Grapefruit Cake with Grapefruit Buttercream

This cake is fresh, bright, with a flavor you can truly appreciate whether you simply love a good grapefruit or have spent a month and unaccountable dollars trying to replicate.

This Grapefruit Cake with Grapefruit Buttercream has an original flavor, both clean and pure. After the warm cake emerges from the oven, it is brushed with grapefruit juice which soaks deep into the layers, making an unbelievably moist and tender cake (with just a hint of true tartness). The Grapefruit Buttercream lends a sweeter aspect to this cake. Made with a grapefruit juice reduction, the sourness of the juice balances out the sweetness of the powdered sugar. This cake itself, however, is the true star and is lovely when enjoyed in the afternoon, when the sun is bright and thoughts of spring are on your mind.

Ingredients:


Amount Ingredient
1/2 cup granulated sugar
Zest of 1 grapefruit
2 large eggs
1 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt
1/3 cup light olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed grapefruit juice (about 1 grapefruit)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

 

 

Cake Directions:

Yields 8-inch 2-layer cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Grease 2 8-inch cake pans.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together sugar and grapefruit zest with your fingers until fragrant. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well between each addition. Mix in yogurt, olive oil, vanilla extract, and 2 tablespoon grapefruit juice (reserve 1/3 cup for later). Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt.

Divide batter evenly between cake pans and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Using a pastry brush, brush remaining 1/3 cup grapefruit juice on top on the cake layers, allowing the juice to soak into the cake. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Grapefruit Buttercream

  • 3/4 cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, room temperature
  • Zest of 1 grapefruit
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • Heavy cream

In a small saucepan, bring grapefruit juice to a boil and simmer until it reduces and thickens to about 1/4 cup. Cool to room temperature.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter and grapefruit zest until smooth. Mix in thickened grapefruit juice. Gradually add powdered sugar until incorporated and smooth. Because the thickened grapefruit juice will vary in amount, add heavy cream one tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is achieved.

Comments (15)

on

I made this and added a little more sugar than it called for. Even with adding sugar it needed more for the amount of flour used. Overall, the flavor was very good. The flavor of the grapefruit really comes through. My children liked it. Can I use butter instead of oil next time? Thanks for the recipe!

on

Wow! What a write-up! Looks quite close to the lemon yogurt cake recipe I tried a couple of weeks ago. The tooth of the lemon one was similar to banana bread.

on

I am so glad this is a 'from scratch' recipe not 'out of a box'. Will be buying ingredients tomorrow, sound totally yum!

on

I did it this week-end and the taste was amazing! Used vanilla greek yogourt instead and I didn't play with the amount of sugar and I was perfect! Total my cake was about 2 and 1/2 inch tall, is that what it is supposed to be? Next time for shure I will doubble the cake recipe. I covered it with fondand but wanting only a buttercream cake I'm not sure I would have had enought of icing.

on

The texture of this cake was terrible in that it was tough and flat. The icing was very good and I will use it again for cupcakes.

on

Couldn't wait to try this and was so disappointed. Tough and flat are exactly the right words, klperry544. Almost a scone texture.