Grapefruit Poppyseed Cake

My experience with grapefruit has been this: you slice it in half, sprinkle some sugar on it and have at the insides with a spoon to get out all of the flesh. It’s tart, not very sweet and is honestly more work for your breakfast than is necessary. But my experience with grapefruit has gone a complete 180. I made a Grapefruit Poppyseed Cake and am in LOVE with how it came out! Maybe because it’s in cake form, but this is the best a grapefruit has ever tasted to me.

This cake is not your average cake. It’s a cornmeal cake and it falls somewhere in between cornbread and regular cake in terms of consistency. The cornmeal really tastes great with grapefruit and it’s a combo I’m more than willing to try again (who knew it would be a hit!). And the poppyseed not only look cool, but serve to balance out the flavor of the cake so that it’s more than just tart/sweet. And even better? It’s an easy cake to make and frost.

When my grandmother passed away I inherited a lot of the kitchen utensils. It goes with the territory right? And when I was going through her silverware I saw this weird spoon with a jagged edge. Me being a millennial and growing up in a house where grapefruit was only eaten when our neighbor would send us a mix of citrus fruits from Florida, I had no clue what it was. When I asked my mom, she laughed at me! Just couldn’t get over that I didn’t know that it was a specialized spoon for grapefruit! I passed on taking those spoons home with me, but funny thing is now I eat a lot of grapefruit and I actually need it. Funny how life works sometimes 😉

I keep talking about how great this cake was, but I’m biased right? I’m the proud creator of this baked good so I’m allowed to be a little biased. The real proof is in how quickly Tai ate it. Tai likes most everything I cook (although I struggle with white rice randomly) and he will be honest and tell me what he did or did not like. This was one of the few examples where he had little else to say other than “I really like that cake.” And we ate ALL of it ourselves…while watching TV…and ignoring our new years resolutions. But hey, grapefruit is a diet food, right?

So I know you’re probably reading this and thinking “Hmmm I’m on this new diet so I’ll just have to bookmark the page and come back later.” Don’t. Just make it, have just a bite and then give it to your friends or coworkers. The grapefruit season is in full swing right now and it’s the perfect time to make this. And when it’s cold out, who wouldn’t want Grapefruit Poppyseed Cake 😉

Grapefruit Poppyseed Cake

Grapefruit Poppyseed Cake for when you need a delicious treat!

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 40 mins

Total Time 1 hr

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 8

Calories 385 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 1 1/2 Sticks Melted Butter
• 1 1/2 Cups Flour
• 1/2 Cup Cornmeal
• 1 1/2 Cups Sugar
• 2 Tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 Tsp Kosher Salt
• 3 Eggs
• 1/4 Cup Grapefruit Juice
• 1 Tbsp Grapefruit Zest
• 2 Cups Powdered Sugar
• 2 Tbsp Poppyseeds
• 1/4 Cup Grapefruit Juice

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Combine flour, cornmeal sugar, baking powder and salt.
• In a separate bowl combine the melted butter, eggs, grapefruit juice and grapefruit zest.
• Combine the wet and dry ingredients until fully incorporated.
• Pour mixture into a 9-inch greased cake pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until cake is cooked through. Let cool on a wire rack.
• To glaze, combine powdered sugar, poppy seeds and grapefruit juice. Spread onto the cake when it has cooled completely. Allow glaze to set and harden. Then slice and enjoy!