GIN AND TONIC CAKE

 

As I sipped on a particularly good G&T last weekend, I wondered - why not put gin in a cake? Adding a little spirit to your baked goods is nothing new, but you don't often stumble across Gordons or Bombay in a cake's ingredients list. This cake took a few attempts to get right - I'm rather disappointed at the caution I exercised on my first attempt, as this little number can certainly hold her drink.

A beauty this cake is not, but don't let that fool you. She's seeped in gin and rich with sunny lemon zest. I think it really works, but don't take my word for it. Bake for someone special, and thank me later.

THE INGREDIENTS

4 eggs, weighed in their shells

equal weight of:

butter

caster sugar

self-raising flour

2 lemons

8-10 shots of your favourite gin

dash tonic water (optional)

150g granulated sugar

THE RECIPE

Ensure that all your ingredients are at room temperature, and preheat the oven to 180C. Weigh your eggs in their shells, and make a note of the exact weight. Weigh out this much butter and caster sugar, and cream together until light, fluffy and pale. Crack in the eggs, and beat until combined. Sieve in the flour, mix again, then grate in the zest of both lemons. Stir through the juice of 1 lemon and 3-4 shots of gin, then pour into a lined 1kg loaf tin. Bake in the centre of the oven for 45 minutes, or until the cake passes the knife test.

Remove from the oven, and set aside while you make the drizzle. combine the sugar, gin, tonic and remaining lemon in a bowl. Prick the surface of the cake with a fork, then poor over the drizzle. Don't worry if it looks messy - it will more than make up for it in flavour.