Step it up this Valentine’s Day with Roku Japanese Gin

Competition is NOW CLOSED.

Congratulations to our winners:

1. Premium: Susan Skirving
2. Charlotte Pretorius

One Premium member will automatically be entered to win a Roku Japanese Gin hamper valued at R1,200.

Roku Japanese Gin hamper contains:

• 1x bottle of Roku Japanese Gin
• 4-piece Le Creuset Round Sauce Plate

With Valentine’s Day around the corner and everyone scratching their heads around gift ideas for their special person, why not show off your baking skills by gifting your significant other with a delicious homemade gin-infused cake such as the attached from Roku Japanese Gin.

Not only does Roku Japanese Gin make for a divine gift in its beautiful hexagon-shaped bottle, it also serves as the perfect accompaniment for a romantic evening.

ROKU JAPANESE GIN CAKE

Ingredients:

For the cake

• 250g salted butter

• 325g castor sugar
• 4 eggs
• 250g self-raising flour
• 75g natural yogurt
• 2 large limes, juice only
• 75ml Roku Japanese Gin
• 150ml tonic water

For the icing

• 200g softened butter

• 400g icing sugar
• 2 tbsp milk
• zest of 3 limes (using up those you’ve juiced, above)

To decorate

• 2 limes, zested then 1 cut into thin wedges to decorate

• 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 tsp juniper berries, lightly crushed 
• lemon sherbets
• ¼ cucumber, peeled into ribbons 
• party straws

Method

• STEP 1

Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas mark 4. Grease and line 2 x 20cm cake tins. In a freestanding electric mixer, or using an electric whisk, beat together the butter and 200g of the sugar until pale and fluffy, for around 5 mins. Add the eggs one by one, making sure they are fully incorporated before adding the next one. If the mixture looks like it might split, add a tablespoon of your flour, then fold in the rest of the flour. Mix the natural yogurt with the juice of one of the limes and 50ml of Roku Japanese gin, then add this to the cake mixture to make a thick and silky mixture. Split the mixture between the cake tins and bake for 35 mins until a skewer comes out clean.

• STEP 2

Meanwhile, make the syrup. Put the remaining castor sugar, tonic water and juice of one lime into a saucepan over medium heat. Once the sugar has dissolved, bring to the boil and cook for 5-7 mins, until it’s a thick syrup that goes until it is thicker and not darker in colour. Ensure that you stop boiling the syrup once you see it goes darker in colour. Cool for 5 mins, strain then pour in the remaining Roku Japanese gin and set aside.

• STEP 3

Once the cake is out of the oven, allow to cool for 5 mins, then prick all over with a skewer, then liberally spoon the syrup mix over both of the cakes. Allow to cool completely in the tin.

• STEP 4

To make the buttercream, beat the butter until soft, then add the icing sugar, a little at a time to avoid a sugar cloud! Once fully incorporated, add the milk and the zest of the limes.

• STEP 5

To assemble, place one of the cake layers on a cake board, cover with 1/3 of the buttercream then sit the second cake layer on top. Cover this, too, in just a thin coat of icing then put the cake in the fridge for 30 mins to firm up – this will make it easier to get the rest of the icing on smoothly. Use the remaining buttercream to cover the top and sides of the cake.

• STEP 6

To decorate, mix the lime zest with the sugar. Sprinkle this over the cake with the juniper berries and finish with lemon sherbets, lime slices, cucumber ribbons, party straws and any other gin & tonic paraphernalia you fancy.

In a 750ml bottle at 43% ABV, the Roku festive packs are offered at a recommended retail price of R299 in major retailers nationally; Makro, Pick n Pay, Checkers, and selected TOPS at Spar.  You can also order online through Takealot, NGF and others.

For more information, please visit http://www.suntory.co.jp/wnb/rokugin/

Drink responsibly. Not for persons under the age of 18.

Competition closes Sunday, 27 February 2022 at midnight.

Ts&Cs apply. Competition will run online only.

By entering the competition, you accept The Citizen’s standard terms and conditions. Premium members get an automatic entry to all citizen.co.za competitions.