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Ruby-red Grapefruit, Pistachio & Rosemary Cake

24th November 2020 By Louise 4 Comments

Ruby-Red Grapefruit, Pistachio & Rosemary Cake

Ruby-Red Grapefruit, Pistachio & Rosemary Cake

A delicious and moist flourless grapefruit cake made with the zest and juice of ruby-red grapefruit, ground pistachio and polenta.  A simple gluten and dairy-free bake that everyone will enjoy.

Grapefruit & Pistachio Cake batter

Ruby-red Grapefruit & Pistachio Cake batter – ready to go in the oven. The cake batter is very liquid so I wouldn’t recommend using a loose-bottom cake tin.  If this is all you have then fully line the tin as shown.

With grapefruit currently in season I simply couldn’t help myself but to put them to good use and bake them in a cake. Ruby and pink grapefruit are at their seasonal best from November through to May.  Tart with a tinge of bitterness, grapefruit originated as a hybrid of pomelo and sweet orange.

Ruby-Red Grapefruit, Pistachio & Rosemary Cake

Ruby-red Grapefruit, Pistachio and Rosemary Cake, gluten and dairy free.

I have had this recipe in my files for sometime and a cake I supplied to a local artisan coffee shop, it was one of their best sellers.

Consisting of just a few ingredients; eggs, ground unsalted pistachios, olive oil, fine polenta, sugar and of course grapefruit.  The citrus syrup, steeped with rosemary, adds an extra flavour dimension, peppery with warm pine notes.

This tempting bake really couldn’t be more simple to make, all you’ll need in the way of equipment is a food processor to grind the nuts.  I urge you to give it a try and I would love you to leave a comment or rate the recipe.  Happy Baking!

Grapefruit Cake
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Ruby-red Grapefruit Pistachio & Rosemary Cake

A delicious gluten and dairy free cake with a citrus zing.
Prep Time18 mins
Cook Time45 mins
Course: Dessert/Fika
Keyword: cake,, dairy free,, Fika,, gluten free,
Servings: 8 portions

Equipment

  • 20cm cake tin

Ingredients

  • 110 g unsalted pistachios
  • 1½ Ruby-red grapefruits
  • 1 ½ tsp GF baking powder
  • 90 g polenta
  • 180 g golden caster sugar
  • 4 large eggs 2 separated
  • 190 g olive oil

Grapefruit & Rosemary Syrup

  • 45 g golden caster sugar
  • 90 ml grapefruit juice
  • 1 spring rosemary

To decorate

  • malden salt
  • 20 g pistachios
  • dried rose petals optional
  • rosemary sprigs

Instructions

  • Pre-heat the oven to 170°C fan. Line a 20cm cake tin with baking parchment.
  • Begin with blitzing the pistachio to a fine meal and place in a bowl, add the polenta and baking powder, stir to combine. Zest the grapefruits and stir into the dry ingredients, set to one side.
  • Next place the sugar and oil in a medium size bowl, with a balloon whisk combine. Add 2 eggs and 2 egg yolks, whisk again to a smooth batter. Fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture. Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until soft peaks form. Whisk a tablespoon into the cake batter, then fold the remainder in with a large metal spoon. The batter doesn't need to be completely smooth, if its marbled with egg white that's fine. Pour into the tin.
  • Bake for 40-45 minutes or when a cocktail stick, inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.
  • While the cake is baking, prepare the syrup. Pour the grapefruit juice into a small saucepan with the sugar and rosemary. Bring to a slow simmer. When the sugar has dissolved, remove from the heat. Set to one side to infuse.
  • Fish out the rosemary from the syrup and spoon over the cake when you remove it from the oven. Roughly chop the remaining nuts and sprinkle on the cake with a good pinch of Malden salt, rosemary sprigs and dried rose petals, if using.

Notes

Suitable for freezing, just don't add the syrup to the cake.  Make and freeze, then spoon hot over the cake.

Ruby-Red Grapefruit & Pistachio Cake – stays moist for several days.

 

Tips:

  • Add cooled syrup to the cake as it comes out of the oven.  Or add hot syrup to the cooled cake.
  • If ruby grapefruit isn’t available, use pink as an alternative.
  • Try using bay leaves instead of rosemary. Just one will do.

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Filed Under: Baking, Cakes, Desserts Tagged With: baking, cake, dairy free, fika, Gluten free

Previous Post: « Kroppkakor (Swedish Potato Dumplings)
Next Post: Swedish Chocolate & Cardamom Buns »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Eva Overend

    28th November 2020 at 8:07 am

    5 stars
    This is such a delicious cake. So moist and we like the fact that it’s made with polenta and olive oil and so flavoursome with the grapefruit. I will definitely make this again.

    Reply
    • Louise

      28th November 2020 at 8:29 am

      So glad you like it, it keeps fir several days too, if it lasts that long!

      Reply
  2. Sue Oldham

    1st September 2021 at 4:36 pm

    This is a lovely cake – I make it from the grapefruit that come in my fruit and veg box because no one likes to eat it as it is! I do have one question – should the syrup be spooned onto the cake when it comes out of the oven, or when it has cooled? And is it freezeable?

    Reply
    • Louise

      1st September 2021 at 4:40 pm

      Thank you Sue! In answer to your question, spoon over the cake when it comes out of the oven. Having said that, if you forget, as long as the syrup is hot you can spoon it when the cake is cool. Yes to freezing BUT don’t add the syrup to the cake. Do that once it’s defrosted. Hope that helps.

      Reply

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About Louise

Hej, I'm Louise, a food enthusiast living in Marlow, Bucks, UK. Welcome to my culinary adventures in my Nordic Kitchen. Read More

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