Gin & Tonic Cake

Ingredients

For the gin and tonic syrup

150ml tonic water

100g sugar and 30 juniper berries, crushed

30ml Gin

For the sponge

300g cooking margarine

300g golden caster sugar

approx 40 juniper berries, (blitz in a coffee grinder)

zest of one lemon and one lime

6 medium free-range eggs

300g self-raising flour with a teaspoon of baking powder sifted in

For the gin and tonic lemon curd

100g caster sugar

50g butter

Zest and juice of 2 lemons

2 eggs, lightly beaten

40ml Gin

For the lemon and lime buttercream

200g soft butter

Zest of one lemon and one lime & 1 tablespoon of each juice

450g icing sugar

Method

For the sponge

1. Line two 8 inch round cake tins with baking parchment and preheat the oven to 150 degrees fan.

2. Cream the butter, sugar, crushed juniper berries and lemon and lime zest together until very pale and fluffy.

3. Slowly beat in the eggs until combined.

4. Gently mix or fold in the flour gently until just incorporated.

5. Spoon into the cake tins, half the batter in each and bake for approximately 25-35 minutes, to test a skewer or knife should come out clean.

6. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 5 minutes then turn out and remove the paper.

6. Generously douse in the gin and tonic syrup by brushing over liberally with a pastry brush. Leave to cool completely.

For the syrup

1.  Bring the tonic water, sugar and juniper berries to the boil, and then allow the liquid to reduce to about half of the original volume. Leave to cool, strain out the berries and add the gin to the syrup.

For the sponge

1. Cream the butter, sugar, crushed juniper berries and lemon and lime zest together until very pale and fluffy.

2. Slowly beat in the eggs until combined.

3. Gently mix or fold in the flour gently until just incorporated.

4. Spoon into the cake tins, half the batter in each and bake for approximately 25-35 minutes, to test a skewer or knife should come out clean.

5. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 5 minutes then turn out and remove the paper.

6. Generously douse in the gin and tonic syrup by brushing over liberally with a pastry brush. Leave to cool completely.

For the gin and tonic lemon curd

1. Put the sugar, butter, lemon juice and zest in a glass bowl that fits over a pan of boiling water. Make sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water.

2. Stir occasionally until the butter melts.

3. Add the eggs slowly whisking gently so they don’t scramble. Keep whisking for around ten mins while then curd thickens like custard. 

Sieve into a jug, you’ll need a spatula or spoon to push the curd through. 

4. Pour into a sterile jar and allow to cool. It’ll keep in the fridge for up to two weeks.

5. Stir through the gin.

For the buttercream

1. Beat the soft butter, zest and juice of the lemon and limes with the icing sugar.

To assemble the cake

1. Slice each cake in half again through the centre to create two layers per sponge, so you have 4 layers in total.

2. Layer up with a spread of the curd over each layer and a spread of the buttercream between each of the sponges.

3. Decorate with swirls of buttercream and sprinkle with more zest.