Grapefruit and Poppy Seed Cake

Grapefruit and Poppy Seed Cake

Ingredients

·         175g butter, softened, plus extra for the tin

·         300g plain flour, plus a little extra for dusting

·         300g caster sugar

·         3 large eggs

·         1 tsp vanilla extract

·         1½ tsp baking powder

·         225ml soured cream

·         zest 2 grapefruit, plus 3 tbsp juice

·         4 tsp poppy seeds, toasted

For the icing

·         100g caster sugar

·         25g butter

·         zest 1 grapefruit, plus 4 tbsp juice

Method

1.    Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Butter then flour a 1.5-litre Bundt or ring tin. Beat together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla, flour, baking powder, soured cream, grapefruit zest and juice, and toasted poppy seeds. Scrape into the tin and level it off. Bake for 40-55 mins, depending on the shape of your tin, until a skewer poked in comes out clean. Leave in the tin to cool a little while you make the icing.

2.    Gently heat the caster sugar, butter and grapefruit juice to melt the butter. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 3 mins. Remove from the heat, stir in the zest and cool for about 10 mins until thickened and syrupy.

3.    Turn the warm cake out onto a cooling rack and brush half the glaze over the cake. Spoon the rest over, little by little, so it sinks in.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, October 2012