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Pink Grapefruit Olive Oil Cake with Dressing

With an abundance of grapefruit you make cake! I love olive oil cakes, and this one is light and creamy with the addition of olive oil. I added a dressing which is optional. I say don't skip it!
Course cake, Dessert
Cuisine California
Keyword cake, dessert, grapefruit, olive oil
Servings 8
Author Mary Papoulias-Platis

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1-3 large limes
  • 1 cup cake flour, not self-rising
  • 5 large eggs, separated, and 1 egg white removed
  • 3/4 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1-2 pink grapefruit, supremed, sliced, and juice reserved for dressing.
  • 9 springform pan, lined

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Cover springform pan with some oil, then line bottom with a round of parchment paper. Oil parchment.

  2. Finely grate enough lime zest to measure 1 1/2 teaspoons and whisk together with flour. Halve the lime, then squeeze and reserve 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice.

  3. Beat together yolks and 1/2 cup sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until thick and pale, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium and add olive oil (3/4 cup) and reserved lime juice, beating until just combined (mixture may appear separated).

  4. Using a wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture (do not beat) until just combined.
  5. Beat egg whites (from 4 eggs) with 1/2 teaspoon salt in another large bowl with cleaned beaters at medium-high speed until foamy, then add 1/4 cup sugar a little at a time, beating, and continue to beat until egg whites just hold soft peaks, about 3 minutes.
  6. Gently fold one third of whites into yolk mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly.

  7. Transfer batter to springform pan and gently tap against work surface once or twice to release any air bubbles. Sprinkle top evenly with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar. Bake until puffed and golden and a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center of cake comes out clean, about 45 minutes.

  8. While the cake is baking, supreme the grapefruit over a small bowl, catching the juices and reserving the juice for the dressing. Squeeze the remaining grapefruit with your hands, into the juice bowl. (see video above). Slice the grapefruit in 1/4 -inch thick rounds.

  9. In the last 20 minutes, remove cake from oven and add the grapefruit slices, place back in the oven to continue cooking. Cool cake in pan on a rack 10 minutes, then run a thin knife around edge of pan and remove side of pan.

  10. Cool cake to room temperature, about 1 1/4 hours. Remove bottom of pan and peel off parchment, then transfer cake to a serving plate. Dust lightly with powdered sugar, cut and serve with dressing.

Recipe Notes

This cake was adapted from Gourmet, 4-2006.