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Grapefruit Tea Cake is a simple but elegant cake
This cake uses simple techniques to bring out the best flavor. Grapefruit Tea Cake is light and lightly sweet and just darned yummy. You don’t see many recipes that use grapefruit in baking and I don’t know why. I love grapefruit. I know some people complain about the bitterness, but that won’t be a problem with this cake – no bitterness in sight here!
It makes a lovely Upside Down Grapefruit Cake, and it’s pivotal in Easy Citrus Jam. I’m working on a coffee cake too, but that won’t be along for a while, since it is still in the testing phase. But you can try this cake, and grapefruit is not expensive this time of year the way it will be in a few more months.
This is an easy to make cake
To get the very most grapefruit flavor, you begin by zesting a large grapefruit [2 if they are on the smaller side]. Place granulated sugar [see recipe, below] in a small bowl, and use your fingertips to rub the zest into the sugar, combining them completely and teasing all the flavorful oils out of the zest. You will know you have it right when the sugar is just slightly clumpy, and you can feel a bit of oiliness on your fingers. This only takes a few moments, but makes a huge difference in the flavor, trust me.
This is a standard cake recipe, with all of the usual steps.
After the batter is made, scrape it into a prepared [see recipe] 8 x 8-inch flat baking dish, or a square cake pan. Even out the top with a spatula or the back of a mixing spoon.
What makes a cake a “Tea Cake”
That really depends on where you are in the world, and even in the United States. In Britain, tea cakes are yeasty buns. In the Southern US, they are more like a cookie. My grandmother had a lemon tea cake recipe though and it is that recipe that inspired me to try one with grapefruit. My grandmother grew up in Alabama, but lived most of her adult life in Upstate NY. I think she got this recipe from one of her church ladies, because the card wasn’t in her handwriting. Church lady recipes are often the best.
What if I don’t have grapefruit?
Just about any citrus will work in a cake of this type. As I said above, the original recipe that my grandmother passed on to me was a lemon cake. Oranges, limes, lemons, or any combo of the above will be great, I am sure. You can’t mess this up, honestly. Switching to another citrus fruit will be fine.
Here’s how to make this delicious cake
Grapefruit Tea Cake
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- zest from one large grapefruit
- 4 ounces soft butter
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup sour cream or full-fat yogurt
- 1/4 cup fresh grapefruit juice [about the amount from a large grapefruit]
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 large grapefruit
- 1 cup confectionary sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° and generously butter an 8x8 inch glass baking dish. Put a tablespoon of flour in the buttered dish, and tilt it around to get flour on all the buttered surfaces. Knock out the extra flour.
- Zet the first grapefruit, placing the zest in a small bowl. Squeeze the juice into a measuring cup and set aside.
- Measure the sugar into the same bowl as the grapefruit zest. Rub the sugar and zest between your fingers until they are well combined, and the oils from the zest have come out into the mixture. It will have a coarser appearance than the sugar alone has.
- Place the butter in the bowl of the mixer, and add the sugar/zest mixture. Beat until well combined.
- Beat in the egg, and then the sour cream and grapefruit juice.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cardamom.
- Empty the bowl of dry ingredients into the mixer, and beat on low-medium speed, scraping the sides of the bowl a few times, until the batter is well mixed. Don't overmix - it is not going to be super smooth. [see the photo in the post]
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, turning the pan halfway through the time. A toothpick inserted near the center should come out clean.
- While the cake is baking, make the drizzle, if you plan to use it. Cut the second grapefruit from top to bottom. Zest the peel from one half into a small bowl. Squeeze the juice from that half into the same bowl. Add the confectionary sugar, and mix until smooth - set aside. Use a sharp knife to peel the other half, and cut it into segments, for decoration on the tops of pieces of cake. Try not to have any of the connecting parts of the segments- they are very tough on a grapefruit.
- Remove the pan to a cooling rack. After five minutes, loosen the edges, invert the cooling rack on top of the pan, and turn it over. The cake should come out in one piece. [this is why you use butter and flour] Slice in 9 pieces, or less if you want bigger pieces.
- You can serve this with just a dusting of confectionary sugar, some whipped cream, or as I did, with the grapefruit drizzle and a couple segments of grapefruit.
Notes
You can serve right from the pan, with the drizzle and grapefruit segments on the side, for guests to add if they wish. In any case, this is a cake you will want to make time and again, because it is so easy and so delicious!
For another fruity cake, check out Fresh Apple Cake. Fresh Ginger Cookies are also really tasty and easy.
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Lemon Ginger Scones
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This is my kind of cake. One can eat it all day long. Thanks for the recipe.
Thanks Gerlinde – and nice to see you again!
We tried this over the weekend and had to come back to say how much we loved it. The flavor is so satisfying and the moist texture is amazing! Thanks for creating such a fantastic recipe. We will be trying more of your recipes soon.
I’m glad to hear that you enjoyed it Ariadne! Let me know what else you like 🙂
Easy and great recipe, thanks for sharing. Will try this soon
Great, Charah – I hope that you enjoy it as much as we do!
I adore grapefruit, so I knew I would love this. It’s incredible. SO, so good.
I’m really glad that you liked it Dannii – thanks!
Love this Grapefruit Tea Cake recipe, so delicious and fluffy. One of my favorite recipes. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thank you Elisa!
I love how light and refreshing this cake is, perfect for a little pick-me-up in the afternoon. I’m not always a fan of grapefruit but this cake changed my mind on that!
I’m glad that I made you into a convert Nathan- thanks!
Would never have thought of grapefruit in a cake. Excited to try this flavor pairing.
I hope that you love it Shalini 🙂
This light and refreshing tea cake sounds delightful.
Thanks, Andrea!
What a great idea for a cake! 🙂 You don’t often see grapefruit as a cake flavor.
Thanks Carrie – I love grapefruit, so always looking for more ways to use it ♥
The citrusy flavor is bright and refreshing, and the cake itself is moist and tender. It’s the perfect treat for a cozy afternoon tea or a sweet breakfast.
I agree Gianne – thank you!
Love the citrus flavor of this cake! We had this for breakfast, and it was terrific!
It is a great breakfast, DK!
This was so delicious! I loved that sharpness from the grapefruit with the sweet cake. Thank you!
Thank you Harriet- so glad you enjoyed it!
I wasn’t sure I would like a cake with grapefruit, but I had some to use up, so I decided to give your recipe a go. I’m so glad that I did. It is everything I was hoping for and more – yum! Bookmarking your site and signing up for your newsletter – I can’t wat to see what else you have coming up!
Well, that makes me very happy – hope you find some other things to try Hellen!