Jennifer Johnston’s St Clements Gin & Tonic Cake

As my friends know well, I will choose gin over any spirit, love citrus fruits and love cake. What could be better than all three in one bake! This is a relatively simple loaf cake, that can be adapted to taste and made using little equipment. I use Malfy or Tanqueray orange gin, and lemon slices on the top, but you could just as easily add plain or lemon flavoured gin, or rhubarb gin and some freshly grated ginger instead of the lemon zest. Serve with a gin and tonic made from the gin that’s in the cake.

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Ingredients:

3 large eggs

250g butter softened

250g caster sugar

250g self-raising flour (extra fine if you can find it)

2 large lemons

A splash of freshly squeezed orange juice

200ml orange Gin (I use Malfy blood orange)

25ml tonic water (I recommend Fever Tree)

130g granulated sugar

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4

Cream the butter and caster sugar together until light and fluffy

Add the 3 eggs and beat until fully combined

Add the flour gradually until fully combined

Slice one of the lemons in half and put aside 3 thin slices of lemon for decoration

Add the zest of both lemons, juice of 1 lemon, a splash of orange juice and 100ml of gin and mix until the fully combined and smooth

Pour into a 1kg loaf tin lined with greaseproof paper, lay the 3 lemon slices on top of the mixture and bake in the centre of the oven for 45 mins or until a skewer comes out clean

Mix 100ml of gin with the granulated sugar, tonic water and juice of 1 lemon

Leaving the cake in its tin, and whilst it is still warm, use the skewer to poke holes into the surface of the cake, the pour over the drizzle.

Remove the cake from the tin but keep the greaseproof paper on it whilst it cools on a rack. Once it is cool, the drizzle should crystallise and the top be slightly crunchy.

Serve with a gin and tonic!

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