I’m not quite sure why I decided this, but it struck me that the quintessentially English summer drink, Pimms, was startlingly unrepresented in the cakes area.
Two routes presented themselves: incorporating Pimms into the body of a cake, or into a drizzle and / or icing.
Given that Pimms is most often consumed with lemonade, using Pimms as a drizzle over a lemon sponge seemed a logical solution. I went for cupcakes rather than a loaf or round cake because I regularly inflict cakes on my work colleagues. It’s much easier to distribute individual portions of cake than hunt around for plates, knives, and so on.
Three trials later, tweaking the recipe each time following feedback, I give you my prototype recipe. Please pass it on, if you like, but a) please credit me and b) let me know how you get on.
For the cupcakes:
- 100g butter, softened (margerine works well, too)
- 125g caster sugar
- 2 eggs
- 150g self-raising flour
- 50 – 75g candied peel, preferably the sort you have to chop yourself, in 5mm chunks
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 2tbsp lemon juice
- 2tbsp natural yoghurt
For the Pimms drizzle:
- 75g sugar
- Between 100 – 125ml Pimms (depends on how you’re feeling!)
- Preheat the oven to 180C/ Gas Mark 4 and line a 12-hole muffin tin with baking cases.
- In a bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Sift the flour into the creamed mixture, add the candied peel, and mix until all of the flour is well incorporated. Add the zest, juice and yoghurt, and mix until just incorporated.
- Spoon the mixture evenly between the cases. Bake the cakes for about 20 minutes or until risen and golden.
- While the cakes are baking, put the sugar and Pimms in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and simmer gently until the Pimms has reduced and thickened a bit. I can tell you from impatience and experience that if you’re not careful and ignore this bit, you get soggy cakes!
- Let the cakes cool for about 5 minutes or so in the tin, before turning out onto a wire rack. Prick the tops of them a few times with a skewer or similar, and spoon the warm syrup over the still-warm cupcakes. Leave them to marinate for a few hours.
- Enjoy.
Observations:
The cooking time for the sponges will vary depending on your oven, so keep a close eye on them and adjust accordingly. Golden and well-risen is what we’re aiming for.
If you can, leave the cakes in an airtight container for 24 hours before eating: the sponge becomes wonderfully moist.
I included candied peel because to me, big chunks of citrus fruit is part of the Pimms experience*. Plus, I like candied peel. If necessary, you can use the ready chopped mixed peel that you can buy in tubs at the supermarket – which I did try in one batch – but people said they preferred the big lumps of peel.
If you wanted to try icing, a Pimms and strawberry buttercream icing, possibly with a hint of mint, would work well. I haven’t experimented much with icing in general (mostly because I don’t have that sweet a tooth, plus time spent icing could be time spent eating cake), so if you try, let me know how it goes.
Also, if you can think of ways to improve this recipe, please let me know!
*Not, however, cucumber. I hate cucumber. And cake containing cucumber would be wrong.
