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Really Good and Tangy Grapefruit + Meyer Lemon Cake and Anthropologie Workshop

robyn holland | sweetish.co

I remember watching Nigella Lawson on television once (or maybe I read this in one of her books?) and she said her main talent in life, was that she was an incredible eater.Total light bulb moment right now but um, hello. I kinda suck at eating.grapefruit and lemons cut in halfDo you? Or are you totally good at this? Do you eat good food all the time?ANYWAY, I’m trying to get better about this. About meal prepping and cooking at home and not just hunkering down to bake a cake but make actual real savory food - which I am quite good at doing by the way - making real food - I just think I got out of the habit of doing it ever since my baby boy was born. So, new year, new me I say! Food! Here we come. (I have some really good savory “real food” recipes for you mentioned in my resources.)So naturally to celebrate my new goal I made a cake. :Dclose up shot of lemon and grapefruit battergrapefruit and lemon batter with grapefruits and lemons on topeggs in a bowl for the grapefruit and lemon cakeThis cake is worth it. It requires too many eggs (six), but the eggs are necessary and the zest and pulp of the citrus are magical and the glaze is not to be skipped.Lemon and tart dessert lovers. This is for you.Please, thank you and you’re welcome.lemons cut in half next to blue juicergrapefruit and lemon cake batter in a bowl next to empty bundt tinGrapefruit Lemon cake batter in bundt cake tinOH WAIT ONE MORE THING.My next Anthropologie workshop is here and it totally has to do with real food and feeding ourselves.Anthropologie wanted me to do a health-focused workshop for January (because new year, new you,) and they really wanted lunch in a jar, SO! I am delivering.This is my last Anthropologie workshop until April, so come! We’ll snack on good-for-you-goodies (made by yours truly) and talk about tips on how to make healthy food more accessible and what we really should be eating as woman.grapefruit and lemon cake on cake stand with drizzleIt’s gonna be awesome and I’m super excited about it and WOULD LOVE NOTHING MORE THAN TO SEE YOU.COME!You can sign up here.Okay huge hug. *casually whispers but really, please come it's gonna be awesome!* xograpefruit and lemon cake on cake stand with drizzle and fruitslices of grapefruit and lemon cake with whipped cream

Really Good and Tangy Grapefruit + Meyer Lemon Bundt Cake

My tart dessert lovers. We all know there is nothing sadder than biting into a lemon-y dessert only to have it taste too sweet accompanied by the slightest hint of lemon. Or worse yet, we just see the presence of citrus (lemon zest, is that you?) but trying to find it’s zing is like a treasure hunt. This cake hits you in the mouth with its tang. It's everything you've ever wanted in a simple bundt cake. recipe adapted from Yossy Arefi, Sweeter Off the Vine

for the cake:

  • 1 medium grapefruit, zest + pulp
  • 2 medium meyer lemons, zest + pulp
  • 3 cups / 600g sugar
  • 3 cups / 375g all purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¾ teaspoon medium grain kosher salt
  • 1 cup / 225g unsalted butter (softened)
  • 6 large eggs (room temperature)
  • 1 cup full-fat sour cream (room temperature)

for the glaze:

  • 2 medium meyer lemons, zest and juice from both
  • 3 cups / 360g powdered / confectioners sugar
  • 1 pinch salt

for the cake:

  1. Pre-heat oven to 325°F / 160°C and make sure there’s room for the cake on the middle rack. Butter and flour a 10-inch bundt pan, taking care to grease all the nooks and crannies.

  2. Wash grapefruit and lemons with warm soapy water to remove any wax and then dry thoroughly with a towel. Set aside.

  3. Measure sugar into a bowl.

  4. Zest both fruits right into the measured sugar. Mix zest with sugar to release zest oils (This smells amaze btw).

  5. Beat zest-ed sugar with butter in an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 5-8 minutes. Mixture should not appear grainy at all. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl once or twice during the process.

  6. While butter + sugar is beating, supreme your grapefruits and lemons. (Supreme means to cut away all the outer skin, white pith and thinner skin from around the fruit. Honestly this is the most complicated part about making this cake but you’ve got this. Turn on some good music and go!) To supreme: with thick skins intact, cut the top and bottom of the fruit, then cut the skin away, taking the white pith along with it. Carefully cut the fruit away from the thinner inner skin. Try to capture all the fruit and juice into a bowl. Set this juicy fruit aside.

  7. Add eggs one at a time to butter + sugar mixture until incorporated. Scrape the bowl once or twice during the process.

  8. Add sour cream and mix until incorporated.

  9. Measure all your dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt) in a medium sized bowl and sift with a whisk.

  10. Add dry ingredients to your mixer, and mix until just together, scraping the bowl once or twice.

  11. Add supreme-d fruit, and gently fold with a spatula.

  12. Bake cake at 325°F / 180°C for 65-75 minutes or until top is golden brown, and toothpick comes out clean. I had to rotate my cake half way through to ensure even baking.

  13. While cake bakes make the glaze.

  14. When cake is done, let it cool on a cooling rack inside the tin until it’s still warm, but not hot. Then poke some holes into the top of the cake, and pour ½ the glaze onto the cake, letting the warm cake soak up the glaze. Let it soak up for about 20 minutes.

  15. Once cake has completely cooled, dump it carefully out onto a serving dish and pour the rest of the glaze on top.

  16. Serve with fresh whipped cream for a special occasion, if desired. 

to store the cake:

  1. Store left over cake in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature and up to 7 days in the fridge.

  2. Cake tastes best the first 3 days it’s made.

for the glaze:

  1. Juice and zest lemons, putting the zest and juice in separate bowls. Add zest, powdered sugar and a pinch of salt to the bowl. Add juice slowly and not all at once. Glaze should be pourable but some what thick so it doesn’t completely run off the cake. I used all of the juice from both lemons but you may need a little more or a little less. Let the glaze sit for a few minutes before pouring on the cake.

bakers note: I had issues with the cake baking all the way. I should have rotated the bundt pan about half way through baking and that would have insured an even bake. So, I suggest you do the same unless your oven is better than mine. (It’s not, do it) Also, make sure your ingredients are room temperature, don't skip the glaze and make sure you use meyer lemons and not just regular lemons.

medium shot of slices of grapefruit and lemon cake with whipped creamRESOURCES:

  • Lemons and grapefruit for this cake came from imperfect produce. A discounted produce box delivery service. To get 20% off your first box, use the code SWEETISH at checkout. Delivery restrictions apply.

Some of my favorite real food savory recipes for you: