Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a cake pan.

Beat sugar and butter together in a bowl using an electric mixer until smooth and creamy; add eggs and beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Mix lemon zest into creamed butter mixture.

Sift cake flour into a separate bowl. Add baking powder, salt, and ginger; stir. Beat 1/3 of the flour mixture into the creamed butter mixture on low speed until flour mixture is completely incorporated, about 1 minute.

Stir lemon juice and 2 tablespoons milk into flour-butter mixture; mix on low speed until completely incorporated. Stir the remaining milk and whisky, alternating with the flour mixture, into the flour-butter mixture until batter is well mixed. Scrape batter into the prepared cake pan.

Bake in the preheated oven until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes.