I've been on a grapefruit kick lately, and then I had the brilliant idea to bake a grapefruit cake.
Clearly my citrus obsession is still going strong. And while I love a half-grapefruit in the morning (plain, no sugar needed!), I knew there was more that I could do with my favorite winter fruit.
And then I had the brilliant idea to make a grapefruit cake. Now, I am not the only one who has ever had this idea. While searching the Internet for a recipe to try, I came across this one from Thomas Keller, the famous chef from The French Laundry, Ad Hoc, Per Se ... the list goes on. So, yeah, that seemed like a good place to start. The original recipe calls for the cake to be baked in a loaf pan, but I went a little fancier and baked it in a bundt cake pan, since I was baking it to share with friends.
The cake gets its delicious citrus flavor from the addition of grapefruit zest to the cake batter, a drenching of grapefruit syrup after the cake comes out of the oven, and a drizzle of grapefruit glaze once the cake has cooled. And oh man, is it delicious.
And, while of course this cake makes for an excellent dessert, its citrusy flavor also makes it a great candidate for breakfast. How else are you going to keep the scurvy at bay?
Glazed Grapefruit Bundt Cake (printer-friendly version)
makes 8-10 servings
For the cake:
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1¾ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1⅔ cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon grapefruit zest
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup organic 1% milk, at room temperature
¾ cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the syrup:
½ cup grapefruit juice
⅓ cup granulated sugar
For the glaze:
¾ cup confectioners’ sugar
1-2 tablespoons grapefruit juice
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch bundt pan with butter and sprinkle with flour. Shake out the excess flour and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. Add the sugar and grapefruit zest to the bowl of an electric mixer. Use the back of a spoon to rub together the sugar and zest, releasing the citrus oil. (It is going to start smelling really good in your kitchen!)
4. Add the eggs to the sugar mixture and, with the whisk attachment, beat on medium speed until the mixture is thick and creamy, about 3 minutes.
5. With the mixer running, stream in the milk, followed by the oil, and then the vanilla. Turn the mixer to low speed, and add in the dry ingredients in several batches, beating until just combined.
6. Pour the batter into the prepped bundt pan. Tap a couple of times on the counter to release any air bubbles.
7. Bake in the oven for 45-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
8. Set the cake pan on a wire rack and let cool completely before removing the cake from the pan.
9. While the cake is cooling, make the grapefruit syrup: combine the grapefruit juice and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a simmer, and stir until the sugar dissolves. Continue simmering for an additional minute, then remove the pan from the heat.
10. After inverting the cake and removing it from the pan, prick the top of the cake all over with a fork. Brush the cake with the grapefruit syrup. (It will seem like a lot, but just go for it.)
11. Make the glaze: stir the powdered sugar and grapefruit juice together in a small bowl. Add more grapefruit juice as necessary to achieve a thick, but pourable consistency. Drizzle or spoon the glaze over top the cake. Allow the glaze to set before serving.
(adapted from a recipe in Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc at Home cookbook via The Baker Chick)
makes 8-10 servings
For the cake:
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1¾ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1⅔ cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon grapefruit zest
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup organic 1% milk, at room temperature
¾ cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the syrup:
½ cup grapefruit juice
⅓ cup granulated sugar
For the glaze:
¾ cup confectioners’ sugar
1-2 tablespoons grapefruit juice
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch bundt pan with butter and sprinkle with flour. Shake out the excess flour and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. Add the sugar and grapefruit zest to the bowl of an electric mixer. Use the back of a spoon to rub together the sugar and zest, releasing the citrus oil. (It is going to start smelling really good in your kitchen!)
4. Add the eggs to the sugar mixture and, with the whisk attachment, beat on medium speed until the mixture is thick and creamy, about 3 minutes.
5. With the mixer running, stream in the milk, followed by the oil, and then the vanilla. Turn the mixer to low speed, and add in the dry ingredients in several batches, beating until just combined.
6. Pour the batter into the prepped bundt pan. Tap a couple of times on the counter to release any air bubbles.
7. Bake in the oven for 45-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
8. Set the cake pan on a wire rack and let cool completely before removing the cake from the pan.
9. While the cake is cooling, make the grapefruit syrup: combine the grapefruit juice and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a simmer, and stir until the sugar dissolves. Continue simmering for an additional minute, then remove the pan from the heat.
10. After inverting the cake and removing it from the pan, prick the top of the cake all over with a fork. Brush the cake with the grapefruit syrup. (It will seem like a lot, but just go for it.)
11. Make the glaze: stir the powdered sugar and grapefruit juice together in a small bowl. Add more grapefruit juice as necessary to achieve a thick, but pourable consistency. Drizzle or spoon the glaze over top the cake. Allow the glaze to set before serving.
(adapted from a recipe in Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc at Home cookbook via The Baker Chick)
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