Cornmeal

Grapefruit Cornmeal Cake

by:
December  3, 2015
0
0 Ratings
Grapefruit Cornmeal Cake
Photo by thekellycole
  • Serves 12
Author Notes

Grapefruit, corn, poppy seeds - it's a gorgeously California cake. Plus, all of the pleasures of a pound cake, with none of the tedium.
This cake was mentioned on NPR but was hard to find on-line. The recipe is from Food & Wine Magazine, and it deserves more attention from enthusiastic bakers, and eaters. —thekellycole

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • Cake
  • 12 tablespoons butter, melted & cooled
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup cornmeal
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon finely grated grapefruit zest
  • 1/4 cup fresh grapefruit juice
  • Glaze
  • 2 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 1/4 cup fresh grapefruit juice
  • 1/4 cup poppy seeds
Directions
  1. Cake
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9 inch cake pan.
  3. Whisk together dry ingredients.
  4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, zest and juice. Slowly whisk in the butter.
  5. Slowly add the butter mixture to the dry ingredients, whisking until well blended.
  6. Smooth batter into prepped cake pan. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until tester comes our clean.
  7. Cool cake in pan for 10 minutes. Invert onto rack, flip right side up and cool on rack for another 30 minutes before glazing.
  8. Notes: A medium grind cornmeal gives the best texture. I use the fantastic organic, heirloom "Bloody Butcher" cornmeal from Happy Belly Farms. As with a pound cake, the butter flavor is pronounced, so I use the best quality I can fine. Currently, I'm partial to hand-rolled Amish-style butter. A bigger pan can be used, adjusting baking time downward.
  1. Glaze
  2. Whisk the 3 ingredients until smooth. Pour/smooth over the warm cake. Let glaze set, about 30 minutes.
  3. Note: Use a baking sheet under the rack to catch the copious glaze run-off. Or, glaze the cake directly on a rimmed serving plate - less pretty, but more delicious glaze can then pool on the plate.
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3 Reviews

nattles78
nattles78 December 19, 2021
Absolutely amazing! Very moist and great flavor combination. I had to use a bigger pan because my 9" pan isn't very tall and batter overflowed in my oven. Next time I used a 10" pan and it was perfect.
 
jenniebgood
jenniebgood October 10, 2020
Hi thekellycole -

I was wondering what kind of pan you used to bake this cake? I LOVE the shape of the cake. - Jen B
 
thekellycole
thekellycole October 10, 2020
Hi! It's a heavy, non-stick pan I've had for at least 10 years. I just checked and there's no name on it. I'm sorry but I don't recall where I found it, but i would guess Williams-Sonoma.