Fresh raspberry cake with sangiovese verjuice syrup

This delicious, moist raspberry cake will be a sure way to close your Christmas dinner with a bang this holiday season.

Ingredients

For the cake batter

• 2/3 cup plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 2 cups fresh raspberries

For the syrup

• 1 cup Sangiovese Verjuice
• 1/4 cup sugar

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Prepare a 20cm cake pan with vegetable-oil cooking spray and parchment paper.
2. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl and set aside.
3. Put the butter and the sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract. Beat in the eggs one at a time, incorporating each egg completely before adding the next.
4. Incorporate the dry ingredients and the buttermilk, alternating between each, in two additions. Fold in the raspberries and pour into the prepared cake pan and bake for 30 – 40 minutes.
5. To make the syrup, combine the Sangiovese Verjuice and ¼ cup of sugar and heat to boiling point in a small saucepan. Continue to simmer until the syrup is reduced to a consistency that coats the back of a spoon. Take off the heat and cool slightly before spooning over the top of the whole cake or drizzling over individual pieces of cake once they have been cut. Serve with thick cream.