Gin, it seems to us, is much under-used in the kitchen. A good quality dry gin is a fine ingredient for cakes and puds, while a sweet sloe gin warmed with a little extra sugar makes for a syprupy glaze for cakes and fruit tarts. Try this…
That’s the spirit
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 225g butter
- 225g caster sugar
- 225g self-raising flour
- 1 large lemon, juice and zest
- 200ml gin
- dash tonic water
- 150g granulated sugar
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4.
- Cream together the butter and caster sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat the eggs with a fork and gradually beat into the mixture.
- Sieve the flour and fold in gently using a metal tablespoon.
- Add the zest of 1 lemon and 100ml gin, pour into a lined 1kg loaf tin and bake for 45 mins or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and set aside to cool in its tin.
- Combine the granulated sugar, remaining gin, a little tonic water and lemon juice in a pan over a low heat to dissolve the sugar.
- Prick the surface of the cake with a fork, then pour over the syrup.
- Leave in the tin until the cake is cold.
