I don't bake much, as I am sure you have noticed here at the blog. I make the occasional cupcake or chocolate cake but that's about it. It takes a very special recipe to get me to put my pastry chef hat on.
I have been eating so many amazing Rio Star grapefruits for breakfast in the past month or so, I got inspired to hunt down a recipe to use them in a dessert to take to a dinner party. While I tend to think that all bundt cakes are created equal - and by equal I mean average - this one has a special twist to it. While the zest from the grapefruit and a touch of almond extract give this cake nice flavor (and the smell of all the citrus is really divine), for this cake...it's all about the glaze. It's a two part process that lets the cake soak in a grapefruit simple syrup and then gets topped with a sugary grapefruit glaze. Sweet without being cloying, those two steps set this cake apart from others I've had and keeps it from getting dry for over a week, if stored properly. For my version, I used equal parts almond and vanilla extract and substituted sour cream for the yogurt.
Pink Grapefruit Cake - recipe adapted from one found here at Cuisinart
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Zest of 1 medium grapefruit, finely chopped
- 3 cups granulated sugar, divided
- 1 cup unsalted butter, cut in 1-inch pieces, at room temperature
- 6 large eggs
- 1 cup plain non-fat yogurt or sour cream
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup fresh pink grapefruit juice, divided
- 2 cups powdered sugar
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 10-inch tube or Bundt pan. Place the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and stir to blend; reserve.
2. Place the zest, 2-1/2 cups of the granulated sugar, and butter in a large bowl. Using a Cuisinart® Hand Mixer, mix the sugar, butter and zest on low speed for 30 seconds to combine. Mix using medium speed until creamed and light - about 3-1/2 to 4 minutes. Scrape the bowl. Add the eggs, yogurt, and extracts, mix on low speed until well blended, about 1 minute. Scrape the bowl. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed for 30 seconds. Scrape the bowl and mix until completely blended, about 30 to 40 seconds. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake in the preheated 350°F oven until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 65 to 75 minutes. While the cake is in the oven, prepare the syrup by combining 1/2 cup of the grapefruit juice with the remaining 1/2 cup of granulated sugar in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved, 3 to 5 minutes; keep warm and reserve.
3. Cool cake in pan on a rack for 5 minutes, then turn out onto the rack; wash and dry the pan. Prick the top and sides of the cake with a cake tester and return it to the pan. Prick the bottom of the cake with the cake tester. Pour the warm grapefruit syrup slowly over the cake allowing the cake to absorb the syrup. When the syrup has been absorbed, turn the cake out onto the rack to cool completely.
4. Combine the powdered sugar with the remaining grapefruit juice and stir until blended and smooth. Drizzle the pink grapefruit glaze over the cooled cake. Let rest 30 minutes before cutting
Editor's Note: See this cool yellow lace cake plate? I worked with its designer on a photo shoot a few weeks ago. She makes clear serving pieces that you can exchange the papers in the inside to make it the most versatile platter you'll ever own. Visit her website at EDOBA.
