Pocketful of Zest

My parents live in a neighborhood that was previously inhabited by a very productive citrus grove. Then, like every other neighborhood in the East Valley, some developers came in and decided to get rid of all of it. Fortunately, they struck a deal with the land owners that required all lots to retain at least 2 citrus trees. Most lots have 5 or 6. My parents however, have 12. I think, give or take one. Funny thing is, the neighborhood is called Orangewood and my parents do not have a single orange tree in their yard. They have some grapefruit trees, some tangelo trees, and even a little lemon tree they planted a while back. It's just refreshing to see a little bit of preservation in a city that generally eliminates everything in its path in order to make more houses.

This weekend my brother Jeff stayed the night with Glenn and I, and my parents dropped him off because they happened to be seeing the show Chicago at the theater a block from our house. Before they left, my dad asked if we wanted any grapefruit. Glenn being the grapefruit lover and myself having a recipe with grapefruit to try, gave that a definite yes. Also, since the recipe required the zest of a grapefruit, and I just got a new Microplane zester, I was all over trying it (in case you were wondering, the Microplane was AMAZING, I want to zest everything now.) That being said, I made this grapefruit yogurt cake last night. Luckily I was able to get Glenn to eat the zested grapefruits so they didn't go to waste.

Recipe courtesy of Smitten Kitchen.

Grapefruit Yogurt Cake

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
3 extra-large eggs
3 teaspoons grated grapefruit zest (approximately one large grapefruit)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice

For the glaze:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed grapefruit juice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, grapefruit zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it’s all incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup grapefruit juice and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.

When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the grapefruit-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool.

For the glaze, combine the confectioners’ sugar and grapefruit juice and pour over the cake.