pink grapefruit drizzle cake

Judging by the responses on my last post, I'm not the only one who is craving some sunshine right now.

This isn't actually the post that I was intending to share today.  The subject of that post was, of course, equally delicious but a bit heavier.  A bit more substantial.  A bit more of a winter pudding that will stick to your insides.

As I sit here looking out over a grey London, that very particularly English grey, I was drawn not to that pudding but to the memory of these little cakes, bursting with the citrus flavour of pink grapefruit.  They seemed to be just the thing to brighten this gloomy Monday.

The beauty of a drizzle cake is in that eponymous drizzle.  A light sponge, flavoured with a touch of grapefruit zest,  is allowed to soak in a mixture of freshly squeezed grapefruit juice juice and sugar.  The juice runs through the cake, permeating it with a sweetly sharp stickiness while sugar crystallises on top to give a welcome crunch.  

I've made a lemon drizzle cake before and, indeed, lemon seems to be the most usual flavour but I think the grapefruit works so well here.  It's more subtle than lemon certainly but I think it has slightly more complexity.  Slightly more of a challenge but in a very good way.  Normally I try not to eat too much of what I bake and try to find it a good home somewhere.  I tried a little bite of one of these cakes (for quality control purposes only you understand) and I couldn't bear to part the with rest.  

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Pink grapefruit drizzle cake

Yield: 8 mini loaves or a large (approx 23cm round) cake

Ingredients

• 225g unsalted butter, softened
• 225g caster/granulated sugar
• 4 eggs
• 225g plain/AP flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Zest of 2 pink grapefruits
• 80g caster/granulates sugar
• Juice of 2 pink grapefruits

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease a mini loaf tin or a baking tin.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating to incorporate.
4. Fold in the flour, baking powder salt and grapefruit zest.
5. Pour into a tin and bake for 25-30 minutes if using a loaf tin, 40-50 minutes if using a round tin. The cake(s) should be golden brown and a skewer inserted should come out clean.
6. Leave the cake in the tin, mix together the sugar and grapefruit juice. Prick holes in the cake using a fork or cocktail stick and pour over the glaze. Allow to cool in the tin.