Ingredients

Step by step

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C, fan 160°C, gas 4. Grease 2 x 20cm loose-based cake tins and line the bases with baking paper. Put the butter, caster sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and rose water into the bowl of a free-standing electric mixer (or you can use a handheld electric whisk and mixing bowl). Sift in the flour, lifting the sieve quite high to incorporate air, and beat for 1–2 minutes until light and creamy. Divide the mixture between the cake tins, smoothing the surface of the mixture with a spatula or the back of a spoon.
2. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until well risen and a skewer inserted into the middle of the cakes come out clean. Meanwhile, make the rose syrup, put the sugar in a pan
 with 60ml water and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved. Turn up the heat and let it bubble for 1 minute, then remove from the heat. Add the rose water (be careful as the syrup will be very hot). When the cakes are cooked, leave to cool in the tins for 10 minutes.
3. Melt the white chocolate in a bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, making sure the water is not touching the bottom of the bowl. Stir the mixture every now and then until all of the chocolate has melted. Leave the chocolate to cool until needed.
4. Turn the cakes out onto
a wire rack and peel off the baking paper. While the cakes are still warm, brush about half of the rose syrup over the sponges. For the buttercream, beat the butter until soft and creamy.
 Gradually add the icing sugar and the milk to the butter, mixing on a low speed. When fully incorporated, add the cooled chocolate, 1 tablespoon of the rose syrup and the vanilla extract. Beat for 3-5 minutes on a high speed until soft and fluffy.
5. To prepare the glacé icing, add 1 tablespoon of the rose syrup to the raspberries and crush them with a fork then press through a sieve into a bowl and discard the seeds. Sift in the icing sugar and mix to a smooth icing.
6. To assemble, put 1 sponge on a plate or cake stand and top with the white chocolate and rose buttercream, then arrange 150g raspberries on top. Sandwich the second sponge on top. Pour and smooth the raspberry glacé icing over the top, letting some of it drizzle down the sides. To decorate, sprinkle the rest of the raspberries over the top, using some cut up in small pieces and some whole.