganache cool until it thickens but is still pourable. Otherwise, it will be too thin. Drizzle it over the cold cake and let it drip down the sides. It will fall onto the paper or surface. I often scrape the drippings into the bowl and use them again to add a second layer or fill some holes or thin parts. You can also pour half of the ganache, wait until it almost stops dripping and then pour the other half. That will create a double and thicker layer of glaze.
- Decorate with ⅓ cup raspberries, chopped or whole. I used frozen for the photo because it was Winter, but I try to use fresh if I can. Keep in mind that most berries lose their shine and start releasing liquid, so, for best results, add the berries right before you serve it.
Notes
Baking time: consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as possible, but it might take you more or less time. You can use an oven thermometer to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend keeping track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
White chocolate: chop it very finely. You can also grate or process it, but I find it can be messy as the chocolate begins to melt. You can also use white chocolate chips. The idea is for the chocolate to become part of the crumb, so we need it to be finely ground.
Raspberries: fresh or frozen ones can be used. Mix a tablespoon or two of flour (from the total amount in the recipe) with the berries before adding them to the batter. This will help them to distribute better and not sink to the bottom of the cake.
Buttermilk: if unavailable, simply mix ¼ cup of sour cream or Greek yogurt with 1 cup of whole milk. This will make the 1 ¼ cups of liquid needed for the recipe. Mix well and use as if it were the buttermilk. Homemade buttermilk: mix 1 cup of milk (preferably whole milk) with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes at room temperature until it thickens and slightly curdles. Stir it once more, and measure it again before using.
Batter: take the time to cream butter and sugar well, but refrain from mixing it too much after adding the chocolate and berries, unless you want the raspberries to stain the whole cake. It might be fun too.
Storing: this cake keeps well for several days, wrapped in plastic wrap, and freezes beautifully for a month. But I recommend freezing the plain cake for best results, and glazing it when you plan to eat it. The plastic wrap will crush the raspberries, and the ganache will lose its shine. But if you need to freeze leftovers, just know what will happen. The cake will still be delicious.
