G&T cupcakes

It was my friend's birthday recently and one thing she really enjoys is a good gin. So what better way than to celebrate than with some gin & tonic cupcakes?! This is a recipe that needs tweaking, so check back here for alterations in the future, my icing needs a bit more work!

Gin & Tonic cupcakes

For a more gourmet style - you could try different flavoured gins (Summer Gin anyone), but for a classic - I'd recommend Hendrick's or Monkey 47 Dry Gin and Fever Tree do great tonic water (both simple and flavoured).

Sponge:
175g unsalted butter - unrefrigerated
175g caster sugar
175g self raising flour
3 medium eggs
4 tablespoons of tonic water (but dependent on taste)
2 tablespoon gin (again, dependent on how strong you want it - but make sure you get the liquid/dry ingredients ratio right)

Icing:
250g unsalted butter - unrefrigerated
500g icing sugar
Juice of one lime (or lime juice)
4 tablespoons gin (again dependent on how strong you want it)
Vanilla extract - optional (see below why)

A lime to decorate!

Pre-heat the oven to around 170 degrees celcius and line your cupcake tin.
Put the butter and sugar in a bowl and beat together until light and creamy (work through the stiff bit if mixing by hand - elbow grease is all it takes)!
Add the eggs one at a time and making sure it is well combined before adding the next one.
Sift in the flour and fold the mixture, making sure not to over do it.
Stir in the tonic water.
Divide the mixture into the cases to just about over half way.
Bake for approx. 20minutes, or unit golden and the skewer comes out clean.
Leave to cool on a rack and while still hot pierce each cupcake several times.
Here comes the fun bit - brush as much gin as you want onto your cupcakes, make sure you get all edges!

For the icing, soften the butter with the whisk, add in icing sugar and whisk in carefully (don't do what I did, get carried away and get icing sugar all over my kitchen)
Squeeze in the juice of a lime and add gin. Whip until soft and light (again elbow grease and patience required). I found the lime to be a bit too overpowering here, so I added some vanilla extract to sweeten it up a bit (and possibly some more gin).
Pipe onto your now cooled cupcakes.
Add a slice of line and zest to decorate and voila!

I must admit, I need to work on my presentation (note there is a 'J' icing cupcake for my friend's personalised cake).