Nothing beats a slice of proper lemon drizzle cake. It’s so buttery, with a sherbetty tang that makes your lips pucker.
We’ve put our twist on the British classic by infusing it with the flavours of Great British Food Award-winning Yiayia Gin from Shed One Distillery in Ulverston.
Inspired by the beautiful wild countryside of Crete, the spirit is infused with some of Europe’s most sustainable juniper, alongside botanicals including vine, fig, olive and lemon leaves, mushroom, seaweed, rose pelargonium and oregano.
This cake is just the thing to serve alongside a Yiayia G&T. It’s filled with lemon and rose, soaked in a citrussy gin syrup, and finished with pops of rose and fresh oregano. Your new teatime favourite!
Ingredients
- 175g unsalted butter, softened
- 175g golden caster sugar
- Zest of 1 lemon (save the juice)
- 1 tsp lemon extract
- 1.5 tsp rose extract
- 3 large eggs
- 175g self-raising flour
- 2 tbsp milk
For the drizzle:
- 100g caster sugar
- 100ml Yiayia Gin
- Juice 1 lemon
To finish:
- Dried edible rose petals
- Fresh oregano
Method
1. Line a 2lb loaf tin and set the oven to 180C.
2. In a large bowl, beat the butter with the sugar until creamy and smooth. Add the extracts and lemon zest and combine.
3. Crack in one egg and beat well. Add a little of the flour and mix in. Continue adding the remaining eggs and flour alternately. Finally, pour in the milk and beat well. The mix should be creamy and thick.
4. Spoon evenly into your tin and bake for 45-50 minutes until well-risen.
5. Prepare the drizzle about halfway through the cake’s cooking time. Simply pop all the ingredients in a pan and simmer on a low to medium heat until it coats the back of a metal spoon like Vaseline (you don’t want it to be too sticky like caramel).
6. As soon as your cake comes out of the oven, prick it all over with a skewer and pour the syrup on top, making sure you get into every nook and cranny.
7. Once it’s cooled, sprinkle with your rose petals and oregano.
