OLIVE OIL CAKE :: GRAPEFRUIT, ALMOND, BUTTERMILK

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a loaf pan, set aside.
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl whisk buttermilk, sugar, eggs, grapefruit zest and almond extract. Working in small batches, add dry ingredients to the wet, whisking to combine. Slowly pour olive oil into the batter, folding with a rubber spatula to incorporate.
3. Pour batter into loaf pan, and bake for 50 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.
4. While the cake is cooking, make a grapefruit syrup by juicing the zested grapefruit (reserve 3 tablespoons of its juice for later). Pour the rest (1/3-1/2 cups) into a small sauce pan with 1 tablespoon sugar. Heat over medium-low heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat.
5. When finished, let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Place cooling rack on top of a baking sheet, and turn out the cake onto the rack. Using a kabob stick or a butter knife, pierce the cake with 10-12 small holes, not piercing through to the bottom. While cake is still hot, pour the grapefruit syrup overtop and allow syrup to run into the holes. Cool completely.
6. Make glaze by stirring 2 tablespoons grapefruit juice into 1 cup confectioners' sugar. Add additional tablespoon or juice if needed.
7. Pour glaze over the cooled cake and immediately top with sliced almonds.