Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.

I used to skip parchment paper because I thought greasing the pans was enough, but one time half my cake stuck to the bottom and completely fell apart. Since then, I always use parchment.

Set the prepared pans aside while you make the batter.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

You don’t need to overdo the whisking here. Just make sure the baking powder is evenly mixed so the cake rises properly.

The flour mixture should look light and evenly combined without lumps.

In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar together using a hand mixer for about 3 to 4 minutes.

The mixture should become lighter in color and fluffy-looking. If the butter still looks chunky, keep mixing a little longer.

The first time I made this Mary Berry White Chocolate and Raspberry Cake, my butter was still slightly cold and the batter looked weirdly grainy. Letting the butter soften properly really helps.

Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition. Then stir in the vanilla extract.

If the batter looks slightly curdled at this stage, don’t panic. Mine usually does a little, especially during colder months. Once the flour goes in, it smooths back out.

The batter should smell rich and buttery at this point.

Slowly pour the melted white chocolate into the batter while mixing on low speed.

Make sure the chocolate is not hot. Warm is okay, but hot chocolate can scramble the eggs or melt the butter too much.

I noticed that using good-quality white chocolate makes the flavor taste smoother and less sugary.

Add half the flour mixture into the batter and mix gently. Pour in the milk, then add the remaining flour mixture.

Mix just until combined. Overmixing can make the cake dense.

The batter should look thick, creamy, and smooth.

Gently fold the raspberries into the batter using a spatula.

Try not to crush them too much. A few streaks of raspberry are fine though. Actually, I kind of like the little swirls because they make the cake look homemade.

Fresh raspberries work best because frozen ones release more moisture.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.

Bake for 30 to 32 minutes or until the tops are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.

Your kitchen will smell buttery and sweet while these bake.

The cake tops should spring back lightly when touched.

Let the cakes cool in the pans for about 10 minutes.

Then carefully transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Do not frost warm cakes. I made that mistake once and the frosting slid everywhere.

In a large bowl, beat the softened butter until creamy.

Add the powdered sugar gradually, then mix in the melted white chocolate, heavy cream, and vanilla extract.

The frosting should become smooth and fluffy after a few minutes.

If it feels too soft, chill it in the refrigerator for 15 minutes before frosting the cake.

What worked better for me was slightly cooling the frosting first because white chocolate frosting can get loose pretty quickly.

Place one cake layer onto a serving plate.

Spread a thick layer of frosting over the top, then add a small handful of fresh raspberries.

Place the second cake layer on top and frost the top and sides.

Don’t stress about making it perfectly smooth. Slightly messy homemade frosting honestly looks more inviting sometimes.

Top the cake with extra raspberries and white chocolate shavings.

You can dust a little powdered sugar on top if you want a softer bakery-style look.

Slice and serve once the frosting has set slightly.

The texture should be soft, creamy, and slightly fruity with little bursts of raspberry in each bite.