Most citrusy pound cakes use just the zest and juice to flavor their crumb, but this citrus lover’s cake is particularly flavorful because it utilizes grapefruit and Meyer lemon zest, juice, and flesh.
—Yossy Arefi
READ our book review to learn more about Yossy’s book and LISTEN to Faith and Yossy talk about this recipe, as well as others from Sweeter off the Vine.
Reprinted with permission from Sweeter off the Vine, by Yasameen Arefi-Afshar, ©2016, published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.
The bits of whole fruit in this beautiful bundt cake are folded into the cake and turn into little jammy pockets that, when baked, are just tart enough balance out the thick coating of sweet, zesty glaze. Don’t be tempted to skimp on the glaze; it’s the best part.
| Servings |
| 1 ten-inch bundt cake |
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The bits of whole fruit in this beautiful bundt cake are folded into the cake and turn into little jammy pockets that, when baked, are just tart enough balance out the thick coating of sweet, zesty glaze. Don’t be tempted to skimp on the glaze; it’s the best part.
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Ingredients
For the cake
- 1 medium grapefruit
- 2 medium Meyer lemons
- 3 cups (600 g) granulated sugar
- 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter softened
- 6 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 cup (225 g) sour cream at room temperature
For the glaze
- 2 medium Meyer lemons
- 3 cups (360 g) confectioners' sugar sifted
- 1 pinch salt
Servings: ten-inch bundt cake
Instructions
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325ºF (160ºC/Gas Mark 3). Butter and flour a 10-inch tube or Bundt pan very thoroughly.
- To make the cake: Scrub the grapefruit and lemons with warm soapy water to remove any excess wax, then dry the fruit. Put the sugar into a medium bowl and zest the grapefruit and lemon directly into the sugar. Use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar until evenly distributed and fragrant.
- Supreme the grapefruit and lemons: Cut the tops and bottoms off of all the fruits, then cut the white pith away from the outside of the fruit. Over a bowl, carefully cut the wedges of fruit away from the membrane, letting the fruit and juices fall into the bowl. Remove any seeds that have fallen in and gently break up the fruit into 1⁄2-inch pieces.
- Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, mix the butter on medium speed for about 2 minutes. Add half of the sugar and zest mixture and turn the mixer up to medium high. Mix for 2 minutes, then add the remaining sugar and mix for 4 minutes, making sure to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula periodically. The butter and sugar should be very light, fluffy, and fragrant.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing for about 30 seconds after each addition. Periodically stop the mixer and scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to ensure even mixing.
- On low speed, add the sour cream followed by the flour mixture, and mix until just combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer and gently fold in the fruit segments and juices. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and tap the pan lightly on the counter to remove any large air bubbles.
- Bake the cake until it is golden and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 60 to 75 minutes, depending on the pan. Let the cake cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then carefully unmold it onto a rack to cool a bit more before glazing.
- To make the glaze: Zest and juice the lemons. Add the zest, confectioners’ sugar, and a pinch of salt to a bowl. Whisk in about 6 tablespoons of the lemon juice. You want the glaze to be thick, but pourable. If the glaze seems too thick to pour, add a few more drops of lemon juice.
- When the cake has mostly cooled, use a skewer to poke a few holes into its surface. Drizzle half of the glaze on top of the cake, let it soak in for about 20 minutes, then whisk the remaining glaze until smooth and pour it over the top of the cake. Let the glaze set for a few minutes before serving.
- Store leftover cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.
I knew it had to be Food Schmooze where I remembered having seen a grapefruit cake – and here it was, waiting for me! I made this yesterday, substituting 1/2 cup passion fruit pulp for the Meyer lemons, which I couldn’t find. This cake is so delightful – thank you once again, Food Schmooze!
You are SO welcome. Glad it was delicious!
I just made this cake again using only the Meyer lemons and grapefruit, but making the addition of 1/2 teaspoon ground juniper berry. Yes, Ma’am! Subtle, and amazing with the grapefruit. This is a spectacular cake! I will say that it would have taken 4 of the Meyer lemons I used, rather than the 2 called for, to yield 6 tablespoons of juice for the glaze. Since I only had 2 left, I added some grapefruit juice and some lime juice to make up the difference. Great mistake! Absolutely delicious! Thanks again, Food Schmooze!
Hey this cake was a complete disaster! Soggy and wet and even after extra time in the oven a mushy mess. I was so intrigued by the idea of the grapefruit and lemon pieces in the cake. Very disappointed, especially as I made for my husband’s birthday. It seems too greasy. I just realized the mistake! The recipe says 1 cup of butter but 225 grams – that is 1/2 a cup!!!!! Please change this recipe so someone else does not make this mistake! As I never cook with grams, I didn’t think to check even though I thought it was a crazy amount.
I’m so sorry this cake didn’t work out for you. The measurement is correct, however. 1 cup of butter is 225 grams softened butter, according to several online culinary calculators I used to double-check. (Did you inadvertently use melted butter, and that’s where the liquid overload came from?). The cooked fruit should have created jammy pockets, and while it is true that citrus cakes sometimes turn out more like pudding cakes because of their (too?) abundant juices, this one shouldn’t have been a mushy mess, for sure. Again, I’m so sorry your husband’s birthday cake was a bust. It’s always such a bummer to us when we feature a recipe that fails for a home cook.
I made this cake for my picky daughter (40 yo) and she loved it!! Am making it for my cousins’ birthday. Question: why not supreme the citrus into a clean bowl (not the sugar), which makes seed removal easier, allows me to adjust the amount of juice to the batter, and enables me to fold in the fruit more gently?