Gin & Tonic Loaf Cake!
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A delicious gin & tonic drizzle cake with a lime sponge, gin & tonic drizzle, gin icing, and lime!
Gin and tonic
One of the most iconic drinks in the world, a gin and tonic is a delightful drink that is so versatile in flavours and taste with how many gins are available, and how many tonics are available now too.
Whether you like it more spiced, or sweeter, there is definitely a flavour out there for you – and it’s just SUCH a refreshing drink. I switch mine up all the time as I adore so many, but if you have a favourite combo, why not dry it in cake form as well?
If you aren’t a fan of tonic, you can use lemonade as well – it works the same in this recipe as the tonic does. It’s easy to make a delicious bake with whatever drinks you have in the cupboard.
Baking with G&T
You guys have completely raved about my gin & tonic cupcakes, and my gin & tonic fudge since I posted them. Honestly, I thought they could be reasonably popular, but I am amazed but how they are continually popular day in and day out.
Therefore, when my brother suggested a gin & tonic drizzle cake, I knew it had to happen. It was DELIGHTFUL. I honestly can’t love it any more. Why not combine the ideas of a lemon drizzle cake, where you have the deliciously easy baked loaf cake sponge, made extra delicious with a drizzle on top? But this time, it’s a G&T poured on top?!
Loaf cake
I went for simplicity with the cake part of this recipe, because sometimes simple is best. It’s basically a victoria sponge type recipe with proportional ingredients for the cake such as the butter, sugar, flour and eggs. However, I did add in some lime zest to give it a little hint of flavour. I didn’t want it to be completely plain, but it has just enough in it to give it a bit of flavour.
I used a loaf cake style tin as I haven’t baked a loaf cake in a while, and I thought it would suit this cake! You can easily make it into a different shape or style, or even add the G&T buttercream from my gin & tonic cupcakes, but thats up to you! The drizzle is really very simple as well.
Drizzle
You need the sugar in it to give it a bit of substance, and make it drizzle like (such as you use for lemon & lime drizzle cake type recipes), otherwise using just gin and tonic might make it slightly soggy rather than drizzly.
It’s very easy and simple to just dissolve the sugar into the gin and the tonic, and huzzah you’re done. Drizzling it over the cake, and letting it soak in is the painful part, as you just want to eat the cake already!
Decoration
I was wondering whether using gin in the ‘water icing’ would work, but it did! It sort of makes it a sweet gin flavour, so you definitely have to like gin to like the icing. You can of course just use water, but I adore it with the gin! It packs an absolute punch, but it needs to right?!
I also decorated the cake with some lime slices and lime zest to go with the flavour of the sponge and the theme of the drink (because if you haven’t guessed yet, I like a lime in my G&T), but you can switch this up if it’s not for you.
Tips & Tricks
- This cake will last for 4-5+ days at room temp
- You can freeze this cake for 3+ months
- The decoration can be changed to whatever you want
- Any gin will work
- Any tonic will work
- The tonic can be switched to lemonade
- I use this 2lb loaf tin in the recipe
- I use these small piping bags for the decoration
Gin & Tonic Drizzle Cake!
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients
- 250 g unsalted butter
- 250 g caster sugar
- 250 g self raising flour
- 5 medium eggs
- 1 lime zested
Drizzle
- 75 g caster sugar
- 5 tbsp gin
- 5 tbsp tonic water
Icing
- 200 g icing sugar
- 3-4 tbsp gin
Decoration
- 1 Lime zested
- Lime slices
Instructions
For the Cake!
- Grease and Line a 2lb loaf tin, and preheat your oven to 180ºc/160ºc fan
- Cream together your butter and caster sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add in the eggs, flour, and lime zest, and beat again until smooth and combined.
- Pour your cake ingredients into your tin, and bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes. When baked fully, a cake skewer should come out clean, and the cake shouldn't be making a bubbling sound.
- Remove the cake from the oven and leave to cool slightly whilst making the drizzle.
For the Drizzle!
- Add your caster sugar, gin, and tonic to a small pan.
- Heat on a low-medium whilst stirring, and wait for the sugar to dissolve. Once dissolved, turn off the heat.
- Poke your cake lightly with a cake skewer/fork, and then drizzle over the drizzle. Leave the cake to cool fully in the tin.
To Decorate!
- Once the cake has cooled, remove it from the tin.
- In a small bowl, add your icing sugar, and gradually mix in the gin until you get a thick pourable consistency. You don't want it too thin otherwise it will all run off.
- Pour or drizzle the icing over the cake, and sprinkle over some lime zest, and then add some lime slices for more decoration.
Notes
- This cake will last for 4-5+ days at room temp
- You can freeze this cake for 3+ months
- The decoration can be changed to whatever you want
- Any gin will work
- Any tonic will work
- The tonic can be switched to lemonade
- I use this 2lb loaf tin in the recipe
- I use these small piping bags for the decoration
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J x
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Have made this a few times now and love it. I recommend cucumber ribbons and edible glitter for a bit of extra decoration 🙂
I absolutely love this recipe and have made it a couple of times. I was wondering if it would work in a mini cake version on cupcake cases? I know you actually have a cupcake version but I particularly love the drizzle form of icing and prefer it to buttercream.
i don’t like g&t but love pink gin and lemonade. do you think this would work?
Yes that would work well! x
Absolutely favourite cake recipe !
My friends & family love it !
I’ve adapted a little this time using lemon & limes and also put lemon flavoured gin in so 🤞
Thank you so much 😊
Love the gin and tonic drizzle cake so much. Have made 3 in the last 3weeks,,as requested by friends. The sponge is so moist and have tried a couple off Gins,Bombay the best. This gives the icing a very sweet taste. I have tho not put the lime slices on top of the last one,as it makes the icing watery.
I’ve made this cake twice now and both times it’s taken over an hour to bake as the top middle part just won’t bake! Any ideas what I’m doing wrong? The drizzle helps though and love the icing!
Hello! Sometimes loaf cakes can take longer, likely is it just needed more time xx
What Does 180C/160C fan means?
If baking at 180c – top and bottom heat?
If baking -160c – fan?
It’s 180ºc for a regular oven, or 160ºc for a fan oven x
When you put the slices on the top it tends to melt the icing do you have any tips to stop this happening . Thank you x
Unfortunately it can happen! If you’re bothered I would leave them off, or you can try crystallising them or just use peel! x
I really want to make these as mini loaf cakes rather than a large loaf cake. Will I need to adapt the recipe at all?
Other than timings you should be able to use it yeah!
This was unbelievably good! A marriage of my two great pandemic loves: baking and g&t’s!
Hi, I would love to make this for my mum’s birthday but i’d need to make it two days before and store it.
Do you think it will be ok after that time? I will have to ice it etc. in advance as well as won’t have access to a kitchen.
Kind regards
Yes it would be fine!! xx
I’ve been using this recipe for over a year. I can hands down say this is the best cake over ever eaten. Everyone I’ve ever made it for days the same. Here I am on News years eve again, making my favourite cake. Thanks a lot. Have a happy 2021 🙂