Christmas cocktails
Gin & tonic drizzle cake
A dash of gin makes a delicious addition to this tasty traybake that’s often found on our Afternoon Tea menu on board. Try baking it yourself at home with our chef’s own recipe.
4 min
10 Jun 2021
Ingredients
For the cake
- 200g unsalted butter, plus extra to grease
- 200g caster sugar
- 4 medium eggs, beaten
- 200g self-raising flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- finely grated zest of 1 lime
- 75ml Cunard 3 Queens Gin
For the topping
- 125 caster sugar, plus extra to sprinkle
- 125ml tonic water
- 3 1/2 tbsp. Cunard 3 Queens Gin
- 2 limes, cut in half through their length and sliced into 3mm semi-circles
- 100g icing sugar
Method
- Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Grease and line base and sides of a 900g (2lb) loaf tin with baking parchment. In a large bowl beat butter and sugar with a handheld electric whisk until light and fluffy – about 5 minutes.
- Gradually add the eggs, beating well after each addition.
- Fold in the flour, baking powder and lime zest, followed by the gin. Spoon into the prepared tin and bake for 45min or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Meanwhile, make the sugar syrup: gently heat the caster sugar and tonic water in a small pan, stirring often, until the sugar dissolves. Turn up the heat and boil for 1min. Spoon 2tbsp of the syrup into a small bowl and mix in 2tbsp of the gin (this mixture will then be used to soak the loaf later). Set pan of remaining syrup aside.
- As soon as the loaf comes out of the oven, poke holes into the top with a skewer and drizzle over the reserved syrup/gin mixture. Cool loaf on a wire rack.
- To make the candied lime slices reheat the remaining sugar syrup in its pan until boiling, then add the lime slices. Simmer for 5-10 min until the slices are translucent. Lift out slices with a slotted spoon on to baking parchment, then sprinkle both sides of the lime slices liberally with caster sugar. Leave to dry.
- Make the icing by mixing the icing sugar with the remaining 1½ tbsp gin added to syrup. Remove cooled loaf from tin, transfer to a board and peel off parchment. Pour over icing and decorate with the dried candied lime slices. Leave the cake to set before serving.
