Recently, well actually several months ago, my lovely friend Jane had a birthday. Jane had requested a Tim Tam cake [for my non-Aussie friends, Tim Tams are our national treasure chocolate biscuit] but I spied a recipe in my beloved book ‘Lily Vanilli’s Sweet Tooth’ that I knew she would love. And boy, was I right.
In the book it is referred to as margarita drizzle cake but I am calling it simply margarita cake. Or, as many of my work friends commented after sampling it, the best cake I’ve ever made. Or, tequila cake with lime, if we want to keep things simple. All are true. Trust me on this – you NEED to have this cake in your life.
And so Jane had a lovely birthday and coz she is so wonderful she even took these photos [before the hoards of hungry office people annihilated the cake]. Thanks, Miss Jane 🙂
GATHER:
450g plain flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
120 grams butter, diced at room temperature
300g caster sugar
Zest from two fresh limes, grated finely on Microplane or similar
4 eggs
300 mL milk
Decent splash of tequila [my addition]
Syrup:
225 mL water
375grams caster sugar
300 mL tequila
juice of five limes
zest of one lime
LET’S GET TO IT:
Preheat oven to 180C and grease and line 3, 20cm round cake tin.
Sift together flour and baking powder, set aside.
In bowl of electric mixer beat butter and sugar until creamy [about 4 minutes], add zest, then beat in eggs one at a time, just to incorporate them – do not over-beat.
With beater on slow add half the flour mixture, then add the milk, then remaining flour then remaining milk.
Scrape down sides, then beat for another minute or so.
Scrape into pans and bake for around 25 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
Leave in tins for around 10 minutes, then place on cooling rack with tray underneath [you’ll need this later when it comes to adding the syrup]. Use a toothpick to prick cakes, then sprinkle over the extra dash of tequila on the tops of each of the cakes.
Meanwhile, make syrup: in medium, heavy-bottom pan stir together 150Ml of tequila, all the lime juice and water and sugar. Increase heat to high, and stir non-stop for about 15 minutes until syrup thickens and begins to colour. Remove from heat, add remaining tequila, and stir.
Allow syrup to cool for around five minutes, then drizzle it all over the cakes. Let it soak in, then add more.
When cools are cool stack on top of each other. If there’s any remaining syrup drizzle it on top and allow it to run down the sides. Sprinkle over remaining zest.
the hungry mum 
Oh my word! I need this cake in my life. Buying alcohol in Pennsylvania is such an epic pain but tracking down the tequila just to make this cake would be worth it. Yum.
Yes, this cake needs you as much as you need it! Just curious, why is buying alcohol so hard where you are?
Alcohol sales are more rigidly controlled by the state and can only be sold by state run liquor stores. In Britain, I was used to being able to buy alcohol in the supermarket so it’s a bit of a culture shock. I’ve found stores that sell wine and beer locally but finding one that sells spirits is harder.
I’m also in Pennsylvania and am just now learning about the restricted liquor laws. But I’m determined to make this cake! Thanks for posting! 🙂
Now I’m really curious about these liquor laws! If you manage to get some tequila I highly recommend making this cake 🙂
Any cake that combines cocktail ingredients has got to be ace. 🙂
Couldn’t agree more – cheers! *clinks glasses*
This sounds exactly like my kind of cake!! Yum
Thanks 🙂 Is part cake, part cocktail, part party!
What a heavenly cake!
Tequila syrup is something, I’ll surely go for…
It is a revelation – you’ll want to add tequila syrup to EVERYTHING 🙂
Yeah, it’s a heavenly syrup for sure. Yummy treat 🙂
my favourite cocktail in a cake! You cannot go wrong with this 🙂
Fascinating! In spite of tequila being pretty scary stuff, it does have a great flavor! Great cake!
Gorgeous flavours and love the layered cake look!
awwww, ta 🙂 Who knew tequila & cake mixed together would be soooo good?!
I’ve never tried an alcoholic dessert before, but I’m curious to see how it affects the flavour! Does it take on more a savoury flavour, or is it still sweet?
Oh, you’ll love it! It is tricky to describe the taste – sweet, strong, botanical is my best description 🙂
You’re so right–I DO need to have this cake in my life. Thanks 🙂 Looks fantastic. Jane is a lucky birthday girl!
Yay Liz! Hope you make it sooner rather than later 🙂
What a lovely cake, a bit of a kick never hurt anyone in the afternoon 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Recipes like this are just one of the many reasons I love your blog! I would never have thought to ever make this – and you know I’m not afraid of a little booze in my desserts – but your descriptions are so apt and glowing! I also loved hearing about Tim Tam.
I’m guessing you know about the Foster’s beer commercials in the US – How to Speak Australian…Foster’s beer. But it is a lot of fun for me to see the variances in the languages. Your slices = our “bars”, for one.
How much do I love your comments?! They make my day 🙂 I was a bit wary of making this cake but it is going to be made ALL the time now – it is amazing! I don’t know the Foster’s ads but here’s a little secret: no-one here drinks the stuff! I’m slowly learning the little differences in language & tweaking my posts so they make sense to people in both hemispheres 🙂
It’s sweet of you to say so! My sister is intrigued, too! And Foster’s beer – I don’t know anyone who drinks it, either, but the commercials have been going on for about 20 years, here.
I wouldn’t worry about the tweaks at all – that’s what google’s for, and it’s fun to see the differences, for me at least! Adds to the charm as far as I’m concerned!
This reminds me of my favorite lemon pound cake with a sweet/sour drizzle glaze over top! I can just imagine how lovely the flavors were in this cake.. lime+margarite= yummy!! xx
Oooh, I love lemon cakes! And cakes with a glaze! You have great taste 🙂
Yum!
Wow!!! What a fantastic idea! YUMMY 🙂
why, thank you 🙂
I love anything with tequila in it…especially cake!
A gal after my own heart 🙂
It’s my birthday in June.
I’ll remember for next year 😉
I’ll send you some Champagne Brownies if you’ll send me some Margarita Cake. Might be a wee bit stale considering we’re on opposite sides of the globe; but hey, I’ll deal with it. 🙂
done deal! I find drenching baked goods in custard is a good way to hide any evidence of staleness 🙂
you had me at tequila!
Is hard to ignore tequila 🙂
This sounds wonderful!!
cheers! Thanks for stopping by.