Ingredients:
For the Cake:
- 200g softened unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
- 175g caster sugar
- 4 medium eggs
- 200g self-raising flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
- 75ml gin
For the syrup:
- 60g caster sugar
- 60ml tonic water
- 2 tbsp gin
For the icing and decoration:
- 50g granulated sugar
- juice of ½ lemon
- 1 tsp gin
- 1 lemon, very finely sliced.
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4).
- Butter a 900g loaf tin and line the base and sides with baking parchment.
- Put the butter and sugar into a bowl, and whisk with an electric whisk until pale, light, and fluffy.
- Lightly beat the eggs in a jug. Gradually pour them into the butter and sugar mixture, whisking all the while.
- Fold in the flour, baking powder, and lemon zest. Pour in the gin, stir then spoon into the prepared tin.
- Bake for 1 hour. After 55 minutes, insert a skewer into the centre of the cake and, if it comes out clean, take the cake out of the oven. If it doesn’t, give it another 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the syrup. Put the sugar and tonic water into a small pan and set over a low heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat and boil the syrup for 1 minute without stirring.
- Measure out 2 tbsp of the syrup into a small bowl and mix in the gin.
- Once the cake is out of the oven, use a skewer to make 8 holes in it. Drizzle the gin syrup over the top of the cake and leave to cool in the tin.
- Turn out the cake, turn it right-side up again, and place on a wire rack.
- Mix together the ingredients for the icing and spoon it on the cake. Arrange the lemon slices along the top. Leave to set.