Grapefruit Cupcakes
CUPCAKES
- 1 large pink or red grapefruit
- 1 1/3 cups cake flour
- 1ÂĽ teaspoons baking powder
- ÂĽ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons (1¾ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ÂĽ cup whole milk
- 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
- 6 ounces cream cheese, at soft room temperature
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 2 teaspoons fresh grapefruit juice, as needed
- Pink or red food coloring (optional)
Instructions:
Another dessert that celebrates citrus fruit, the original version of this cake made its debut at Hollywood’s famous Brown Derby decades ago. It deserves its celebrity—the sweet-and-sour combination of the cake and frosting with the
grapefruit is wonderful.
- To make the cupcakes, position a rack in the center of the over and preheat to 350°F. Line a 12- cup muffin pan with paper cupcake liners.
- Grate the zest from half of the grapefruit and set aside. Cut off the peel and segment the grapefruit, working over a bowl to collect the juice. Set the 12 nicest segments (eat the rest of the segments as the cook’s treat) and the juice aside.
- Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Using an electric mixer set on high speed, beat the butter and granulated sugar in a medium bowl until light in color and texture, about 3 minutes. One at a time, beat in the eggs, beating well after each addition, then beat in the reserved grapefruit zest and the vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, in three additions, alternating with two additions of milk, mix in the flour, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Divide evenly among the muffin cups.
- Bake until the cupcakes are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the pan and transfer to a wire cake rack and cool completely.
- Whisk together ¼ cup of the reserved grapefruit juice and the confectioners’ sugar. Brush the cupcakes with the grapefruit juice mixture.
- To make the icing, using an electric mixer set on high speed, beat the cream cheese in a medium bowl until smooth. Reduce the heat to low and gradually add the confectioners’ sugar. Add enough grapefruit juice to make a flowing but spreadable icing. Beat in food coloring to tint the icing pink, if desired. Spread each cupcake with the icing and top with a grapefruit section.