This is one of my favorite recipes to make with leftover ingredients. While I have leftover Greek yogurt all the time, I tend to have grapefruits leftover around the beginning of spring. This Grapefruit Greek Yogurt Cake is a variation on a classic French yogurt loaf cake that is a perfect, easy dessert for spring.
Ingredients for the Grapefruit Greek Yogurt Cake
All-Purpose Flour – You can substitute cake flour if you want an even lighter, fluffier cake.
Baking Powder and Soda – The baking soda will react with the grapefruit juice and yogurt to make the cake rise. The baking powder, which will react on its own during baking, will provide the additional leavening the cake needs.
Grapefruit Juice and Zest – It is best to use fresh grapefruit juice in the cake, although you can also use bottled juice. The zest is optional, but it will add extra grapefruit flavor and a hint more bitterness.
If you end up without enough grapefruit juice for the glaze, you can substitute milk.
Butter – The butter will thicken the glaze, making it slightly more like a frosting. If you’d like a thinner glaze, you can leave out the butter.
Notes on Technique
- Wash and dry the grapefruit well, then zest it before juicing – it’s much easier to zest a grapefruit that hasn’t been cut in half.
- Make sure the wet ingredients are mixed very well, particularly the yogurt, before adding the dry ingredients. If the yogurt isn’t mixed in thoroughly, it could create lumps in the cake.
- When mixing the glaze, make sure the butter is very soft, then use a fork to mash it until it is smooth. Butter that isn’t mixed well will create a lumpy glaze. Mash the butter first, then mix in some of the powdered sugar – if you skip this step, and add the liquid straight to the butter, lumps will form.
Try some of my other citrus recipes:
Grapefruit Greek Yogurt Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (250 g)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sugar (200 g)
- 1/2 cup oil (118 ml)
- 3 large eggs, room temp
- 1/3 cup grapefruit juice (80 ml)
- 1 tablespoon grapefruit zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup greek yogurt (237 ml)
For the Glaze:
- 1 tablespoon butter, softened (15 g)
- 1 small pinch salt
- 1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar (180 g)
- 1 tablespoon cream or milk
- 3-4 tablespoons grapefruit juice
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350° F (180° C) and line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
- First, mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir with a spoon until well combined.
- Next, mix the sugar and wet ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, add the sugar, oil, and eggs, and whisk until fully combined. Next, whisk in the grapefruit juice, grapefruit zest and vanilla extract. Whisk again until fully combined. Finally, add the greek yogurt and whisk until it is fully incorporated.
- Finally, mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Add the first half of the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and whisk gently until almost fully combined. Whisk in the second half of the flour and whisk until just fully combined, but be careful not to overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake at 350° F (180° C) for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the top of the cake comes out dry. Allow the cake to cool for about an hour before glazing.
Make the Glaze:
- In a medium bowl, add the tablespoon of softened butter and mash it with a fork until it is smooth. Next, add the salt and about 1/2 cup of confectioner's sugar and use a fork to combine it with the butter. Add the tablespoon of cream and mix until smooth. Next, add the remainder of the confectioner's sugar and the grapefruit juice, continuing to mix until smooth. If the mixture is too dry, add another tablespoon of milk or cream. Finally, mix in the vanilla extract.
- Spoon the mixture carefully over the top of the cake to create a thick glaze. If you would like a thinner layer, you can thin the glaze by adding more milk. The cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for about 4 days.
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