You don't have to be a King or Queen... or royalty to revel with a slice of this fragrant jubilant cake. However, if you are celebrating the coronation of King Charles III; this is an exceptionally bubbly luscious nod to not only toast such a regal occasion, but for any special occasion you wish.
Gin and Pink Grapefruit Tonic Cake
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200 g (7 oz) unsalted butter, softened, plus extra to grease
200 g (7oz) caster sugar
4 medium eggs, beaten
few drops of pink or red food colouring
200g (7 oz) self raising flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
finely grated zest of 1 pink grapefruit
75ml (3 fl. oz) gin
FOR THE SYRUP:
75g (3 oz) caster sugar
75ml (3 fl. oz) pink grapefruit tonic water, such as Fentimens Pink Tonic Water
3 tablespoons gin
FOR THE DRIZZLE ICING:
100g (3 1/2 oz) icing sugar, sifted
1 and 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC, 160ºC Fan, Gas Mark 4). Grease and line base and sides of a 900g (2 lbs) loaf tin with baking parchment. making sure that the parchment comes up about 4 cm (1 1/2 inch) higher than th sides of the tin.
2. In a large bowl beat butter and sugar with a handheld electric whisk until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Gradually add the eggs, beating well, after each addition. Use a cocktail stick to add a very small amount of food colouring to the batter, to tinge it a pale pink, repeat if necessary until you get the desired shade.
3. Fold in the flour, baking powder and grapefruit zest (reserve remaining grapefruit for later), followed by the gin. Spoon onto the prepared tin and bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
4. Meanwhile make the sugar syrup. Half the grapefruit and squeeze the juice from one half only. Gently heat the caster sugar and tonic water in a small pan, stirring often, until the sugar dissolves. Turn up the heat and boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and mix in the gin and 1 tablespoon of grapefruit.
5. When the loaf comes out of the oven, poke holes all over the top with a skewer and slowly drizzle over half the gin syrup mixture. Leave to soak on for 10 minutes, then drizzle with the remaining syrup. Leave to cool in the tin on a wire rack.
6. Cut the remaining half of the grapefruit in half again. Then slice a couple of thin half moons from one of the halves. Lay the slices flat on a board, cut along the segments lines into small triangle shapes. Put the triangles on a kitchen paper to dry.
7. Gently remove the cake from the tin, peel off the parchment and place back on the wire rack. Mix the icing sugar with enough grapefruit juice, about 1 and 1/2 tablespoons, to make a slight thick but pourable icing. Spoon icing over the cake and decorate with the grapefruit triangles.