If you live in the UK then you will know the joys of a Pimms cocktail in a beer garden the minute the sun appears! This Pimms Loaf Cake is inspired by that drink. It's a citrus sponge with lemon, orange and lime zest. It's drizzled with a boozy Pimms syrup, then topped with whipped cream and lots of fresh fruit. This is such a fabulous cake for summer time, and would be centre of attention at a BBQ!
This post may contain affiliate links. I earn from qualifying purchases.
Ingredient Tips & Equipment Information
- Make sure all your ingredients (particularly the butter and eggs) are at room temperature before you start baking.
- I used a baking spread for the cake, but you can also use unsalted butter.
- You can decorate this cake with any fresh fruit you prefer.
- Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50) .
- For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.
For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.
How to make Pimms Loaf Cake
To make the syrup, put Pimms, caster sugar and the citrus juice in a pan on a low heat. Once the sugar has dissolved, boil the mixture for 5 minutes, stirring all the time. Then set aside to cool. To make the cake, start by mixing the butter and sugar together.
Then add the eggs and the lemon, lime and orange zest and mix in. Finally, mix in the self raising flour.
Pour the mixture into a lined loaf tin and bake for an hour, or until golden and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, poke it all over with a thin skewer, then brush on the syrup and leave to cool before decorating.
For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.
What is Pimms?
If you’re not familiar with Pimms, it is a gin based liquor flavoured with fruits and spices. It is made into a cocktail by adding lemonade (or occasionally ginger ale) and lots of fresh fruit like strawberry, orange and cucumber, plus fresh mint leaves. Pimms is SO popular in the UK at summertime, jugs of Pimms cocktails are served in almost every beer garden you go to. It's also known as the drink of the Wimbledon tennis tournament. It’s the perfect refreshing drink on a hot day!
What size tin do you need to make this cake?
To make this cake you will need a 2lb loaf tin. If you are not sure what size your loaf tin is, a 2lb loaf tin can hold 2 pints/1100mls of water. It varies slightly as some loaf tins are slightly different in shape, but it's difficult to confuse it with a 1lb loaf tin as they only hold around 1.5 pints/850ml water.
Can this recipe be made into cupcakes or a round cake?
Yes! To make cupcakes, head to my Pimms Cupcake recipe for instructions, or for a round cake head to my Pimms Cake recipe for instructions.
How long does this cake last for and can it be frozen?
The decorated cake will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 days. You can freeze the cake if you do not add the whipped cream and fruit. Wrap it well with cling film or put it in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. You could also slice up the cake before freezing, put some baking paper between the slices to make them easier to separate once frozen. Then you can defrost a slice or two at a time.
Can you make this cake with plain/all purpose flour?
Self raising flour, which is very commonly used in the UK where I am based, already contains a raising agent and a little salt too. Therefore if you want to swap it for plain or all purpose flour, you will need to add some additional baking powder and also a little salt if you like. Some people like to add salt to cake recipes and some don't, so I'll leave that up to you as it won't affect the bake. The general advice is to add 2 teaspoons baking powder (a measuring teaspoon, not the kind you stir your coffee with) per every 200g plain or all purpose flour. So for this recipe you'd need to add 2 teaspoons baking powder. Please note, I have not tested this recipe using plain or all purpose flour.
Can this cake be made gluten free?
Yes! For gluten free you can replace the self raising flour with a gluten free self raising flour blend. If you only have a gluten free plain flour blend, you will need to add additional baking powder. The general advice is to add 2 tsp baking powder per 200g flour, so for this recipe you'd need to add 2 teaspoons baking powder. You may also like to add ½ tsp xanthan gum for better texture. Please do check the labels for everything you use to make the cake if you are serving it to someone with an allergy or intolerance.
Can this cake be made dairy free?
For a dairy free version, use a dairy free baking spread for the cake. For the topping, use a whippable dairy free double cream alternative. Please do check the labels for everything you use to make the cake if you are serving it to someone with an allergy or intolerance.
More tips for making the Pimms Loaf Cake:
- You don't have to decorate the cake with the whipped cream and fruit, it's very delicious plain with just the drizzle
- Make sure to store any leftovers in the fridge if you do decorate it with the whipped cream, put the cake in an airtight container or cover it well to stop it from drying out
- You will have some leftover citrus juice after making this cake. You can freeze it in ice cube trays and use it for cocktails or mocktails, or for baking this cake multiple times!
Troubleshooting
My number one tip for getting the best results is to read through this whole page of tips and recommendations before starting, and follow the recipe exactly. If you have any questions about this recipe, or if something went wrong and you need help, please use the comment form below and I will get back to you. You can also get in touch with me on my Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. I'd love to hear from you!
Recommended equipment & ingredients
- Mixing bowls
- Loaf cake tin
- Zester
- Cooling rack
- Kitchen scales
- Electric hand mixer
- Piping bags
- Pimms
- Loaf cake storage box
I earn a small amount of money if you buy the products after clicking on the links. You will not be charged anything extra for this. Thank you for supporting The Baking Explorer!
More Pimms recipes...
Pimms Loaf Cake
Ingredients
For the Pimms syrup
- 150 ml Pimms
- 50 g Caster sugar
- 2 tbsp Citrus fruit juice
For the cake
- 200 g Butter or baking spread unsalted, softened
- 200 g Caster sugar
- 4 Eggs large
- 200 g Self raising flour
- 1 Lemon zest only
- 1 Lime zest only
- 1 Orange zest only
For decoration
- 200 ml Double cream
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp Icing sugar
- Fruit of your choice, I recommend strawberries, orange slices, cucumber rolls and mint leaves
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 160C Fan/180C/350F/Gas Mark 4 and grease and line a 2lb loaf tin
- Mix together the butter (or baking spread) and caster sugar, ideally using an electric mixer, until light and fluffy
- Add the eggs, and whisk in until smooth
- Add the lemon, orange and lime zest and mix in. Keep the zested fruits as you can use their juice for the syrup
- Whisk in the flour gently until fully combined
- Pour the mixture into the loaf tin and bake for an hour, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean
- While the cake is baking, make the Pimms syrup
- Juice the lemon, lime and orange that you zested for the cake into the same bowl, and add 2 tbsp of the juice to a sauce pan along with the Pimms and caster sugar
- Heat on a low heat until the sugar has dissolved then boil for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Pour into a bowl and leave to cool
- When the cake comes out of the oven, poke it all over with a thin skewer, then brush the syrup all over it. Leave the cake to cool fully in the tin
- To decorate, whip up the double cream with the icing sugar and vanilla extract and pile it on top of the cake
- Add fresh fruit of your choice, I recommend strawberries, orange slices, mint leaves and cucumber rolls. To create the cucumber rolls use a vegetable peeler to peel strips off a cucumber and roll them up
- Serve immediately, store leftovers in the fridge and eat within 2 days
Notes
- Make sure all your ingredients (particularly the butter and eggs) are at room temperature before you start baking.
- I used a baking spread for the cake, but you can also use unsalted butter.
- You can decorate this cake with any fresh fruit you prefer.
- Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50) .
- For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.
Helen
This looks and sounds amazing! Perfect for summer 🙂
Thanks for joining in with #CookBlogShare.
Eb Gargano | Easy Peasy Foodie
Pimms in a cake? Now you're talking! This looks so good... I'd find it very hard not to have a second slice... or a third, probably!! Eb 🙂
thebakingexplorer
I struggled not to do that either Eb! 😀
Eggless Cake Shop Oldbury
The recipe for Pimms Loaf cake is Super. I tried this recipe and turns into a great dish. Looking forward to see more recipes. Lots of love!!