Rosemary Citrus Bundt Cake
My first introduction to this cake came on a brisk evening last April, in the form of a cheerful crowd of teeny baby Bundts at the launch party for Sweeter Off the Vine, the cookbook it comes from. The spread there, all baked by the inimitable Yossy herself, might have been one of the most delicious arrays of baked goods I’ve ever been privy to, from saffron lime bars and rich brown butter blondies to moist cornmeal cakes with dainty pink glaze and flaky rhubarb galettes. Yet these little Bundts, almost like pound cake in their heft but still brightly tart from a citrus glaze, still stood out so much that — shh — I squirreled away a baby cake or two to take back to friends on the way home, unable to help myself. I’ve been waiting to share it here ever since.
The magic of this cake, and the magic of many of the recipes in Yossy’s book, is, I think, the thoughtful balance in its flavors — the crumb is luxuriously rich and dense from plenty of butter and sour cream, but rather than verging on heavy, the incorporation of both the zest from the citrus peel and the juicy chunks of its fruit makes the cake lively and brisk, not to mention even more wonderfully moist. My only minor tweak was a little bit of chopped rosemary, because its fresh, pine-like fragrance always reminds me of the holidays — and, to my pleasant surprise, it added a nice green and red effect against the ruby red grapefruit. Citrus cakes aren’t usually my first thought when it comes to the holidays, tending to be overshadowed by gingerbread and spices, but thanks to this cake, I think I’ve changed my mind.
Barely adapted from the Grapefruit and Meyer Lemon Bundt Cake in Sweeter Off the Vine, by Yossy Arefi (2016, Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC).
Ingredients
- for the cake:
- 1 medium grapefruit
- 2 medium Meyer lemons (or, if unavailable, regular lemons)
- 3 cups (600 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped rosemary
- 3 cups (375 grams) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (225 grams, or 2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 6 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup (225 grams) sour cream, at room temperature
- for the glaze:
- 2 medium Meyer lemons (or, if unavailable, regular lemons)
- 3 cups (360 grams) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 F. Butter and flour a 10-inch tube or Bundt pan very thoroughly.
- To make the cake: Scrub the grapefruit and lemons with warm soapy water to remove any excess wax, then dry the fruit. Put the sugar into a medium bowl and zest the grapefruit and lemon directly into the sugar. Use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar until evenly distributed and fragrant.
- Supreme the grapefruit and lemons: Cut the tops and bottoms off all the fruits, then cut the white pith away from the outside of the fruit. Over a bowl, carefully cut the wedges of fruit away from the membrane, letting the fruit and juices fall into the bowl. Remove any seeds that have fallen in and gently break up the fruit into ½-inch pieces.
- Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, mix the butter on medium speed for about 2 minutes. Add half of the sugar and zest mixture and turn the mixer up to medium high. Mix for 2 minutes, then add the remaining sugar and mix for 4 minutes, making sure to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula periodically. The butter and sugar should be very light, fluffy, and fragrant.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing for about 30 seconds after each addition. Periodically stop the mixer and scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to ensure even mixing.
- On low speed, add the sour cream followed by the flour mixture, and mix until just combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer and gently fold in the fruit segments and juices. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and tap the pan lightly on the counter to remove any large air bubbles.
- Bake the cake until it is golden and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 60 to 75 minutes, depending on the pan. Let the cake cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then carefully unmold it onto a rack to cool a bit more before glazing.
- To make the glaze: Zest and juice the lemons. Add the zest, confectioners’ sugar, and a pinch of salt to a bowl. Whisk in about 6 tablespoons of the lemon juice. You want the glaze to be thick, but pourable. If the glaze seems too thick to pour, add a few more drops of lemon juice.
- When the cake has mostly cooled, use a skewer to poke a few holes in its surface. Drizzle half the glaze on top of the cake, let it soak in for about 20 minutes, then whisk the remaining glaze until smooth and pour it over the top of the cake. Let the glaze set for a few minutes before serving.
- Store leftover cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. It will also freeze beautifully, unglazed.
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