Equipment
Ingredients
Citrus Sponge
- 225 g unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
- 225 g caster sugar
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- 225 g all-purpose flour
- 8 g baking powder
- 3 g kosher salt
- 1 lemon, zested
- 1 lime, zested
- 30 ml london dry gin
- 30 ml whole milk, room temperature
Gin and Tonic Syrup
- 100 ml tonic water
- 75 g caster sugar
- 30 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 45 ml london dry gin
Gin Glaze
- 120 g icing sugar, sifted
- 15 ml london dry gin
- 15 ml lime juice, freshly squeezed
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 473 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbohydrates
- 63 g
- Fat
- 21 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 43 g
- Sodium
- 152 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 12 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 6 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 123 mg
- Potassium
- 166 mg
- Calcium
- 63 mg
- Iron
- 0.8 mg
- Magnesium
- 10 mg
- Phosphorus
- 130 mg
- Zinc
- 0.5 mg
- Vitamin A
- 188 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 8 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.4 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.8 mg
- Vitamin K
- 2 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.2 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.05 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.13 mg
- Niacin
- 0.3 mg
- Folate
- 18 mcg
- Water
- 56 g
- Alcohol
- 4 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 175°C/350°F. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the long sides for easy removal.
In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, combine the softened butter, caster sugar, lemon zest, and lime zest. Beat on medium-high speed until pale, light, and fluffy, which should take about 3 to 5 minutes.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure an even mixture.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and kosher salt. Gently fold this dry mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined.
Stir in the 30ml of gin and the whole milk, mixing gently until the batter is completely smooth and no dry flour remains. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.
Bake in the preheated oven at 175°C/350°F for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
While the cake is baking, prepare the syrup. In a small saucepan, combine the tonic water, caster sugar, and lemon juice. Simmer over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and the liquid reduces slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the 45ml of gin.
Remove the cake from the oven and immediately pierce the surface all over with a wooden skewer, going deep into the cake. Slowly pour the warm syrup evenly over the hot cake, allowing it to soak in completely.
Leave the cake to cool entirely in the tin. This allows the crumb to absorb the liquid and stabilize before it is moved.
Once the cake is cool, carefully lift it out of the tin using the parchment overhang. In a small bowl, whisk together the icing sugar, 15ml of gin, and lime juice until thick but pourable. Drizzle over the top of the cake.
Chef's Notes
- Choose a botanical, citrus-forward gin like Bombay Sapphire, Tanqueray No. Ten, or Roku. Heavy juniper profiles can taste too medicinal when baked.
- For the tonic water, avoid diet or zero-sugar variants as the artificial sweeteners turn aggressively bitter when heated and reduced.
- Rubbing the citrus zest directly into the sugar before creaming with butter is a technique that physically breaks down the essential oil cells in the zest, maximizing aromatic impact in the final bake.
- Do not skip letting the cake cool completely in the tin. A warm, syrup-soaked cake is extremely fragile and will break if moved prematurely.
Storage
Refrigerator: 5 days — Store in an airtight container to prevent the crumb from drying out.
Freezer: 2 months — Freeze unglazed. Thaw overnight at room temperature and apply fresh glaze before serving.
Troubleshooting
Cake has a dense, gummy layer at the bottom
Cause: Syrup was poured too quickly or the cake was underbaked before soaking
Fix: Cannot be fixed once baked and soaked, but the top portion remains delicious. Serve as a dessert with cream to mask the texture.
Prevention: Ensure the cake is fully baked and pour the syrup slowly, allowing each addition to absorb before adding more.
Batter curdled when eggs were added
Cause: Eggs were too cold, shocking the room-temperature butter emulsion.
Fix: Add a tablespoon of the measured flour and beat vigorously; the emulsion will usually come back together.
Prevention: Always use room-temperature eggs when creaming butter and sugar.
Cultural Context
The drizzle cake is a hallmark of British baking, traditionally featuring lemon and a simple sugar syrup poured over a warm sponge to create a moist, tangy crumb. By incorporating the iconic flavor profile of a Gin and Tonic—a cocktail popularized by the British East India Company in the 19th century—this recipe reimagines a classic afternoon tea staple into a modern, spirited dessert.
