Lisi of Lisi’s Luscious Desserts shares this flavorful confection that is great to make with the family. This is more citrus tasting than grapefruit so please don’t shy away. The cake has three little parts – but each part is easy to do together.
Grapefruit Cake
Ingredients
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons finely grated grapefruit zest
2 grapefruits
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened to room temp
2 eggs, room temp
2 teaspoons grapefruit juice
1 1/3 all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup buttermilk well shaken
syrup
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
glaze
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
pinch of salt
Directions
Prepare pans – grease then line the bottom of a 9×5 pan (other sizes will work, just adjust baking time) with parchment and grease again. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Zest the grapefruit (rem to wash and dry first) and just take the outside part of the skin.  The inner white layer is bitter.  Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingers to incorporate the flavor. With paddle attachment, beat butter and the zested sugar on medium high for 3-5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time. Scrape down the bowl, mix in the vanilla and scrape again. Combine whisk the dry ingredients.
With mixer running on lowest speed, add the 1/3rd of the flour mixture, follow it with half of the buttermilk.  And repeat, ending with the flour. Do not over mix.  Remove from mixer and fold 2 or 3 times to make sure all butter is incorporated. Pour into prepped pan. Bake until toothpick comes out clean and the cake is nice and golden. Let sit 10 minutes. While it sits, make the syrup. Bring grapefruit and sugar to a boil (mix to incorporate first) – boil for one minute.  Be careful as it is hot!
Poke many holes in the cake with a toothpick.  Brush the syrup all over the cake and continue as it gets absorbed. Let cool completely. Invert and remove from pan. Make the glaze by mixing the confectioners’ sugar and juice – and the tad of kosher salt.  Spread over the syrup soaked cake.