Yorkshire Dales Duo Raising a Cheers to World Gin Day 2021

A G&T is hard to improve upon - but we may have done it with a boozy gin and tonic cake, says Dales distillery owner.

Just when you thought gin could not get any better, two North Yorkshire businesses have paired-up to create a twist on the classic tipple for World Gin Day. The gin and tonic cakes are the delicious result of BAKE Yorkshire and Yorkshire Dales Distillery combining their culinary crafts for the annual celebration of all things gin today (12^th of June).

To delight those seeking to combine alcohol and sugar in one delicious confection, the Wensleydale-based cake maker and the Colburn craft spirits company have produced the cake using Wild Ram London Dry Gin.

Combining all the aromatic flavour of a glass of G&T, the cake has a layer of moist citrus sponge drizzled with a gin and lime syrup, then topped with generous lashings of a light gin and tonic-infused icing. The speciality recipe gives gin-lovers a unique way to indulge.

While gin and tonic are a renowned coupling, combining cake and gin was also a natural choice for the two independent businesses. Owner of Bake, Lindsay Hudson, explains:

“You can’t go wrong with either a G&T or a slice of cake, so it seems an obvious coupling! It’s great to work with Tony and Sarah, we are all proud gin and cake lovers, so this is a fun chance for us to combine those.”

“Like there is a knack to making a good G&T, they helped me select the perfect flavour and strength gin for the recipe.”

“I do enjoy a gin and tonic and infusing the flavour into a cake was just an experiment really. However, I happened to give my mother-in-law some and she loved it and told several of her friends who then wanted to try it and needless to say, it was a resounding success! It has now been added to my website shop and is available for delivery throughout the UK”

The Wild Ram is a smooth London Dry gin made with heather; redcurrants and gooseberries, from Thirsk, and blackcurrants, from Malton and ancient mineral water drawn from the Swale.

Sarah and Tony Brotherton craft award-winning spirits in their Colburn distillery. Coincidentally Tony bought his wife a birthday cake from BAKE during lockdown so has sampled his culinary partner’s wares before pairing-up for the project.

The Head Distiller explains: “I ordered my wife a birthday cake from Bake for a party and then lockdown happened, so we had to eat the whole thing as a family. Now people can start catching-up with friends and family again, the G&T cake is a fun sociable choice to share together.”

Created for the love of gin back in 2009, World Gin Day is a global celebration of all things gin held annually on the second Saturday in June.

So, whether you find yourself having a post-lockdown gathering with family, afternoon tea in the garden with the girls, or want to send a unique summer birthday cake to a friend, the cake is a delicious way to lift the spirits. What could be better than your favourite tipple in cake form?

You can hear Yorkshire Dales Distillery owner Tony Brotherton in conversation with Julian from Dales Radio on Saturday morning on Nic Foster's show or listen to the podcast.  Plus there's a chance to win a great prize via the Facebook Page.  

The gin and tonic cakes are available to buy from Bake Yorkshire’s online shop with a choice of two sizes. Please find the link here