It's BACK! That time of year again when friends and family don't even bother to invite me out on a Wednesday and they definitely know not to call me. I'm asked 10,000 times every week "Why aren't you on there?!" and feel compelled to bake all of the technical challenges to prove to myself I COULD do it; if I really wanted to... I'm talking, of course, about the return of the Great British Bake Off!
Yes, it's been going for ages. Yes, a lot of the bakes are very similar year after year. Yes, the bakers aren't picked because they are the best but because they make a diverse and entertaining TV programme. Do I care about any of this? Not at all! Bake Off is pure baking pleasure for me and I love every single moment.
You know who else love GBBO? House of Fraser. They sent me a big ole box of baking goodies just to celebrate the fact that bake off is back. I don't know about you, but I'm willing to get behind any company that are as excited as me about my favourite TV show. If you want to have a look at their range of baking goodies and beautiful linens, just follow this link. The linens, measuring cups, bowl and hand mixer shown in my photos can all be bought online directly from House of Fraser.
So what did I do when a big box of beautiful baking equipment turned up on my doorstep? I baked a cake, of course! A lemon, rose and gin drizzle cake to be precise. I'd like to say I planned this recipe to be in keeping with Bake Off this week, but the truth is I knew what I was going to bake long before the episode aired or I even knew it was cake week. It's a happy coincidence, though.It may seem like an odd combination, but trust me it is delicious! The flavour combo came from my best friend Adam, one Friday night whilst drinking in a pub is East London. He saw the bar stocked rose lemonade and told me how delicious it was with gin. Ever the sceptic, he ordered me one and I was instantly hooked. As long as the proportions of rose to lemon are right, it is a delicious drink and I've just made it into a delicious cake too!
The gin is only in the syrup and the icing, so you could easily leave it out if you were making it for children or you're one of those strange people who don't like gin...
Lemon, Rose and Gin Drizzle Cake
A beautifully moist cake that combines the flavours of lemon and rose with a hit of gin. The rose flavour is subtle; think more English rose garden than granny's handbag.
Ingredients
- For the cake:
- 3 eggs
- 6oz butter or baking spread
- 6oz golden caster sugar
- 6oz self-raising flour
- Zest of 1 lemon, and half of the juice
- 0.5tsp lemon extract
- 3tbsp rose water
- 1 lemon, cut into thin slices For the drizzle and glaze:
- 50ml gin
- Juice of half a lemon
- 0.5tbsp rose water
- 3tbsp caster sugar
- Enough icing sugar to make into a glaze
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 160º and prepare a loaf tin. I like to use Cake Release for this, but you could use butter and flour if you prefer.2. Lay the lemon slices in the bottom of the tin. Mine has recesses that the slices sit in nicely, but you could just lay them in the bottom if you're using a standard loaf tin.3. Place the rest of the cake ingredients in a bowl and beat with a hand mixer until fully combined and smooth. Pour over the lemon slices and give the tin a couple of sharp taps on a hard surface to prevent large air bubbles on the top of the cake. Bake for 40-50 mins or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.4. Whilst the cake is baking, put the drizzle ingredients (except the icing sugar) into a small pan and boil until the sugar is fully dissolved. Set aside until the cake is baked.5. As soon as the cake is ready, remove from the oven and spike all over with a skewer. Pour over half the drizzle immediately and then leave the cake to cool fully before removing from the tin.6. Add icing sugar to the remaining drizzle until it is a thick glazing consistency. Turn the cake out of the tin and, using a pastry brush, coat the cake with the glaze.7. Enjoy with a nice cup of tea!
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: One loaf cake
Disclaimer: House of Fraser sent me a box of baking equipment free of charge and I was compensated for my time in developing this delicious recipe. As always, all views expressed are my own honest opinions and I wasn't required to write a positive review.
