That’s it then, The Great British Bake Off as we know it is over. Done for this year, not on our TV’s next year and then starting up on Channel 4 in 2018. I shall miss it
I shall also miss baking along with each week’s theme and joining in with Jenny and her Great Blogger Bake Off linky. From being star baker in the first week with my Jaffa Cakes to last week’s door stopping Savarin it has been great fun. And so whilst I have missed a few weeks I was determined to join in with the final. Something fit for The Queen.
It seemed only right that since I have had the honour of eating cake in The Queen’s back garden (did you not know? Oh well let me fill you in: A Buckingham Palace Garden Party) I repay the honour in this her birthday year. Except I don’t really do dainty or posh and I have heard HMQ is a bit picky when it comes to food (unlike myself). So if Her Majesty were to come for tea and cake what would I do?
Well everybody knows she is partial to a gin (we would SO get on if we ever met) and Dubonnet each evening so if I made a cake that contained those two ingredients it would make up on substance what it lacked in style, right?
Right. And the only other things I know about Her palate are that she doesn’t eat spicy things , hates potatoes and is a bit partial to a Tupperware box. Not really very helpful when it comes to cake baking.
Gin infused sponge with homemade lemon curd and Dubonnet icing, topped with a hint of a union flag it is then
- For the Syrup:
- 150ml tonic water
- 100g sugar
- 20 crushed juniper berries
- 30ml gin
- For the sponge:
- 350g soft butter
- 350g golden caster sugar
- 20 juniper berries, crushed finely
- Zest of two lemons, grated
- 7 eggs
- 350g self-raising flour
- For the lemon curd
- 240g sugar
- 5 lemons
- 120g butter
- 3 eggs
- For Dubonnet butter icing
- 120g sugar
- 350g butter
- 120g Dubonnet
- First make the syrup. Bring the tonic water, sugar and juniper berries to a boil and allow it to reduce to about ⅔ of the original amount. Leave to cool, strain through a sieve to remove the juniper berries and stir in the gin.
- Secondly make the cake, cream the butter, sugar, juniper berries and lemon zest together until very pale and fluffy, then slowly beat in the eggs until combined. Fold in the flour gently until just incorporated.
- Spoon the mixture into the 4 cake tins (I used the paper disposable ones). Cook at 180 degrees for about 15 minutes. Or until golden brown and a skewer comes out clean.
- Leave to cool for 5 mins, then turn out and remove from the cases. Pierce holes in the sponges and pour in the syrup, allowing to soak in.
- Make lemon curd in Thermomix: Grind sugar and lemon zest from 1 of the lemons for 20 secs on speed 10. Add butter, eggs and juice of the 5 lemons for 20 mins, 90 degrees for speed 2 with the cup off the lid. Then refit measuring cup and mix for 20 seconds on speed 6. Immediately add to sterilised jars and seal. Leave to cool
- Make the icing: Put sugar in mixing bowl and grind 20 seconds speed 10. Add butter and mix on reverse speed 2 for 4 minutes. Add Dubonnet and mix on reverse speed 2 for a further minute.
- With all the ingredients made assemble cake in layers with curd on top of the first cake, buttercream the next, then curd and finally with buttercream on top. Decorate with fruits, smarties, whatever you like
Tesco kindly sent me a voucher to help me buy some ingredients, as part of Jenny’s linky so I used that to buy the fruit and the Dubonnet, because let’s face it nobody really has Dubonnet kicking around anymore do they? Not even my granny had any when I raided her drinks cupboard yesterday and she had EVERYTHING in there.
It has taken me the best part of a day to make but I think it was worth the effort.
Thanks gain to Jenny for hosting the weekly link up, and to Tesco for this week’s voucher.
Now, who’s for a slice of cake?
Me please. I join you and the queen in being more than a bit partial to gin. The cake looks fab and I bet it tastes amazing.
Ooooh yes please! I love gin and this cake looks and sounds delicious x
All the cake.
All the gin.
All the love!
This looks lovely! Wish I liked gin. Think I am the only blogger that doesn’t! Maybe having it in cake is the way to go?
gorgeous looking cake Tanya. I’ve heard of Dubonnet but had to google what it actually is – is it a bit sherry like?
I bet the cake tasted as gorgeous as it looked, and definitely fit for a queen.
Yum that looks lush, definately the kind of cake I would like although I have to admit I have no idea what Dubonnet is.
Perfect, I’m sure the queen would be most impressed with your flavours x
Yes please assuming there’s any left, it looks fab!
Angela x
Mmm what a gorgeous cake I really am drooling now. I must say I am not sure what exactly Dubonnet is but I think my grandparents had some in their drinks cabinet!
this looks so delicious Tanya and def fit for a queen. i love the red, white and blue theme and it is so reminiscent of summer with that lovely fresh fruit on the top. i love how you have managed to add gin to it too!
Thank you for baking along this year, it has been great having you and reading your witty words and seeing your yummy bakes. good luck with the finale! xx
You could run your car on this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
oh well I for one think the queen would for sure approve and if she doesn’t, can I eat the left overs??
Gin drizzle cake sounds perfect. You also used homemade lemon curd, fab! x
I don’t know if I like gin, I’ve never actually tried it! The cake looks delicious 🙂