Pink Grapefruit Yogurt Cake

I love any citrus dessert. Lemon anything, key lime anything, orange anything, grapefruit anything (as long as it has enough sugar to overcome the pucker-factor). And for some reason, I’m of the opinion that every season is the perfect season for citrus (with the exception of fall). In the winter, they seem wintry. In the summer, they seem summery. And in the spring–or the almost-spring–they seem springy.

My hubs and I only eat dessert on the weekends now, which is a major sacrifice, I must say. So to make it to the level of weekend dessert nominee, a recipe has to seem pretty special. When I saw this recipe on Joy The Baker, it sang to me. And I was not disappointed. I might make changes next time I make it, but not because I thought anything about this cake was bad or could even be improved upon. On the contrary, this cake was amazing. But some desserts arouse a curiosity, a desire to experiment with a stellar base recipe. I might try a different citrus fruit and see how it compares (I’m sure it will be great!). I might make a non-cooked glaze that will dry instead of staying sticky, and I might try said glaze instead of OR (mmmm!) in addition to the current glaze on the cake. My mouth is watering just thinking about all the deliciousness in store! And, just so you know, I ate slices of this cake for breakfast twice this week, and it makes a great breakfast too! That’s how I deal with not eating dessert during the week.

Pink Grapefruit Yogurt Cake
from The Greystone Bakery Cookbook by way of Joy the Baker

2 cups flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup plain whole milk yogurt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
juice and zest of 1 pink grapefruit (about 1/2 cup juice and 1 Tablespoon zest)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 Tablespoons powdered sugar

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10-inch round springform pan and line the pan bottom with a parchment paper round and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt to blend; set aside. On a clean surface, or in a large bowl, combine the granulated sugar and zest. With the back of a spoon or a flexible bench knife, rub the grapefruit zest into the sugar. The essential oils will release into the sugar creating a beautifully fragrant sugar. In a large bowl, beat the eggs and grapefruit sugar until the eggs are thick and pale yellow. Add the yogurt, oil, 1 Tablespoon of grapefruit juice and vanilla extract. Stir well to combine. Add the flour mixture and stir to combine. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a rubber spatula. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a wooden skewer comes out clean when inserted near the center. Place the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes to cool. Run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake Release and remove the pan sides. Coo completely on the wire rack.

In a small saucepan, combine the powdered sugar and the remaining grapefruit juice and bring to a boil Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes, or until the glaze is slightly thickened. Remove from heat.

To finish the cake, invert the cooled cake and remove the pan bottom. Carefully peel away the parchment paper. Reinvert the cake onto a serving plate. Pierce the cake all over the top with a skewer and pour the warm grapefruit syrup slowly over the cake.