January 8, 2018
Gin & Tonic Drizzle 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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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 🙂
Really good recipe, used a bit less gin and more tonic than the recipe called for (student life, gin too expensive 😂) and accidentally lost count of how many eggs I’d put in (don’t ask, I didn’t put enough in,
no idea how it happened) but it still turned out really well.
This was the most delicious cake I have ever baked!
Fantastic recipe, cake turned out perfectly. I’m making another one today for my stepsons Birthday!!!
Taste amazing! No matter what I do e.h., fully cooked, room temperature ingredients, not over mixing) the middle always sinks as it cools any suggestions?
Hey – so the main reason a cake sinks, is under baking. When taking the cake out, no matter the skewer test, if the cake is still making a bubbling/crackling sound then it’s not finished baking! x
Very excited to make this for my boyfriends birthday next week…could I use the G&T tray bake icing and decoration instead? Would the quantities be the same?
Hey! You would probably only need half of the icing for the loaf cake!! Otherwise it should be fine!! x
I’m struggling to get any self raising flour at the moment. Could I use plain flour and baking powder instead? If so, can you advise what quantities please. I have a few family members that want me to make this for them. 🙂
You whisk in 2tsps baking powder per 150g of flour before using in any recipe!
One of the best recipes I bake and everyone at my work and home loves the cake as well
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?
The timings will change and it depends on the mini loaf tin or liners, but otherwise you can just use it!
This was my first ever bake! I was drawn in by the simplicity of the recipe and the…. gin! It turned out absolutely delightful! I’m still in shock at how amazing it tasted! Hats off to you! I now have a real drive to bake more.. maybe a cheesecake next? Who knows! Thank you, Jane for this wonderful, super simple, fabulous recipe!
I only have large eggs how many should I use instead
I would use 4 large!
This recipe was bloody delish! Have to admit I did sneak a little extra gin in than the recommended amount! Thanks for another incredible recipe! 😀
Hahaha always more gin 😂
Love this recipe it’s by far one of my favourite summertime bakes lovely and fresh tasting.. well done love your recipes xz
Apologies I made a typo in my email address
Please to know the size cake tin (round) for this recipe
I’m not a baker at all so this my be a really silly question
Hey! I already have a round version on my blog!
I really want to try this for my boyfriends birthday next week but would like to make it round in a cake tin, what equivalent size cake tin (round) should I use to use this amount of ingredients. Thanks you
Made the cake exactly according to the recipe and specifically bought the correct size loaf tin. However in the cake batter has spilled over the side of the tin a lot and after 45 minutes in the oven it’s still very liquid. Just hope some of it is salvageable as it’s for my girlfriend’s birthday cake.
I’ve made this recipe countless times and so have a lot of people but I’ve never heard or seen this happening unfortunately – I’m afraid it sounds like something was measured incorrectly to cause this! It also may be that the tins are different sizes – sometimes a 2lb loaf tin, can be varying in size even though they are called the same!
Hi, I’ve made many of your cakes and this is the first one I’ve had trouble with, but found a solution that I would like to share for anyone else that might be struggling. Same issue with the cake not baking in the middle – after 45 minutes it was baked on the sides but watery in the middle. I’ve sorted it by dropping the temperature from 180C to about 160C, and putting the cake lower in the oven. It had come out perfect after about 1:15hrs. I think the medium eggs I’ve used would have passed for large, and my tin was quite small, so that might be why!
Ah yes, if your tin was smaller then it will definitely cause a problem, along with too much egg. I bake mine at 160C as my oven is a fan oven and it works wonders!
Is the drizzle meant to thicken? or should it be a watery consistency? Going to attempt this for my mums birthday!
No, the drizzle is just designed to soak into the sponge so doesn’t really thicken!
If I wanted to make the lime sponge vegan, what would you recommend as the egg substitute? I normally use a 1:1 flax egg replacement ratio, but just wanted to see if you had other ideas. Thanks!
This looks amazing! Going to try it this weekend, are you able to use lemonade inf the drizzle instead of tonic water?
Yes you could!
Could i use the new Gordons sicilian lemon gin for this? X
Yes you can! You can use any gin you fancy!
Baked this for my husband’s 40th during “lockdown” and it turned out brilliantly – so thanks for the recipe 🙂 Added lime and lemon zest to the cake mixture, used 150g of sugar and around 200g of salted butter because I ran out of unsalted (and it wasn’t that salty!) Also added lime and lemon juice to the drizzle and the zest to the icing….super lush!
Do you think slim line tonic will work okay 🙂 going to make this weekend and wondering if I keep to get some in or can use what I have.
Can’t wait x
Slimeline tonic should be fine!
iv made the cake and icing is on now, and icing is setting, when in a container ,do I store in fridge as its covered or in a cupboard. thanks.
I would just store at room temp on the side in a container!
How long in the freeze can I keep it, is a month too long (without icing of course)? Iv made before so i know its good. Thanks
A month is fine!
Hey – I love this recipe but was wondering about making it with a mini loaf tin – Im assuming I would need to cut the temp and bake time
I’m hoping to bake this in a Bundt pan which will be difficult to line – is it really necessary if you grease the pan well (and perhaps sprinkle in some flour as well?
I find it best to use a lining paste (Nancy birtwhistle was a a great recipe for this) as sometimes just butter/flour can still cause it to stick!
I made this for a charity bake off at work and won the ‘Taste’ category. Used pink gin for the icing and it turned out really well.
Hey Jane,
I’ve made so many of your recipes but am baking for a friend who is gluten free this weekend (i made your chocolate cake last time) Would i just substitute the flour for gf flour? Would i need to add anything else in?
Thank you!
For this I would use xantham gum as well because of the amount of drizzle you pour on! x
Hi, just wondering how this would work with dark rum and coke instead of g&t? Would the drizzle still need sugar added or would the coke take care of that?
I wouldn’t know I’m afraid, sorry!
Looks amazing can’t wait to get started! Could I put in 8 round tin or would this mess up all the measurements and look flat??
It would probably mess it up a little! I have a gin and tonic cake you can look at instead! x
I am so glad I’ve found this site. I’ve made several Gin and Tonic cakes and this has to be the best by far. I love that you don’t use baking powder as I always find I can taste it no matter now little I use. The sponge was beautifully light and really scrummy. Everyone who ate it loved it. I used Rhubarb and Ginger Gin and put lime zest within the cake and in the drizzle and topping. Gonna try the Vanilla cake for my friends birthday.
Can I ask what quantity you would use of the G & T flavouring in the drizzle and Icing please. Just making it now for the first time and its in the oven nearly done!
It depends entirely on how strong you like it – I’ve not made the drizzle with the flavouring before but I imagine it would be 1tsp for each?!
I’m making this now for the first time. Us8 g the Sainsburys G&T flabouring. What would the quantities be for the drizzle and icing? Thanku
Thank you🙏 Delicious! I halved the ingredients to make a smaller cake for 4 & still had plenty using 1/5 the amount for the drizzle + icing – very sweet so use sparingly! I cut the cake into 4 & layered it using a gin tonic flavored buttercream recipe. Was a hit!😍
I made this last night, served it in the office today – massive hit!! Will defo be baking this again for Xmas & maybe even with pink gin 🙂 love it! Thanks Jane xx
This cake looks amazing. I want to make it for a charity bake sale, but I’m not a baker at all!!!
Can the cake be make a day before icing? Or would that ruin the cake? How long would it stay fresh for?
Sorry for all the questions. Thank you for your amazing page.
Thank you!! Yes you can make it and then decorate it another day, but I would recommend doing the drizzle on the day of baking so it soaks in properly! Cakes are usually good for 3-4 days.
Went down a treat at our recent macmillan coffee morning, so light and moist. Think I’ll definitely be making this again!
Ahh yay! I’m glad you liked it!!
What , if anything , can I use to substitute the Gin?
I’ve not personally used a different alcohol, but I assume similar so Rum or Vodka?
Went down a treat at a charity bake sale!! Thank you for creating and sharing!
Ahh amazing!! X
Do you think pink gin will work?
I’m sure it would! The pink colouring probably won’t come through though!
OOh beat me to it, I was scrolling down to see if anyone would ask that, as I can only get the Pink Gin and Tonic in a tin at tesco.
Can you exchange the gin and tonic for gin and tonic flavouring that you used when you made gin and tonic fudge?
Yes indeed!
Would you need to change the quantity? If so, how much by?
Maybe 2tsp?
Not sure what happened but my cake has been in the oven about an hour and it’s still not cooked? Oven is on the right setting and ingredients the same.
Maybe your tin is slightly different to mine, but its a standard cake recipe that should work. x
Hi,
Once this is made do I leave it in the fridge ? As I’m making it Tomorrow ready for Thursday?
Noo room temperature is fine, fridge will dry the cake out. x
Will this freeze well
I’m sure it will!
Thanks without the icing I presume
I buy large free range eggs from the market. They are much bigger than the large supermarket eggs. Would you recommemd 4 and not 5?
Yes that would be ideal!
This cake looks amazing, would it work if I swapped out the Bombay Sapphire Gin for some Edinburgh Rhubarb and Ginger Gin Liqueur?
You could definitely try it but I’m not sure how well the flavour will come through?!
I was wondering the same. How did it turn out?
It was fantastic – My mum loved it!
What will happen if I use salted butter instead of unsalted butter? 🙂
It might taste a little salty.
I made this G&T cake for the office, it was amazing, very moist and the icing very tangy will definitely make it again
Can it be frozen?
Yep!
I don’t like tonic. Could I use squeezed orange juice instead?
The orange may overpower the gin, but it’s worth a try.. x
This looks lovely. My husband would love it!