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GIN AND TONIC CAKE

26 June 2014

 

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.


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256 comments:

  1. Oooooh... Can't wait to bake this!

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    1. Let me know how you get on!

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    2. Hi
      If I'm not making a gin cake & I make a rum cake instead do I still have to use the lemons??
      Many thanks Mel

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    3. I agree with leaving out the lemon zest for rum. It's for flavour, so leaving it out won't affect the baking. Just my 2 cents....good luck!

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    4. Hey - if you're using rum, id recommend subbing the lemon and using lime instead! Sounds delish! L x

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    5. Add fresh mint for a mojito cake!

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    6. A bit or orange zest/juice with rum sounds a better option with rum, I might try with spiced rum and a bit of mixed spice in the cake JJ :)

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    7. How big is a shot?

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    8. As big as you want it to be ;)

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    9. I think it's 50mls

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  2. Wow. This looks amazing. Is it 180 degrees conventional or fan oven though? Thanks.

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    1. Thanks anon! It's 180C in a normal oven. When I cook with my mum's fan oven, I always drop the temperature by 15C to account for the added circulation. So 165 fan! Lucy x

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  3. How much is 'a shot of gin'? Is it a standard 25ml measure or less?

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    1. Yes shots are usually 25ml so 10 shots would be 250ml gin...mmmmmm ;-)

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    2. I've always been a little generous in my measures... But yes, 25ml (10 shots makes for a strong cake!)

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  4. This will be my mum's new favourite cake.
    She already loves lemon drizzle cake but adding her favourite tipple.............well.

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    1. Haha she's certainly a woman of good taste in that case!

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  5. will be making this tomorrow morning

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  6. Heavens to Betsy! This is a Pound Cake taken into new territory - I salute you (albeit rather imprecisely, owing to gin-induced lassitude...) I particularly like the topping - most inventive...

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    1. Thank you! The gin drizzle is sinfully good...and perfect for a Friday!

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  7. This looks so lush, I cannot tell you - been waiting for this cake all my life...

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    1. Haha gin and cake is truly a match made in heaven Sally :)

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  8. Hilary Newcombe4 July 2014 at 01:14

    Can't wait to make this - I always add gin when making junket it's gorgeous!

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    1. Nice idea - gin and junket has a 'gin and juice' kinda ring to it!

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    2. How do you make junket ? Used to have this as a child and love it ! With Gin - WOW!!!

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  9. Christmas cake tip. Get a large, air tight jar and fill it with mixed peel and dried fruit. Pour in, until all the fruit is covered, a mixture of brandy and cointreau (or triple sec) or, if you like it, ginger wine and scotch. Put it somewhere out of the light and forget about it until Christmas time. Come Christmas, make you cakes/mince pies etc from the jar then refill the fruit with more liquor to cover. It can last, maturing, for ages. It saves you the trouble of making a cake in October and injecting it with booze until Christmas. Just drain off the soaked fruit before you use it or the cake will be too sloppy.

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    1. Thanks Anon - i'll definitely be getting the Gordons out for some more gin-based treats over Christmas!

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    2. Might I suggest you retain the soaking liquor, as we so, and the mix in with softened good plain ice-cream and refreeze....heavenly christmas dessert for the non pudding fans amongst us!

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    3. Very good idea - we've made Christmas pudding ice cream in the past, and this sounds equally good! L x

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  10. I made this today. It's just cooled down enough so me and the husband shared a slice. Then we shared another. In a minute, we might do that again. And again. :-)

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    1. Hi Alison - aw I'm so glad you liked it! It's sinfully moreish. I'd love to see a photo of your creation (if you had time to take one that is!) L x

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  11. Can this be made with gluten free flour do you know? Not sure I want to waste the gin experimenting but my best friend would love this as her 40th birthday cake!!

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    1. Definitely - I often sub out the flour and replace it with ground almonds, so this shouldn't be a problem. I don't work with GF flour very often, but make sure you check whether you need to alter the amount of baking powder. Let me know how you'd get on! L x

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  12. And Heaven was made on Earth........

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    1. ...perfect for a Friday afternoon. Hello weekend!

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  13. This scrumptiousness is baking in the oven right now... can't wait to try it soon! :) Love the other idea above for Christmas cake/mince pie tipsy fruit! Thank you :)

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    1. Eeek, let me know how you get on Anon! And agreed - thanks to whoever shared that, i'll definitely be extending my alcoholic cake repertoire! x

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  14. This looks amazing! I bought some elderflower gin last weekend so I think I'm going to have to see how it tastes in cake form now :)

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    1. Oh wow, adding elderflower sounds like a brilliant idea! Let me know how you get on, as I may have to have a go at that myself :)

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    2. I made it this week and it was amazing, highly recommended, so good in fact I blogged about here

      http://bluekitchenbakes.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/elderflower-gin-drizzle-cake.html

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  15. Hey, im dying to make this asap, but just to check, does the drizzle go on the cake while the cake is still warm or wait until it is cooled? thanks x

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    1. It doesn't matter too much, but i tend to leave it 10-15 minutes. That way it's warm but not piping hot, so the sugar on top doesn't melt and is able to form a beautifully gin-soaked crust. Hope that helps, let me know how you get on! X

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  16. Ack! I wrote a long description on how to make this gluten-free, and it's apparently been lost...

    Short version: use Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Baking Flour mix (available on Amazon everywhere - not cheap, but worth it). To make it self-rising, I would weigh the flour as per recipe, and then scoop into measuring cup to get measurement by volume and mix in 1½ tsp baking powder plus ¼ tsp salt per cup of flour. DO NOT taste the raw batter when using this flour mix. It tastes horrible. But when baked it tastes divine...

    I also substitute ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt mixed with 1 Tbsp finely ground linseed (flaxseed) for each egg in all of my baking, which gives an extremely tender crumb and really delicious flavour, with less cholesterol and more omega health benefits. Plus, I cannot eat eggs ;)

    If you can find guar gum powder or xanthan gum powder (i.e. Amazon), do use a little as per pkg instructions - will make it hold together a little better, but it's not necessary if you don't mind it being a bit crumbly.

    I can't wait to try this recipe!!

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    1. Oh wow, thank you so much herajuno - this is amazing! I am planning to dabble with a few GF recipes, so will definitely be re-reading your advice. My friend who can't eat eggs swears by Chia Seeds as a baking substitute too. Let me know how the gluten free version goes! L x

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  17. I do a lot of Gluten free recipes and use Doves Farm organic GF flour. Its available in SR or plain and both are fab. The trick with GF baking is that as the flour is more absorbant (made of a combination of grains including rice flour) you need to up the liquid content to ensure the cake stays moist. I usually add a bit extra xanthan gum too, it really does enhance the texture. I'll be making thiss G&T one for the market tomorrow, we'll see how it sells! Many thanks!

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    1. Thanks - and yes, let me know how this cake goes down! Would love to see pics x

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  18. Definitely making this next week. GENIUS idea! Cheers for sharing! Immy x

    www.immymay.com

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    1. Thanks Immy - let me know how you get on! X

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  19. I have so gotta make this cake. No tonic though. Then, I'm gonna take it to work and make everybody taste it and see if we all fall asleep in the afternoon lol.

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    1. I took this to my office and it went down very quickly! And the tonic is definitely optional :)

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  20. Can't wait to try this just my cup of tea sorry meant g&t obviously.

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    1. This does go well with a cup of tea... Although only before midday of course - gin in the afternoon. L x

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  21. Is it really grainy using granulated sugar for the drizzle? You do just mix all the drizzle ingredients in a bowl do you - not heat them?

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    1. That's actually the reason I use granular - you want to keep a sugary crust on too of the cake, and granular doesn't desolve quite as easily! No need to heat, just mix and pour - the warmth of the cake will do the work for you! L x

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  22. Wonderful cake - think I would stick to the traditional icing sugar for the 'drizzle' in future. G sugar didn't dissolve properly for me.

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    1. Thanks anon - absolutely, I like the crunchy crust, but icing sugar would work perfectly if you prefer a smoother finish! L x

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  23. Just finished a slice. Beautiful! I upped the gin content slightly and used Gordon's Elderflower Gin for a cheeky little twist. Thank you for the share, it's now in my family recipe book! :-)

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    1. Beautiful! Thanks Louise, so glad that it went down well - I'll definitely add a little elderflower next time too! L x

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  24. It's in the oven ...........

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  25. Can you freeze this?

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    1. Yes, freezes really well. I often make two in one go - one for us, one for the freezer! L x

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  26. This should have come with a warning: put the cake into the oven BEFORE you lick the beaters. The batter is insanely delicious, it took every last ounce of will power not to whip out a spoon and eat the batter straight out of the loaf pan. The cooked version went down a treat too, it has to be said.

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    1. Haha, glad to hear it's not just me who sometimes prefers batter to cake! So glad you enjoyed it. L x

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  27. Cake is cooking as I type!! Cant wait to taste it!! I am currently starting my own food blog and wondered whether you have any tips for me at all? Thanks Jo ☺

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    1. Hi Jo - great news! In terms or advice, id just say play around and find out what works for you, take the time to design a layout that you're happy with (I followed YouTube tutorials to find out how to design things), and just be yourself - it will be really apparent to readers if you don't write like you. Good luck! I think everyone should have a blog. Let me know your URL when you're up and running :) x

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  28. Thank you so much for this - cake AND Gin and Tonic!

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    1. You're welcome - it's a (sinful) match made in heaven! L x

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  29. would this convert to cupcakes? will try as cake aswell but just wondering x

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    1. Hi Michelle - you could definitely use the same batter recipe. I'm not sure the drizzle would work as well, and you'd probably want to add an icing (gin buttercream perhaps?!) to make them look pretty. Let me know how they turn out! L x

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  30. I bet this would be even nicer with a bit of elderflower cordial in with the gin :-)

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    1. I agree! Let me know how you get on if you give it a go! X

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  31. sounds wonderful - will try this and I'm also wondering how it would taste using rum and lime!

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    1. I think rum and lime would be fantastic! Yum x

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  32. Have just made it and it's looking good, apart from having to leave it in the oven for at least 10 min longer with my fan assisted. However, I'll be testing it out in the staff room tomorrow and will get back with the verdict. Enjoyed making it - with a glass of G&T, of course. Thank you!

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    1. Hope it goes down well tomorrow! I do find that cooking time varies hugely between ovens - my Mum's oven is much better than mine, and always seems to cook things in half the time! L x

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  33. Hi,
    Can you just clarify as I'm getting a little confused! I have weighed out 4 eggs in their shells and they weight 10 1/2 ounces, so do I weigh out 10 1/2 ounces of sugar AND 10 1/2 hours of butter?
    Lastly if the eggs weigh this much how much flour will be needed?
    Many thanks

    Lisa

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    1. Hi Lisa - of course! Say your 4 eggs weighed together in their shells are 200g, you then use 200g sugar, 200g butter and 200g flour. Hope that makes sense! Lucy x

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    2. Thanks Lucy :) was getting a tad confused- I'm going to bake it now! Can't wait! Lisa xx

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    3. My terrible effort at explaining :) I think this method makes for the best cakes - let me know how you get on! L x

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    4. Lucy, the cake is amazing! So light and fluffly! And with the potent gin icing it just makes it taste amazing! Thanks so much xx

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  34. Hi. Just had first slice. It's fab. Need more gin next time. I was being a bit stingy. Not one to make with my 4 year old in the kitchen desperate to lick the bowl!!

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    1. Haha a cake for adults only! And yes, I was surprised by how much gin is required! L x

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  35. Sounds utterly amazing. I've never tried putting gin in a cake but I definitely like the idea :)

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  36. So - more than half the gin goes into the icing?

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    1. It does indeed - wouldn't want to cook away all the gin goodness! L x

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  37. The war on Malaria continues!! So awesome; proves the existence of God to my way of thinking. Additionally, your face lands in something soft as you pass out. Sounds so great, thanks.

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  38. Taking this recipe and running with it in Texas!

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    1. Love it - let me know how it goes down! L x

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  39. Hello - please could you tell me if this cake is okay to prepare the day before? i wsa thinking of baking the cake, but adding the drizzle the day I served it.

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    1. Hi anon - absolutely fine to bake the day before. It's important to add the drizzle while the cake is still warm from the oven, as the residual heat helps the icing seep through the cake. Id suggest making the finished cake the day before, and popping it in an air-tight container as soon as it's fully cooled to keep it fresh! Hope that helps l x

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  40. I'd love to convert this to USA measuments (cups, etc) for a friend. I've had an attempt, but comparing it with other 'pound cake' recipies it seems a bit light. Anyone done the conversion - can you correct or verify my attempt here?

    4 eggs, weighed in their shells - 1 large egg is about 1 oz
    equal weight of:
    butter - 4oz, or 1 stick
    caster sugar - ½ cup
    self-raising flour - add 2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1 cup of plain flour (this is a bit more than 4 oz, but not too much more)
    2 lemons
    8-10 shots of your favourite gin (1 shot = 3 tablespoons)
    dash tonic water (optional)
    150g granulated sugar (3/4 cup)

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  41. Hey SV - I'm no expert when it comes to US measurements, although stay tuned as I have plans to change that and do more using cups and sticks. The important thing is that you have equal weight of eggs, sugar, flour and lemon. Using the weight of the eggs is the best way to do this (as you can't change that), but as long as you work to that principle you should be fine. Hope that helps! L x

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  42. how long will it keep in an air tight container

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    1. it will keep happily for 3-4 days - but i admire your will power if you can make it last that long! L x

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  43. Not long as you'll want to eat it all. I made it last night and it went down a treat today although next time I'll add more gin. Felt I was maybe a little stingy too. A super recipe though :-)

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    1. Amazing - and I know right, this cake can take her drink! Glad you enjoyed it. L x

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  44. Have you tried it with lime rather than lemon. Just wondering as that is what goes in my G & T?

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    1. Hey Anon - I haven't, but only because I adapted my lemon drizzle recipe. I think lime would be amazing! Let me know how you get on if you do give it a whirl. L x

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  45. Lovely! Now on to Vodka and Tonic with Lime, hope it works as well.

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    1. Sounds delicious - how did you get on? L x

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    2. It was gorgeous! I used one of the readymade greaseproof liners and left it on when I took it out the tin and whilst drizzling. Then all the vodka that ran off soaked up from the bottom!! Preferred the lime flavour too:-). Next I have some juicy blackcurrants that can go in the next one and some Appletons rum hic;-)

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    3. Amazing - those readymade liners are such a god-send. Let me know how the berry version goes - per one of the comments on this thread, i'm tempted to try and sloe gin and blackberry version! L x

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  46. I made this last night as gin and tonic is on the list of things that make me happy :) I brought it into work today and it has been devoured!! Absolutely amazingly delicious - everyone has asked for the recipe!!!!
    From one very happy gin lover :)

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    1. So glad it went well - i'm blushing! From one gin lover to another, you are very welcome! L x

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  47. It is in the oven now!! it smells amazing. I am going to also try a rum variant and take them both to a friends' birthday bbq. I am doing it based on a cocktal i like- dark and stormy. sub the lemon for lime, the gin for dark rum and also add some ground ginger/use gingerbeer for the icing!!!

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    1. The rum version sounds great - love the idea of adding some ginger to give it another kick. A few others have suggested rum and lime, so do let us know how you get on! L x

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  48. Have just made the cake and it is amazing. Can't believe it is so moist. It has gone down well at my friend's party! Thanks for theft recipe :-)

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  49. Just made it this afternoon after assembling all of the ingredients, and translating the measurements. Delicious? Hardly the word to describe it...not enough letters in that word......Scrumptious? Closer...but perhaps Scrumptdelicious!!! Right on target....Amazing, simple, and great when warm...will try it when it cools some and see if I need another word to describe it!!! WOW!!!

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    1. Scrumptdelicious - AMAZING! That really is the perfect work, so glad you enjoyed it. L x

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  50. Made this cake yesterday and it was a total success, even to those who are not keen on cake. I didn't get the 'icing look' on the top. Could this be because I used caster sugar and not granulated? But oh what a moist - give me some more cake. This will definately be on the menu again an again.

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    1. Aw i'm so glad! Yes, I use granulated is because I like the sugary crust it forms on the top. This is purely aesthetic and happens because the sugar is coarser, so doesn't dissolve as easily. Some people have suggested that they'd prefer a traditional icing anyway, so it's up to you! Thanks for the comment. L x

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  51. I am confused... ingredients list says 8-10 shots, directions say 3-4 shots. how many??

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    1. No worries! 3-4 shots of gin go directly into the cake batter, and then you use the remaining shots (so 5-7, depending on how brave you're feeling!) to make the icing drizzle. Hope that makes sense, and do let me know how you get on! L x

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    2. Oooh the tastiest! I was guessing that you're supposed to drink the remaining 5-7 (; That's awesome, will try!

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  52. Has anyone tried this with sloe gin I have a bottle of it and wondered if it would work?

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    1. That sounds divine! Maybe fold some fresh blackberries into the cake mix for extra berry-ness? L x

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  53. first cakes I have made in years, and I have to say I am rather chuffed with myself! Thank you for the recipe. But my topping doesn't look like yours...lol, gosh its going to be so good for the camping weekend coming up. Cricket tour tea. Hic !!!!

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    1. You're very welcome - i'm glad it turned out well! Peeeerfect for a cricket tea...providing a little slice of Dutch Courage for the evening session! Enjoy. L x

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  54. Hi Lucy

    It's all very we'll telling us to weigh the eggs, but what weight do they have to be?

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    1. Hi Bev - the reason that you weigh them is so you can use exactly the same amount of sugar, butter and flour. The average egg weights around 50-60g, so x4 eggs will likely total between 200-250g. Say they weight 243g, you then use 243g or sugar, butter and flour in the cake. Hope that makes sense - I think this method produces the fluffiest, lightest sponge! L x

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  55. I made this this afternoon. I used lime instead of lemon as I prefer lime with gin. And I didn't have any granulated sugar so I used icing sugar and made a sticky drizzle. Quite simple the most delicious cake I've ever made. Thanks for brining this into my life!

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    1. Helen, so glad that you loved this cake too! I'll definitely be trying it with lime next time, as I think that's a great idea. L x

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  56. I made this cake this afternoon and baked it at 165 fan. After 45 minutes it was still very wet and needed another 20 minutes (and that at 180 fan). I converted 3-4 shots of gin to 80ml, which seems from the postings above to be about right, but maybe it was too much? (As an aside it's one of my pet irritants when a measure is given in 'shots' or 'cups', when something more exact would be more helpful). Anyway, after just over an hour it was done and the taste and textile were both wonderful.

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    1. Hi Stewart - glad it turned out well in the end! I do think that ovens vary hugely - my Mum's oven bakes cakes in literally half the time that mine takes! Shots allow for you to be virtuous or naughty...but i'll be use to give a guideline ml measurement in future recipes :) L x

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  57. Hello, do you think this would work in a round cake tin? I don't have a loaf tin! And I definitely want to try it!

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    1. It would work fine! Keep an eye on it though, as it will likely take less time to bake. Good luck, let me know how it turns out! L x

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  58. I baked this for my friends Hen party at the weekend and it went down a storm! Used 10 shots of Hendricks, working out a standard shot as 25ml, baked 45mins in a fan oven and the result - certainly potent and totally delicious! Looking forward to baking it again and maybe twisting the ingredients slightly..... :) thanks for the recipe!!
    Hannah

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    1. Thanks so much for the comment Hannah - this is the perfect hen party cake (minus some rude decorations perhaps!) L x

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  59. By the way this also tastes brilliant even if you drink a tad too much gin and tonic whilst mixing it up and baking it and so get the amount of sugar in the drizzle bit wrong!

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    1. Haha thanks anon - as long as the gin is consumed in one way or another, then all good! L x

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  60. Ok, I've made the cake and it looks great but the drizzle seems really watery, is it supposed to? Don't want to ruin what I've done so far.

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    1. Hey Allan - sorry for the late reply! Not sure if this will be much help now, but it certainly won't ruin it. If you'd prefer it a bit thinker, just add more sugar - you can be very flexible! Hope that helps. L x

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  61. This is lush! I may have been a bit less than generous with the gin as its more lemony but definitely will put more in next time! Brilliant recipe, i'm going to try it with vanilla vodka and strawberries next I think!

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    1. Isn't 'lush' the best word to describe it? And I know, I underestimated this cake's drinking power too! Your idea sounds delicious, let me know how you get on! I'm not as keen on the taste of vodka myself, although vanilla would be a lovely way to balance it. L x

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  62. i shall be trying this at the weekend... a birthday treat to myself! Do i have to share?

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    1. It would be only sensible to have a practise first surely? *eats the entire cake* :)

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  63. This is AMAZING!!! I took some into work for my colleagues, and they were begging for more....everyone who has tried it has loved it....and it gave me the excuse to make a few G&T's as there was a bottle of tonic open!! A really good tip is to use Aldi's Gin, it's only £10 a bottle and just as good as the expensive ones!
    I'll be trying a lime version soon, and I'll be making this for my wedding next month!!!!

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    1. This is the loveliest message - I can think of few better compliments than one of my recipes featuring in a reader's wedding! I am honestly so glad that you loved it, and definitely agree that cheaper gin works well here. Wishing you a beautiful wedding day. L x

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  64. Mine has just gone in the oven, didn't have a measure so may have sloshed in a little too much gin.....about a third of a bottle! Oops! :-)

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    1. Haha wonderful news - let me know how it turned out! L x

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  65. Dying to try this - sounds absolutely amazing --- wonderful for the long week-end.......August 4th is a Civic Holiday in Ontario.

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  66. I made this a couple of weeks ago and it was just so good! It nearly didn't get as far as the oven because the raw batter was just so tasty. It's a friend's birthday this weekend and I'm going to turn up on his doorstep with one of these and a trial mojito version. Happy (drunken) days!

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    1. I'm tempted to pinch you mojito version...YUM! Let me know how it goes down? L x

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  67. oh man! this mix made up TWO whole 1lb loaf tins - double trouble!!! :-D
    AND I had several spoonfuls out of the mixing bowl...
    ah, c'est la vie...

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    1. Love it! One for the freezer - ready for those days where only a gin and cake will do! L x

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  68. Do you leave it in the tin whilst you pour the sugar liquid on and if so how long before you take it out and place it on a wire rack? Also do you recommend lining your tin with parchment or buttering the sides? As you can tell I'm not a baker but want to give this recipe a try ;)

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    1. Hi there - I tend to leave it in the tin to avoid mess! Then give it about half an hour to firm up before removing :) L x

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    2. It turned out well and was delicious Lucy, very light and fluffy despite being quite soggy from the gin drizzle lol I didn't even use the whole amount as I wasn't sure how much it would soak up! Do you use tine liners and a loose bottomed tin as it was a bit difficult to remove as it was so soaked in the drizzle mixture?
      The only element I didn't manage to achieve was the crusty sugar coating, Have you got any tips for next time as I will definitely be making it again ;)

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  69. I made this cake as my first attempt at baking in years. All of my friends thought it was incredibly tasty - but then they are gin lovers. I just don't think I got the drizzle right, it was too runny and I ended up with a gin soaked cake rather than a crunchy drizzled cake (no complaints, just mild surprise!). Do I just add less gin (I went for the maximum amount suggested) or do I add more sugar? Or is there a special trick to get all the ingredients to mix together before pouring? I am about to bake cake 2 as I want to perfect this recipe :-)

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    1. Oh, about to try it with lime this time too to see if I prefer that!

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    2. Attempt two tastes good and I like the lime variant. However, there was still too much liquid in the drizzle and this time I limited the gin and lime juice to a total of 100ml. I ended up pouring away some of the drizzle from the liner so that the cake didn't sit in it this time. However, there is a more obvious crunchy topping.

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    3. Hi Anon - glad the lime variant went well, I'd like to try that myself! L x

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  70. I found this recipe after reading a Facebook post about the cake. What a fantastic cake it was too, although the 200ml of gin I used for the drizzle made it more of a gin soaked cake. It wasn't soggy though.

    I'd like to share it with my village in our newsletter is that's OK, and will include the link to your blog.

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    1. Hi Neil - I'm so glad you liked it! And yes, it is quite potent...not for the faint hearted! Of course that's ok - i'd love to see a copy of the newsletter (for personal pride, more than anything!) L x

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    2. Hi Neil,

      Thanks so much for sharing this! Great to see :)

      Thanks, Lucy

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  71. I loved reading this, your writig is fabulous! And not to mention the sound of that cake... will definitely be following you.

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    1. Thank you so much - that's the loveliest thing to hear. Hope you give some of my recipes a go, would love to hear your thoughts! L x

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  72. Fab recipe, just made it. Thinking of serving it with a lemon infused whipped cream for my gin mad pals tomorrow.

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    1. That sounds utterly delicious - did it go down well? L x

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  73. I love this cake, however from my work in a cocktail bar i have a new love of Cucumber and used it instead of lemon or lime for the drizzle, makes it more mellow and just mmm!

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    1. oh wow - this sounds incredible! may have to give that one a try! L x

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  74. Have just made the cake for the first time today. LOVE IT!! I also ended up with less of a crunchy topping and more of a gin soaked (but reasonably dry) cake. I might play about with gin/sugar ratio for the glaze. I loved it so much, I'm going to make a couple for my choir's weekend away- with suitable warning signs of course!

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    1. I'm so glad you liked it! Hope it goes down well with your choir too :) L x

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  75. Loving the idea and keen to try the booze variants but I would say it's a very wet batter and it takes at least twice the stated time to bake - just taken mine out after an hour and a half so I don't yet know how it is inside. Had to put foil over the top toward the end to stop it burning....

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  76. Made this a few weeks ago for a gin tasting night with the girls. Success. Made again tonight for a street BBQ 2moro, hope the neighbours like it! Used Waitrose own gin & tonic and happy with that, used the full 10 measures btwn cake & drizzle so it's a heavy cake but satisfying. Takes just over an hour in my oven @170 but it's worth the wait!

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    1. Hi Jen - so glad that you liked it! Agree that ovens vary hugely - glad it was worth the wait :) L x

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  77. Wow! This gets better every time I make it. Haven't changed anything its delicious. Made another one today (my 4th in as many weeks) to take into work #keepthebosshappy

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    1. Aw i'm so glad you love it! This went down well in my office too - more boozy cakes in the pipeline! L x

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  78. Omg! Completely in love with this cake! Do you think it would work with Jack Daniels? (My chaps favourite tipple :)
    Thank you!
    Nikki

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    1. Haha my chap is quite partial to a cheeky JD too! By all means give it a go - and let me know how you get on, i'm intrigued! L x

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  79. Made this last night, took a bit longer to cook but my oven is notoriously iffy, but it's gorgeous. Had a slice straight from drizzle and it was very strong, I'm a lover of gin so not a problem but found that after sitting to soak overnight it tastes even better today. Thinking of a tequila and lime variation next. Thanks for this great recipe :-)

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    1. Thanks Naomi - so glad you liked it, and agree that this only gets better when it's had a little time to mature and soak up all the gin-y goodness! Let me know how the tequila version goes, love the sound of that. L x

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  80. Hi, Has anyone tried this with Sloe or Blackcurrant Gin? Might be too sweet? Might give it a go at the weekend. The colour will be interesting. Wish I had kept a few blackcurrants in the freezer now to put on the top!

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    1. Great idea Anon - sounds delicious, especially if you manage to track down some more blackberries! Let me know how it goes, may give this a go too. L x

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  81. How much tonic do you suggest? What's a "slosh"?

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    1. Please excuse my haphazard measurements! About 1 tbsp, but it's entirely optional and will mean that you use more sugar. Straight up gin is best, if you're brave enough :) L x

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  82. Satisfies the G&T fix, so moist... Please be brave & cook it.

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    1. Thanks Gilertine - agreed, it's for the brave bakers :) L x

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  83. I get requests for this at work, none left by 10am

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    1. Excellent - that's what i like to hear! Glad you (and your colleagues) like it. L x

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  84. I've baked this twice now (a larger round version with 6 eggs... takes about 90 mins in the oven). Great recipe - thanks!

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    1. Thanks for your comment, Matt - and glad to hear that there is an even bigger version going down well out there! L x

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  85. do you think golden granulated sugar would be ok in this?

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    1. Hi Rachel - golden sugar is fine, it tends to give a slightly nuttier, more caramel-like flavour to a sponge. Granulated works too, although I find you get a softer and lighter sponge with caster. If this is for the drizzle, then absolutely fine! Hope that helps. L x

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  86. Any tips on making this for people who are lactose free? I made it for work and it was insanely popular so am planning to make it again but would like to make it without butter for colleagues who are lactose intolerant. Would substituting butter with vegetable oil work?

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    1. Hi there - I definitely do, as I'm actually dairy intolerant too!

      Veg oil (or any oil) won't work in this cake - the sponge needs to solidity of the fat to provide structure. However, lactose/dairy free margarine should work fine, and you won't be able to taste it if you add enough gin :)

      Hope that helps!

      L x

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  87. I don't see how much flour do you need in this recipe? I want to make it today, got all the ingredients but an't see the measure for how much self-rising flour I need.

    Thanks!!

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    1. Hey Anon - you need to weigh your eggs in their shells, then make a note of that weight and use the same amount of butter, sugar and flour. So if your eggs weighed 250g, you'd use 250g butter, 250g sugar and 250g flour. Hope that helps! Let me know how you get on :)

      Thanks, Lucy

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  88. I don't see how much flour do you need in this recipe? I want to make it today, got all the ingredients but an't see the measure for how much self-rising flour I need.

    Thanks!!

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  89. Thanks Lucy for your prompt response. Will let you know how it turns out!

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  90. That looks amazing! Already partial to a bit of lemon drizzle cake, this is urging me to try and make it! However, as two of my biggest fans are under 10, just wondered whether they will like the taste, and whether it is actually okay for them to eat it?! Don't want two sozzled kiddos! Also, what taste does the gin offer the cake? I know what gin tastes like (obviously!), but is the taste very noticeable?

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    1. Glad you like the look of it! If you follow these quantities, it does taste quite strongly of gin, and as most of the alcohol doesn't get cooked, I'd say this is grown ups only cake :) If you want to make it child-friendly, maybe half the gin or even sub it out for something suitable? Hope this helps! L x

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    2. Thank you, Lucy! I will save it for an adults-only event then!

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  91. I'm making this gin cake as a rugby ball. Thinking lime n tonic buttercream filling. Thoughts and ideas please

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    1. sounds great! What kind of tin are you using? I always google ideas first, as often someone has done the same and has logistical suggestions! Buttercream sounds lovely - be careful to add the tonic water sparingly, as buttercream needs very little liquid. Good luck! Let me know how you get on :) L x

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