I need more vibrancy and brightness in the darker days of Winter. This recipe for Pink Grapefruit and Hibiscus Loaf Cake is exactly that. Not only does the hibiscus flowers give the icing a vibrant pink colour but the grapefruit has a zesty tang that wakens the senses after those dark months.
The cake is an easy mixture to make and full of flavour, as well as being perfect for an afternoon tea or picnic as travels well unsliced. It’s also a great recipe to get kids into baking as it smells great while you prepare the grapefruit and icing. I like the simplicity of just the plain colourful icing on the pound cake, however, if you would like to jazz it up, you can use fresh edible flowers or sugar flowers to decorate the top of the cake.
Hibiscus flowers can be found mainly dried and as well as giving the icing a vibrant pink colour but also a sour and tart flavour which cuts through the sweetness of the icing. When you have seeped the flowers in the grapefruit juice for the icing, instead of throwing them away, you can add them to a cup with hot water and make a zesty fruit tea.
Equipment You'll Need
Pink Grapefruit and Hibiscus Loaf Cake Recipe
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 12 Slices 1x
Description
Serves 12
Ingredients
For the Cake –
- 175g Unsalted Butter, softened
- 175g Caster Sugar
- 3 Large Free Range
- 175g Self Raising Flour
- 4tbsp Grapefruit Juice
- 2 Grapefruits, zested
For the Icing –
- 95g Grapefruit Juice
- 5g Hibiscus Flowers
- 250g Icing Sugar
Instructions
- Oven to 180C, line a 2lb loaf tin with parchment paper and set aside. In a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, then the grapefruit juice (it might look curdled but will come together when adding the flour). Add in the flour and grapefruit zest until combined.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared loaf tin, and bake for 35-40 minutes, until the skewer comes out clean, cover with parchment if the top starts to darken too much. Remove and leave to cool completely before decorating.
- In a bowl, combine the grapefruit juice with the hibiscus flowers. Allow the flowers to seep into the juice for 30 minutes to allow the colour and flavour to be extracted. Strain the juice into another bowl. throw away the flowers or pop into hot water for a fruit tea.
- Slowly add the icing sugar into the juice, gradually until all combined and smooth. With the cake still in the tin, pour over the icing allowing it to flow and self-level. Cover and leave overnight for the icing to set or tuck in with a runner icing.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Cakes
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: British
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