We really though something might be happening yesterday as I had some pains in the morning and they ramped up a bit in the evening but then they died off. It's been a bit on and off this morning with one stomach cramp that I timed and it lasted 1m15s but there has been nothing since then. We know the head is fully engaged following a presentation scan we had on Thursday so now it's just a matter of waiting...

One plus of maternity leave though is I can actually stay on top of blog posts and publish recipes on time instead of weeks afterwards (yes I know this will all change after bubs arrives but humour me for the moment please).

Yesterday, 21st February, we held our New Beginnings event for Wharfedale CCC at Cranberry's Cafe in Otley and what a gem of a place it is - I'll definitely be going back. Most people thought I was mad for booking in an event a week before my due date but if I hadn't I probably would have spent most of the day moping about; instead I got to indulge in cake and time with friends!

For the event I wanted to bake something I hadn't made before but also something fairly quick and easy. I had treated myself to the Blossom Bundt Pan with my birthday money (it's so pretty!) so this was a perfect excuse to use it. 

Whenever I want to bake a Bundt I always check out Dollybake's blog first as that girl seems to have thought of every flavour combination going. One thing I did notice she has done a few times was poured a jar of chocolate spread to cover the cake instead of using icing. Now this sounded ideal and like the perfect time saver. Pop the jar in the microwave for 20 seconds to soften it so that it is of a pourable consistency and voilà - perfect bundt covering!

Before deciding on the cake flavour I checked out what jars of spreads Asda had on their website while I was doing a "fill the freezer and hospital snack bag" shop last week and spotted a jar of white chocolate spread. I knew instantly I had to make something raspberry and white chocolate related and after a few tweaks to my usual victoria sponge recipe I came up with this...

White Chocolate and Raspberry Bundt

340g baking spread

340g caster sugar

340g SR flour

2 tsp baking powder

6 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 tbsp white chocolate spread

Punnet of raspberries

• Preheat the oven to 160C (fan)
• Grease and flour bundt tin of your choice
• Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy
• Beat in the flour, baking powder, eggs, vanilla and spread
• Gently fold in a handful of raspberries and set aside the remaining for decoration
• Pour into the tin
• Bake in the oven for 50mins - 1 hour or until a skewer inserted comes out clean
• Once baked leave to cool in the tin for half an hour before tipping out onto a wire rack to cool completely

To Decorate

Jar of white chocolate spread

Remaining punnet of raspberries

White chocolate shavings

Freeze dried raspberries

• Pop the jar of spread in the microwave for 20 seconds and pour over your bundt
• Tumble the raspberries into the centre of the cake
• Scatter with chocolate shavings and freeze dried raspberries

Enjoy!