Gin & tonic lemon cake

Method

1. Line a 2lb loaf tin well with greaseproof paper. Preheat your (fan) oven to 170°C.

2. Beat together the butter and 175g (this means you must leave some for the glaze) of the crème fraîche until you get a loose mixture, stir in the caster sugar, then the eggs and beat again until it begins to dissolve. This mixture will be runny, don’t worry!

3. Sift in the flour and baking power and beat again until you have a thick batter. Using a fine grade grater, grate in the rind of half a lemon and one lime. Juice the grated lime and half a lemon into the batter and add the gin here if you want to add it to the cake. Stir well.

4. Pour the cake batter into the loaf tin and bake for 45 minutes in the preheated oven. After 45 minutes, insert a skewer into the middle to see if the cake is cooked. If it is clean then remove the cake and leave it to cool completely on a wire rack. If not, return the loaf tin to the oven for a further 10 minutes before testing again.

5. When the cake is completely cold, grate the second lime rind and the other half of the lemon rind onto a saucer and set it to one side. Make the glaze by beating together the remaining crème fraîche with the juice from the second lime and lemon half along with the icing sugar. While the cake is still in the loaf tin, pour the glaze on top then sprinkle with the grated lemon and lime rind.

6. Put the loaf tin into the fridge to chill for at least two hours before lifting out the cake and slicing — this will stop it from crumbling to pieces when you cut it.

7. This cake will freeze extremely well, providing you don’t glaze it, the cake will last in the freezer for up to three months. Ensure it is well wrapped.