by Emma Chow
As autumn nears its end and winter approaches, the variety of fresh fruit diminishes are we’re down apples, bananas, grapes and citrus.
Unless you happen to live in the tropical regions, in which case I’m insanely jealous.
Citrus fruits such as grapefruit seem to encapsulate the sunny taste of summertime and baking with citrus can fill the house with the cheery scent even on the dreariest and dampest of days.
While I buy a lot of grapefruit to kid myself about the state of my healthy diet, I keep a one aside to make this cake.
This is a nice alternative to the usual orange or lemon cake and is lovely to serve for afternoon tea. It has convinced my four year old of the deliciousness of grapefruit and he is now not so offended by the bitterness of the fruit.
Ingredients:
1 large grapefruit, preferably the ruby kind – zested, and juiced
1 cup plain flour
½ cup almond meal (you don’t have to use almond meal. It is still a very moist and delicious cake if you use all flour. Even subbing in some wholemeal flour would be good)
75 grams butter
1 large egg
1.5 teaspoons baking powder
½ cup of sugar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup of milk
Method:
Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celcius. Prepare a loaf tin between 20-30cm in length, or a cake tin of equivalent size. Recipe also makes fine cupcakes, just reduce the cooking time to 15-25 minutes.
Cream sugar and butter until light, pale and fluffy.
Beat in egg.
Add grapefruit zest.
Combine grapefruit juice and milk.
In separate bowl whisk together flour, almond meal, baking powder and salt.
Add liquid and flour mixture in to butter, sugar and egg mixture. Mix thoroughly to combine.
Pour batter into prepared cake tin. Bake for 30-45 minutes.
You’ll need to do the toothpick insert test to make sure this one is cooked in the centre.
Dense cakes like this can be tricky. While they look cooked on the top, it’s always best to check. If it’s still wet, give it another 5-8 minutes and check again.
Allow to cool before serving; the texture of the cake is light but moist, which means it will be fragile when hot.
The cake keeps for up to 3-4 days, covered. Top with home-made Citron Peel if desired!
If using this recipe to make cupcakes, they freeze well, after being thoroughly cooled and tightly wrapped in cling film.
