Ruby Red Grapefruit Pound Cake with Citrus Glaze
Ruby Red grapefruit zest and juice give this buttery pound cake a gentle tartness, and a pink-tinged citrus glaze finishes the top. It makes one 8-by-4-inch loaf, about 8 slices or 2 per person. Scale the people count in the app to 2, 4, 6, or 8 — ingredients adjust from this base of 4 servings.
Open interactive cooker (change people count)
Food safety
Scrub grapefruit under running water before zesting or cutting. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean so the eggs are fully cooked, and do not taste raw batter. Cover leftovers within 2 hours (1 hour if above 90°F).
Allergens: wheat, milk, egg
Equipment
- 8-by-4-inch loaf pan
- mixing bowls
- electric mixer
- zester or fine grater
- citrus juicer
- cooling rack
Ingredients (for 4 servings)
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon Ruby Red grapefruit zest
- 1/3 cup fresh Ruby Red grapefruit juice (for cake)
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1 cup powdered sugar (for glaze)
- 2 tablespoons fresh Ruby Red grapefruit juice (for glaze)
Directions
1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour an 8-by-4-inch loaf pan. Scrub the grapefruit under running water, dry, then zest and juice it.
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
3. Beat the butter, sugar, and grapefruit zest on medium speed 3 to 4 minutes until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time.
4. Stir the 1/3 cup grapefruit juice into the sour cream. On low speed, add the flour mixture in 3 parts, alternating with the sour cream mixture, mixing just until smooth.
5. Scrape into the pan. Bake 50 to 55 minutes until golden and a toothpick in the center comes out clean, or the center reads about 200°F (well above 160°F).
6. Cool in the pan 10 minutes, then turn out and cool on a rack at least 20 minutes more (cooling time is included in the cook time).
7. Whisk the powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons grapefruit juice until thick but pourable. Spoon over the cake and let it set 10 minutes before slicing into 8 slices.
Skill taught
Baking a dense loaf cake fully through and glazing it once cool.
Affordable substitution
Use plain yogurt in place of sour cream, and bottled grapefruit juice if you only have one fresh grapefruit for zest.
Optional variation
Swap in orange or tangerine for the grapefruit, or add 1 tablespoon poppy seeds to the batter.
Leftovers & storage
Wrap within 2 hours (within 1 hour if above 90°F). Keep at room temperature up to 2 days or refrigerate at 40°F or below up to 5 days. Freeze unglazed slices up to 3 months.