Salty Grapefruit Drizzle Cake

A photo of this cake and its recipe from a newspaper insert was posted on a baking group I’m part of and I instantly decided I had to make it. Lemon drizzle is one of our family's very favorite desserts and a grapefruit version with some almond meal and a touch of Maldon salt sounded amazing. 

I have adapted the recipe to my American kitchen, where I do not have self-rising flour on hand. I also adjusted the mixing method to maximize ease. I used the zest/sugar approach from my Easiest Lemon Curd recipe based on Ina Garten where you cut big strips of zest and grind with the sugar in the food processor. I then just went ahead and made the whole batter in the food processor, just folding in the Maldon salt to keep the larger flakes. 

This makes a generous 9x13 inch cake. In future I might be tempted to do a mix of orange and grapefruit zest and possibly to reduce the butter a bit. The cake isn’t greasy but it’s more buttery than I expected. 

CAKE INGREDIENTS

Zest of two large Ruby grapefruits (you’ll need the juice of one of them)

170 g sugar

225 g butter at room temperature

4 large eggs

50g ground almonds or almond flour (skin-on almonds will be more flavorful)

225g whole wheat pastry flour, all purpose flour or gluten-free 1:1 flour

4 tsp baking powder

Scant 1/2 tsp table salt

4 TBSP milk (non-dairy milk is fine)

1 1/2 tsp flaky sea salt such as Maldon salt. You could even try smoked Maldon salt to add depth

GLAZE INGREDIENTS

Juice of 1 grapefruit approx 75g

150g granulated sugar (original recipe called for 175g but I think less would be better)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees with a rack in the middle and grease a 9x13 baking pan. I used glass but metal works too. If using non-stick cooking spray I usually spray right before adding the batter so it doesn’t just run all down the sides of the pan
2. Place the 170g sugar in the bowl of a food processor with the S blade attachment
3. Using a standard or Y peeler, peel the zest off of the two grapefruits and put the zest strips into the bowl with the sugar
4. Pulse or blend the sugar and zest together until the zest is in very small pieces and the sugar has been infused with the citrus oils
5. Add the butter to the sugar zest mixture and pulse until combined. You’re not creaming the butter and sugar really, just mixing them together
6. Add the eggs and ground almonds and pulse until mixed
7. Mix the flour, baking powder and table salt together just to ensure even distribution then sprinkle the mixture over the ingredients in the food processor bowl and pulse again until just combine
8. Sprinkle the milk over the top and pulse a final time or two
9. Remove the blade from the food processor and then use a spatula to fold in the Maldon salt to the batter
10. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan and bake for 30-40 minutes or until the cake is lightly browned and a tester comes out clean
11. While the cake is cooking, mix the grapefruit juice and sugar together. If you have a microwave, heat for up to 30 seconds at a time just to help dissolve the sugar a bit. If you like a crunchier top, just skip that part
12. Remove the cake from the oven and poke it all over with a fork (the original recipe didn’t require this but for me it’s not a poke/drizzle cake without it)
13. Pour the sugar and juice mixture over the cake. Let cool completely (2-3 hours) before slicing so that the drizzle has time to set