Gin and Tonic Cake Recipe

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas mark 4. Greese and line 2 x 20cm cake tins. Use freestanding electric mixer, or an electric whisk to beat together the butter and 200g of the sugar until you reach a consistency which is pale and fluffy. This should take around 5 minutes. Add the eggs one by one, making sure they are fully incorporated before adding the next one. If the mixture looks like it might split, add a tablespoon of your flour for some firmness, then fold in the rest of the flour. Mix the natural yogurt with the juice of one of the limes and 50ml of the gin, then add this to the cake mixture to make a thick and silky mixture. Split the mixture between the cake tins and bake for 35 mins until a skewer comes out clean.

2. Whilst baking, make the syrup. Put the remaining sugar, tonic water, juniper berries and juice of one lime into a saucepan over medium heat. Once the sugar has dissolved, bring to the boil and cook for 5-7 mins, until it’s a thick syrup. Cool for 5 mins, strain then pour in the remaining gin and set aside.

3. Once the cake is out of the oven, allow to cool for 5 minutes, then prick all over with a skewer. Generously spoon the syrup mix over both of the cakes before allowing to cool completely in the tin.

4. To make the buttercream, beat the butter until soft before adding the icing sugar, a little at a time to avoid a cloud of sugar. Once fully incorporated, add the milk and the zest of the limes.

5. To assemble, place one of the cake layers on a cake board, cover with 1/3 of the buttercream then sit the second cake layer on top. Cover this, too, in just a thin coat of icing then put the cake in the fridge for 30 mins to firm up – this will make it easier to get the rest of the icing on smoothly. Use the remaining buttercream to cover the top and sides of the cake.

6. Be expressive and decorate with lime zest, icing sugar, sherbety sweets and any G&T paraphernalia which you think works!