• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Anna Banana
  • RECIPES
  • ABOUT
    • Privacy Policy
  • MY GEAR
  • COLLABORATE
  • PORTFOLIO
menu icon
go to homepage
  • RECIPES
  • COLLABORATE
  • CONTACT
  • ABOUT
  • PORTFOLIO
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • RECIPES
    • COLLABORATE
    • CONTACT
    • ABOUT
    • PORTFOLIO
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Cupcakes

    Gin and Tonic Cupcakes

    Published: Apr 21, 2021 by Anna · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads · 18 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    Deliciously boozy gin and tonic cupcakes! Fun and easy recipe for light and soft sponge cake infused with gin, soaked in lime, gin & tonic sugar syrup, and topped with smooth and creamy butter icing flavoured with gin! It's a classic cocktail in a form of a cupcake!

    You can use this recipe to make 12 cupcakes or one small cake, making it a perfect bake for any adults gatherings or get togethers!

    super close up at a gin and tonic cupcake in yellow paper case
    Jump to:
    • Tips for making this recipe
    • How to make these cupcakes
    • Make ahead and storing instructions
    • Scaling this recipe
    • Can I make them gluten-free?
    • Self-raising flour substitute
    • 📖 Recipe
    • Comments

    Tips for making this recipe

    What I love about this recipe is how quick and easy it is to make. These cupcakes would make a perfect treat at any adults get-togethers or celebrations, from birthdays to weddings. Whether it's a summer garden party or December Christmas do, your guests would love this little boozy treat!

    straight ahead shot of gin and tonic cupcakes with paper straws in buttercream

    The recipe consists of 3 parts. It starts with making simple cupcake batter infused with gin and tonic water, followed by syrup and butter icing. Here's what you need to know, to ensure your cupcakes turn out perfect:

    1. Room temperature ingredients - Make sure to bring butter, eggs and tonic to room temperature, about an hour before making it. This step ensures that ingredients mix well together and create an even bake. In my One Bowl Vanilla Cupcakes recipe I explain what 'room temperature' butter should look and feel like, so feel free to read that post, if you'd like.

    2. Right oven temperature - You will be surprised how inaccurate oven temperatures can be. Invest in an oven thermometer to ensure the temperature for your bakes is always right. They're not expensive to buy and will last for years. When the temperature is too high, your cupcakes will more likely end up uneven, with dark crust and a 'hump' on top. When it's too low, they will be too pale, often with hard crust developing on top.

    3. Avoid over-filling the cupcake cases with batter - When making cupcakes, always aim for ¾ of the case to be filled with cake batter. That way they will have just enough room to rise. If you over-fill them, you are more likely to end up with muffin tops.

    4. Cooling - Allow these tonic cupcakes to cool completely before topping with frosting. If you attempt to pipe the butter icing on a cupcake that is still warm, it will melt and turn into a puddle.

    side view of gin and tonic cupcakes on a metal cooling rack

    How to make these cupcakes

    Start by creaming caster sugar and unsalted butter together. Use the hand held or stand mixer on medium speed, and cream them together for about 2-3 minutes, until pale and fluffy.

    • side close up of a glass bowl with butter and sugar
    • close up of whipped butter and sugar in a bowl

    Next, add the lime zest and mix again on a medium speed, until it is combined. After that, you will beat in the eggs. Add one egg at a time, along with 1 tablespoon of raising flour, to prevent the batter from curdling. Beat well after each addition.

    • side close up of a bowl with whipped butter and lime zest
    • top view of a bowl with whipped butter, egg and flour

    Using an electric mixer or spatula, fold in the remaining flour, followed by gin and tonic. The batter will be smooth and slightly thick. Use an ice cream scoop or two spoons to scoop out the cake batter and divide it between the cases, ensuring not to over-fill the cases.

    • overhead shot of a bowl with cupcake batter
    • top view of a 12-hole cupcake tin filled with cake batter

    Bake the gin and tonic cupcakes for 17-20 minutes, until they have risen and are springy to the touch.

    While the cupcakes are baking, prepare the tonic syrup and butter icing. To make syrup, you will simply combine all the ingredients with lime juice in a small saucepan and cook it for about 5-10 minutes. You want the sugar to fully dissolve and the mixture to become thick and syrupy.

    For the buttercream, beat the softened butter with icing sugar for about 5 minutes. It should be smooth, thick and creamy. Once combined, add gin and mix again. The longer you beat this mixture for, the creamier and lighter in appearance it will become.

    side view of a bowl with butter icing
    • overhead shot of a person brushing cupcakes with syrup
    • side close up at a butter icing being piped on top of a cupcake

    When the cupcakes are baked, remove them from the oven and brush with syrup. Place them on the wire rack to cool completely, before topping with icing, some lime zest and lime slices. For an extra-fun look, add trimmed paper straws.

    Make ahead and storing instructions

    Each step of this recipe can be made ahead. Cupcakes can be made a day ahead and stored in the air tight container at room temperature.

    The syrup can also be made ahead and stored in the fridge for up to 5 days. Butter icing can be prepared up to a day in advance. It will also keep well in the fridge, but you will need to bring it to room temperature before using it.

    Frosted cupcakes can be stored for up to 2 days at room temperature. To extend their life, you may want to store them in the fridge, for up to 4 days. They will become harder and start to dry out with time.

    super close up at a cupcake topped with butter icing and lime zest

    Scaling this recipe

    This recipe makes 12 cupcakes or one small (23 cm) cake. You can also double the recipe, by simply doubling the ingredients from the recipe card. Same goes for scaling it down. Reduce the ingredients by half, to bake a smaller batch.

    Can I make them gluten-free?

    Yes! I haven't tested it myself, but I would recommend using a good quality gluten-free self-raising flour. As gluten-free bakes are often a bit more fragile, add ¼ teaspoon of xanthan gum to add more stability to the cupcakes.

    top view at a cupcake sliced in half

    Self-raising flour substitute

    If you don't have any self-raising flour, you can use plain flour instead. Use the same amount of plain flour as the recipe calls for, but add 2 teaspoon of baking powder to it.

    Make sure to tag me on Instagram and comment below if you try this, or any other of my recipes. To pin this recipe and save it for later, use the button on the recipe card or on any of the photos above.

    📖 Recipe

    side close up at a gin and tonic cupcake with slice of lime
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    4.70 from 20 votes

    Gin and tonic cupcakes

    Your favourite cocktail in a form of a cupcake! Fun and boozy cupcakes with gin and tonic and gin infused butter icing. Perfect little treat for grown ups!
    Prep Time15 minutes mins
    Cook Time20 minutes mins
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: British
    Keyword: boozy cupcakes, gin and tonic cupcakes, gin cupcakes
    Servings: 12 cupcakes
    Calories: 470kcal
    Author: Anna Wierzbinska

    Equipment

    • 12-hole cupcake tin
    • hand-held electric mixer
    • piping bag with nozzle
    • 12 paper cupcake liners
    • paper straws (optional)

    Ingredients

    • 175 g unsalted butter room temperature
    • 175 g golden caster sugar see notes for alternatives
    • 2 medium limes zest only
    • 2 large eggs room temperature
    • 200 g self- raising flour see notes for alternatives
    • 3 tablespoon gin
    • 3 tablespoon tonic water

    For the syrup:

    • 50 g caster or granulated sugar
    • ½ medium lime juice only
    • 3 tablespoon gin
    • 3 tablespoon tonic water

    For icing butter:

    • 150 g unsalted butter room temperature
    • 370 g icing/ powdered sugar
    • 2 tablespoon gin

    To decorate (optional):

    • 1 medium lime zest only
    • 1 medium lime slices
    Metric - US Customary
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 175 C (160 C fan). Line 12-hole cupcake tin with paper liners and set aside.
    • Place butter and sugar in a large bowl, and using an electric mixer, beat together until pale and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add lime zest and mix again to combine. Add eggs, one at a time, along with 1 tablespoon of flour between each addition (it will prevent the batter from curdling), and mix on low speed until well combined. Fold in the remaining flour, followed by gin and tonic and mix together to combine, until you have smooth batter.
    • Divide the cupcake batter between the cases (fill ¾ of each cupcake case with batter, leaving enough room for them to rise) and bake for 17- 20 minutes until the cupcakes have risen and are springy to the touch. Let them cool for 5 minutes, then remove from the tin and place on the cooling rack.
    • While the cupcakes are baking, prepare the syrup. Place all the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to boil. Simmer the mixture for about 10 minutes, until all the sugar dissolved and it becomes a bit thicker. Remove from the heat and set aside.
    • Brush the cupcakes with the syrup (you can also dip the top of each cupcake in the syrup, or spoon it on top of each cupcake) and set aside, while you prepare the butter icing.
    • To make butter icing, place the butter and icing sugar in a bowl of an electric mixer and beat on low speed until well combined. Add 2 tablespoon of gin, and mix again until you have smooth, thick and creamy icing. The longer you beat it, the smoother and lighter in appearance it will be. Transfer the icing to a piping bag fitted with the nozzle (I used Wilton 1 D) and pipe it on top of each cupcake. Decorate the cupcakes with some lime zest, lime slices and paper straws.

    Please note that all my recipes are developed and tested in metric grams. I recommend that you use digital scales for a more accurate results. I have provided a conversion to US customary in the recipe but please note that I haven’t tested using this method.

    Video

    Notes

    • If you don't have any self-rising flour, you can use plain/ all-purpose flour. Use the same amount as the recipe calls for, but add 2 teaspoon of baking powder to it.
    • I used 8 tablespoon of gin in total in this recipe, but you can adjust this amount to your tasting.
    • If you have no limes, you can also use lemons in this recipe. Replace the lime zest with lemon zest, and lime juice with lemon juice.
    • Use lower shelf of the oven, instead of the middle one, if your oven has a tendency to over-bake.
    • This recipe was adapted from Baking Mad

    Nutrition

    Serving: 190g | Calories: 470kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 89mg | Sodium: 17mg | Potassium: 78mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 49g | Vitamin A: 735IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg
    Did you make this?Tell me how you like it? Leave a comment or take a picture and tag @anna_wierzbinska on Instagram. I love seeing your take on my recipes!

    If you would like to receive my recipes straight to your inbox, make sure to add your email address to my mailing list!

    More Cupcakes Recipes

    • chocolate raspberry cupcake topped with dried raspberries and chocolate heart.
      Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes
    • lemon cupcake with lemon curd in the centre.
      Lemon Poppy Seed Cupcakes
    • straight ahead super close up at a single cupcake with caramel and buttercream
      Vegan Salted Caramel Cupcakes
    • straight ahead super close up at a festive cupcake topped with orange peel
      Chocolate Orange Cupcakes

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sherinda

      June 26, 2021 at 1:32 pm

      The sponge was very dense even though I followed the instructions to a tee. . I used lemon gin which made them very sweet and doesn’t give the flavour of gin so I think ordinary gin would be better.

      Reply
      • Anna

        June 29, 2021 at 11:15 am

        Thanks for your feedback, sorry to hear that the sponge didn't work for you. Sometimes, when the cake batter gets under or over-mixed, it may result in denser crumb.

        Reply
    2. Rachel

      May 30, 2021 at 11:44 am

      5 stars
      I made these for my mum’s wedding. The guests kept asking which professional bakery made them! I did them with lemon as it’s a favourite of hers. Also topped with crushed skittles as I ran out of zest! Amazing recipe and can’t recommend enough.

      Reply
      • Anna

        June 01, 2021 at 10:48 am

        Hey Rachel, wow, I'm sooo happy to hear that you've made these for the wedding and they were such success! Also, I absolutely love the idea of topping them with crushed skittles! YUM!

        Reply
    3. Ksenia @ At the Immigrant's Table

      May 16, 2021 at 7:41 pm

      5 stars
      Amazing! Not only do these cupcakes look like something you'd see on the Food Network or Sugar Rush, but the flavor combination sounds incredible. G&Ts are a summertime fave for me, and I can't wait to get my share in cupcake form.

      Reply
      • Anna

        May 18, 2021 at 11:43 am

        Thanks so much Ksenia, they're perfect little treat for any summer gathering and always disappear very fast! Hope you will enjoy them as much as I do!

        Reply
    4. Heidy

      May 15, 2021 at 12:45 pm

      5 stars
      I was very impressed with the boozy flavors in this recipe and enjoyed it. Thanks for posting specific easy to follow instructions and tips! That made life so much easier. Have a great Sunday!
      Heidy McCallum

      Reply
      • Anna

        May 16, 2021 at 11:48 am

        Thanks very much Heidy, so happy to hear that you enjoyed the recipe and you found tips to be helpful! Enjoy your weekend!

        Reply
    5. Tammy

      May 14, 2021 at 7:45 pm

      5 stars
      These cupcakes are so beautiful!! This is such a fun and delightful dessert for the summer. I love the sound of that syrup 😉 Cannot wait to make these!

      Reply
      • Anna

        May 16, 2021 at 11:46 am

        Thanks very much Tammy, let me know if you give them a try!

        Reply
    6. Veronika

      May 13, 2021 at 8:29 pm

      5 stars
      These cute cupcakes look like a lot of fun to make! Perfect for the Summer, cannot wait to try them 😉

      Reply
      • Anna

        May 14, 2021 at 9:41 am

        Thanks Veronika, let me know if you give the recipe a try!

        Reply
    7. Leslie

      May 13, 2021 at 2:38 pm

      5 stars
      What a fun recipe for Adults! I love your creativity with this. I know these are sure to be a hit!!

      Reply
      • Anna

        May 14, 2021 at 9:40 am

        Thank you Leslie, so happy to hear that! They always disappear very fast in out house, and they are very popular with our friends too!

        Reply
    8. GUNJAN C Dudani

      May 12, 2021 at 3:49 pm

      5 stars
      I did not know that I could bake with gin and tonic. Love this concept. On my to do list.

      Reply
      • Anna

        May 13, 2021 at 11:31 am

        Boozy bakes are the best type! Hope you will enjoy them Gunjan! 🙂

        Reply
    9. Colleen

      May 10, 2021 at 9:42 pm

      5 stars
      What a fun and delicious idea! I can't wait to give these a try and I know they'll be a hit!

      Reply
      • Anna

        May 11, 2021 at 1:06 pm

        Thanks Colleen, so happy to hear that! Let me know how did it go!

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Anna Wierzbinska.

    Hey, I'm Anna!

    I'm a self-taught baker, recipe developer & food photographer based in small village in Hampshire, UK. I created this blog to share sweet recipes that are simple enough for bakers of any level to enjoy. I truly hope that you will find your new favourite dessert recipe here! If you have any questions, or want to connect, I would love to hear from you!

    About Anna →

    Autumn Recipes

    • straight ahead close up at pumpkin loaf cake topped with cream cheese and pumpkin seeds
      Pumpkin Loaf Cake
    • apple crumble cake topped with custard buttercream and crumble.
      Apple Crumble Cake
    • super close up of a cupcake topped with pink buttercream
      Spiced apple and blackberry cupcakes
    • side super close up at pumpkin spice doughnut shaped like pumpkin on a plate
      Pumpkin Spice Doughnuts

    Featured On:

    Trending Recipes

    • top view of a round apple cake cut into eight slices
      Easy Apple Cake
    • a side close up at a stack of two crullers with the top one missing a bite
      French Cruller Doughnuts
    • a slice of chocolate crepe cake with ganache on a white plate.
      Chocolate Crepe Cake
    • straight ahead close up of lemon cake loaf
      Small batch lemon drizzle cake

    Footer

    ↑ BACK TO TOP

    About

    • About Me
    • Portfolio
    • Services

    Connect

    • Subscribe
    • Contact Page
    • Work With Me

    Information

    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2017-2023 Anna Banana