GIN & TONIC LOAF CAKE

Serves 8-10 Preparation time 30 minutes Cooking time 45-50+ minutes, plus cooling

“An absolutely iconic bake in the cake world is a lemon drizzle loaf… and it got me thinking, why does the drizzle have to be lemon? Why can’t we add something else in, such as one of my favourite drinks – a G&T? And oh wow! It worked so much better than I ever thought it could.”

INGREDIENTS

• 250g/9oz unsalted butter

• 250g/9oz caster sugar

• 250g/9oz self-raising flour

• 5 eggs

• Zest of 1 lime

For the G&T drizzle

• 75g/3oz caster sugar

• 5 tbsp gin

• 5 tbsp tonic water

To decorate

• 200g/7oz icing sugar

• 3-4 tbsp gin

• Lime slices

• Finely grated zest of 1 lime

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C, 350°F, Gas 4 and grease and line a 900g/2lb loaf tin.

2. Beat the butter and caster sugar together in a bowl until light and fluffy. Add the self-raising flour, eggs and lime zest to the bowl, then mix again until combined. Pour the mixture into the tin and bake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes or until baked through. Leave the cake to cool in the tin while you make the drizzle.

3. Add the caster sugar, gin and tonic water to a small pan and place over a low-medium heat. Stir gently until the sugar has dissolved and then turn off the heat.

4. Carefully prick holes into the

top of the cake with a skewer or fork, then pour the drizzle over the cake. Leave in the tin to cool fully.

5. Remove the cooled cake from the tin. Put the icing sugar into a bowl and gradually mix in the gin until you reach a thick and pourable consistency. Pour the icing over the cake, then finish with some lime slices and a sprinkling of lime zest. This lasts at least 3 days, at room temperature.

To customise:

• Any gin flavour can be used.

• The tonic water can be swapped for lemonade, ginger ale – or more gin.

• The lime is optional, or can be swapped for the zest of 1 orange or 1 lemon.