Elegant and fragrant, with a wonderful citrus frosting.
Ingredients
For the cake
- 225g plain flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ¾ tbsp pink grapefruit zest, plus 5 tbsp juice
- 200g granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 60g butter, melted and cooled a little
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 185g Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp poppy seeds
For the syrup
- 100ml pink grapefruit juice
- 50g granulated sugar
For the icing
- 140g icing sugar, sifted
- 2 tbsp pink grapefruit juice
Method
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas mark 4. Butter and line a 12 x 22cm tin with greaseproof paper.
Step 2
Sift together 225g plain flour, 2 tsp baking powder and ¼ tsp salt.
Step 3
Put ¾ tbsp pink grapefruit zest into a large pestle and mortar with 100g of the granulated sugar. Pound to crush the zest and release its oils. Add the remaining 100g granulated sugar and work it into the zest too.
Step 4
Put the sugar into a large bowl and add 2 lightly beaten eggs. Mix together using handheld beaters until the batter is light and thick and your beaters leave a trail if you lift them. Beat in 60g melted butter and 1 tsp vanilla extract.
Step 5
Mix in half of the flour by hand, then add 90g of the Greek yogurt, followed by the rest of the flour, then the remaining 95g Greek yogurt. Stir in 1 tbsp poppy seeds and 5 tbsp grapefruit juice.
Step 6
Scrape into the tin and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.
Step 7
Leave the cake to sit in the tin for about 10 minutes, then carefully ease the cake out of the tin and peel off the paper. Set on a plate.
Step 8
To make the syrup, heat 100ml pink grapefruit juice and 50g granulated sugar together, stirring. Boil for 2 minutes.
Step 9
While the cake and the syrup are still warm, pierce the cake all over with a skewer and spoon the syrup all over it. Leave to cool completely.
Step 10
For the icing, mix together 140g sifted icing sugar and 2 tbsp pink grapefruit juice until smooth. Leave to firm up a little then either drizzle it or spread it on top of the cake. Leave to set.
