Bakewell cake

Serves 6-8

You will need:

• 150g butter, softened • 150g caster sugar • 2 eggs • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract • 50ml milk • 150g self-raising flour • 150g ground almonds • 150g fresh or frozen raspberries • 25g flaked almonds • Icing sugar, for dusting • Softly whipped cream or fresh raspberries (optional), to serve • Mint leaves, to decorate (optional)

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C, 350F, Gas 4. Butter the sides of a 20cm springform cake tin and line the base with a disc of baking parchment.

2 Cream the butter until it is soft in a large bowl or in an electric food mixer. Add the caster sugar, and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.

3 Whisk the eggs and the vanilla extract together in a small bowl for a few seconds or just until they are combined, then gradually add the eggs and vanilla mixture to the creamed butter and sugar mixture, beating all the time. Next, beat in the milk, then add the sifted self-raising flour and the ground almonds, carefully folding these in just until they are mixed.

4 Next, add the fresh or frozen raspberries, whichever you are using. Fold them in gently so as not to break them up too much. Tip the cake batter into the prepared tin, then scatter over the flaked almonds. Bake the cake in the centre of the oven for 50–55 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.

5 Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the tin for 10 minutes. Use a small, sharp knife to loosen the edges, then carefully remove the cake from the tin. Leave the cake on a wire rack to cool down completely, before transferring it to a serving plate or a picnic box. Dust with icing sugar. Serve the cake with softly whipped cream if you wish, or decorate with fresh raspberries and mint leaves, if you are using them.