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    Home » Recipes » Cakes & Cupcakes

    Grapefruit Poppyseed Loaf Cake

    Published: Jan 25, 2022 · Modified: Mar 23, 2023 by brooke · This post may contain affiliate links · 4 Comments

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    This simple grapefruit poppyseed loaf cake is a tender and moist cake, made with both grapefruit juice and zest for an incredibly fragrant flavor. You'll find yourself coming back for more and more!

    Grapefruit poppyseed loaf cake cut and slices being shown

    GRAPEFRUIT POPPYSEED LOAF CAKE

    I grew up in California, so citrus was always in abundance there, and grapefruit has always been a fruit I look forward to in the winter months. While they are somewhat of a pain to eat alone, the crisp tart flavor of the juice is so good I knew I needed to create some type of loaf cake with it. And then if you're doing something citrus poppyseeds always feel like a must.

    slices of grapefruit poppyseed loaf cake on different plates

    WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS

    SWEET & TART- The mixture of sugar and grapefruit juice give such a perfect balance of flavors.

    NO MIXER REQUIRED- All you need is two bowls to make this loaf cake, coming together so quick!

    LIGHT & REFRESHING- This cake is made with greek yogurt and just a little bit of oil leaving it so light and tender with such a refreshing taste from the bit of grapefruit juice.

    slices of loaf cake falling on one another

    INGREDIENTS NEEDED

    • Flour
    • Baking Powder
    • Salt
    • Grapefruit, juice and zest
    • Sugar
    • Eggs
    • Oil
    • Vanilla
    • Greek Yogurt
    • Poppyseeds
    • Powdered Sugar
    all the ingredients to make this loaf cake

    STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

    Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease an 8-½-inch by 4-inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

    In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside

    In a large mixing bowl, rub the grapefruit zest into the granulated sugar until it is very fragrant. Add eggs, oil and vanilla and mix again until well combined.

    sugar and zest
    mixing
    adding wet ingredients

    Add half the dry ingredients followed by the Greek yogurt and 5 tablespoons grapefruit juice. Fold in the remaining dry ingredients and poppy seeds. 

    Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake the loaf until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 50-60 minutes.

    wet ingredients
    adding dry ingredients
    pouring batter into pan

    While cake is baking prepare the syrup. Combine grapefruit juice and sugar in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until sugar is completely dissolved. Set aside until cake is done baking.

    When cake is done, poke holes into the cake and pour or brush syrup over the top. It will feel like a lot of liquid, but the cake will absorb it as it cools.

    baked loaf
    pouring syrup over the loaf
    filled with syrup

    When the loaf has sat for about 15 minutes, transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

    In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar with 1 tablespoon grapefruit juice. Drizzle the glaze over the loaf and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Let the glaze set for 30 minutes before serving.

    glaze in bowl
    glaze being poured over loaf cake
    finished grapefruit poppyseed loaf cake
    side angle of glaze

    FAQ'S

    WHAT TYPE OF GREEK YOGURT TO USE: I use plain low-fat Greek yogurt. You can use non fat or full fat instead. Vanilla, would work well also.

    HOW SHOULD THE CAKE BE STORED: Store cake in an air tight container to keep fresh. Cake freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before serving.

    CAN MUFFINS BE MADE INSTEAD: YES! If making into muffins instead bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

    ZESTING YOUR GRAPEFRUIT: Make sure you only grate the colorful rosy/yellow part as the white part is very bitter. Since we’re using both the juice and the zest, zest the grapefruit first, then cut the grapefruit in half and juice it.

    half of the loaf cake cut and the other half intact

    OTHER RECIPES TO TRY IN A LOAF PAN

    Sour Cream Banana Bread

    Apple Fritter Bread

    Cinnamon Swirl Bread

    The Easiest Pumpkin Bread

    stacked slices of grapefruit poppyseed loaf cake

    For more yummy treats follow me on instagram @thesaltedsweets. And be sure to tag me and comment below if you make them and love them as much as I do.

    Grapefruit poppyseed loaf cake cut into slices.

    Grapefruit Poppyseed Loaf Cake

    brooke
    Grapefruit poppyseed loaf cake is a tender and moist cake made with both grapefruit juice and zest for an incredibly fragrant flavor.
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 50 minutes mins
    Resting Time 30 minutes mins
    Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
    Cuisine American
    Servings 10
    Calories 325 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    Cake:

    • 1½ cups all-purpose flour
    • 1½ teaspoon baking powder
    • ¾ teaspoon salt
    • 1 tablespoon grapefruit zest
    • 1 cup granulated sugar
    • 2 large eggs room temp
    • ½ cup vegetable oil
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla
    • ¾ cup greek yogurt, I used plain low-fat room temp
    • 5 tablespoon freshly squeezed grapefruit juice strained
    • 1 tablespoon poppyseeds

    Grapefruit Syrup:

    • ¼ cup granulated sugar
    • 4 tablespoon freshly squeezed grapefruit juice strained

    Glaze:

    • ½ cup powdered sugar
    • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed grapefruit juice strained

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease an 8-½-inch by 4-inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
    • In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside
    • In a large mixing bowl, rub the grapefruit zest into the granulated sugar until it is very fragrant. Add eggs, oil and vanilla and mix again until well combined.
    • Add half the dry ingredients followed by the Greek yogurt and 5 tablespoons grapefruit juice. Fold in the remaining dry ingredients and poppy seeds. 
    • Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake the loaf until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 50-60 minutes.
    • While cake is baking prepare the syrup. Combine grapefruit juice and sugar in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until sugar is completely dissolved. Set aside until cake is done baking.
    • When cake is done, poke holes into the cake and pour or brush syrup over the top. It will feel like a lot of liquid, but the cake will absorb it as it cools.
    • When the loaf has sat for about 15 minutes, transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
    • In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar with 1 tablespoon grapefruit juice. Drizzle the glaze over the loaf and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Let the glaze set for 30 minutes before serving.

    Notes

    Lemon or orange citrus could be used to replace grapefruit juice and zest.
    Store cake in an air tight container to keep fresh.
    Cake freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before serving.
    If making into muffins instead bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
    I use plain low-fat Greek yogurt. You can use non fat or full fat instead. Vanilla, would work well also.
     

    Nutrition

    Calories: 325kcalCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 5gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 38mgSodium: 261mgPotassium: 67mgFiber: 1gSugar: 33gVitamin A: 65IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 79mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword Grapefruit, Loaf Cake, Poppyseed
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Rachel Berry

      January 31, 2022 at 9:21 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe is SO yummy!! I’m so glad I doubled it because it didn’t stick around in my kitchen very long.
      The grapefruit gives it just enough citrus and the syrup that gets soaked in, is oh so very tasty!!
      Definitely going to keep this recipe on repeat!

      Reply
      • brooke

        February 01, 2022 at 6:59 am

        Thank you so much Rachel! I'm so glad that you loved it too!

        Reply
    2. Bethany

      March 07, 2022 at 5:41 pm

      5 stars
      This bread is awesome! I love any kind of citrus loaf, but had never tried grapefruit before. The bread came together easily and was a huge hit at my job.

      Reply
      • brooke

        March 07, 2022 at 8:21 pm

        I'm so glad! I love citrus loaves also!

        Reply

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