Gin And Tonic Lemon Drizzle Cake

It’s been a while since I posted a personal blog so I felt it was time for a little life update! Since heading back to school and spending the evenings on Pinterest (it’s all in the name of wedding research…) the time is just whizzing by! This weekend was a busy one with Friday evening spent at the Luna Cinema outdoor screening event of La La Land, followed by brunch and a bit of shopping on Saturday and then the fabulous Lucky Things Blog meet-up on Sunday. I also managed a little ‘life admin’ of cleaning, tidying, sorting out my wardrobe (this seems to be an never ending task!), washing and honeymoon destination scouting!

In amongst this I’ve also relished in finding the time to do a little baking! I can’t say that I bake very often but when I do I find it so relaxing and rewarding. It’s the perfect way to take my mind off other jobs – plus you get to nibble on the (hopefully!) delicious product at the end! I chose to indulge in one of my favourite flavours (gin and tonic) with one of my most loved cakes (lemon drizzle) and combine the two together! Here’s the recipe that I used (originally from Goodhousekeeping but with my own little twists!) and some photos to whet your appetite – I was pretty pleased with how my first attempt turned out!

Recipe

Ingredients for the cake

200g unsalted butter

200g caster sugar

4 medium eggs

200g self-raising flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

zest of 1 lime and 1 lemon

75ml gin (I used Bombay Sapphire for a botanical boost! This gives your cake a subtle gin flavour, feel free to add a little more!)

Ingredients for the syrup and topping

125g caster sugar

125ml tonic water (I used Fever Tree Mediterranean for a zingy flavour!)

1 and half tbsp gin (again, add an extra tbsp if you want a stronger flavour!)

1 lime and 1 lemon, cut these in half longways then into crescent moon shapes

100g icing sugar

Method

• Preheat your oven to 180° (160° fan) whilst you grease and line a loaf tin with baking paper.
• Beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (either with a handheld whisk or wooden spoon). Afterwards add the eggs one at a time, beating well in between each addition.
• Fold in the flour, baking powder and the zest of the lime and lemon before adding the gin. Spoon the mixture into the tin and bake for approximately 1 hour. You can check the cake is ready by inserting a skewer or knife into the cake – if it pops back out again clean, your cake is done!
• Whilst the cake is baking it’s time to make the syrup and icing.
• Gently heat the caster sugar and tonic water in a pan, stir often until the sugar dissolves. Save 2 tbsp of this syrup, along with 2 tbsp of gin to drizzle over the top of the cake later.
• Make the candied lime and lemon slices by placing your crescent moons into the syrup and allow them to simmer for 10-12minutes. Once they are translucent use a slotted spoon to carefully take them out, lay them onto baking paper and sprinkle with sugar.
• Once the loaf is ready take it out of the oven, poke a few holes in the top and drizzle over the reserved syrup and gin.
• Finally make the icing by mixing together icing sugar and the remaining gin, then add a little milk to loosen the mixture. Once the cake has had time to cool pour the icing over the top and decorate with the candied lime and lemon slices.
• Cut yourself a slice and enjoy with a well earned cuppa!

What’s your go-to bake? Share your recipes in the comments below and inspire me!

I’d also love to see your gin and tonic lemon drizzle cake creations – share them on instagram with the hashtag #blondeblogbakes!

The Blonde x