You’re going to fall in love with this Cardamom Grapefruit Greek Yogurt Cake. It has just the right amount of sweetness, slightly tart from the grapefruit and moist thanks to Greek yogurt.
GUYS. Why haven’t I ever baked with grapefruit before?! I feel crazy for not doing so sooner. I am IN LOVE with this grapefruit yogurt cake.
But before this yogurt cake came about, I almost ventured into creating a tart. I don’t think I’ve ever officially made a tart so I started searching the world wide web for various citrus tarts, recipes, etc. There were so many ways I could have gone that I found myself quickly overwhelmed. Do I make a curd center, or do I go vegan and make a cashew base…? But do I have time to soak cashews for this…? Ugh, my coconut milk isn’t chilled. I told myself I needed to make a tart and kept searching.
Oh, but wait… I realized I didn’t have the tart pan I wanted. So I made a run to HomeGoods only to find out they didn’t have the pan I wanted. I resorted to Amazon Prime. The day my pan arrived and I was ready to test the recipe I thought to myself… “Do I really HAVE to make a tart with these grapefruits? …No, Ashley, you do not. Stop forcing the tart.”
So that is why we have a Cardamom Grapefruit Greek Yogurt Cake today. I couldn’t be bothered with all of the ideas running through my head for a tart and a cake just seemed easier all around–for both you and me. Plus who doesn’t love cake?
Cardamom Grapefruit Greek Yogurt Cake
Here’s What You Need
- whole wheat pastry flour (or whole wheat white flour)
- baking powder & baking soda – the leavening agents.
- cardamom – pairs lovely with citrus! But you can also omit.
- salt – to balance flavor.
- freshly squeezed grapefruit juice and grapefruit zest – for delicious grapefruit flavor
- eggs – to help the structure of the cake.
- milk of choice – to help thin out the batter
- Greek yogurt – keeps this cake deliciously moist and oil free.
- sugar – can’t make cake without sugar!
- butter – adds lovely flavor.
How this grapefruit yogurt cake comes together
- You need a 10-15″ bundt pan – I have this one and it’s so pretty. Make sure to grease it well so it comes out in one piece!
- Everything for this cake recipe can be mixed by hand – no fancy equipment needed!
- Combine the dry ingredients with the grapefruit zest separately, to ensure the baking powder and soda get incorporated into the flour.
- The wet ingredients get whisked together before combining with the dry – be careful not to over-mix the batter. Whole wheat flours will toughen the more you stir, so only mix until just combined.
- Bake the cake for about 30 minutes – checking with a toothpick at 25 minutes. Everyone’s ovens are different so it’s best to check with 10 minutes left of baking time. Allow cake to cool in pan for 20 minutes before removing.
- When removing the cake from the bundt pan, I first gently bang the pan on the counter. Then I place a cooling rack over the pan and flip down.
- Now it’s time for the grapefruit glaze!
Sometimes it can feel like baking a cake is scary, but I think this one is pretty easy.
And when you bake a cake in a bundt pan, it just looks so pretty! You really can’t go wrong with bundt cakes… especially when they’re glazed.
Moist Thanks to Yogurt
This cake is moist thanks to the Greek yogurt, and sweet (but not TOO sweet) with a nice tang from the grapefruit.
Oh oh, and the cardamom adds a little hint of flavor that is so lovely! I love pairing cardamom with citrus. If you haven’t tried that yet, you must.
I hope you try this grapefruit cake! Let me know if you do by leaving a comment and review below. I love hearing from you and it helps other find the recipe too! Xx Ashley
How to Make…
Cardamom Grapefruit Yogurt Cake
You’re going to fall in love with this Cardamom Grapefruit Greek Yogurt Cake. It has just the right amount of sweetness, slightly tart from the grapefruit and moist thanks to Greek yogurt. The cardamom spice adds a nice hint of flavor too!
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 45 mins
- Yield: 12–16 1x
- Scale:
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
- 2 1/3 cups whole wheat pastry flour*
- 1 tsp cardamom
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 TBS grapefruit zest from large grapefruit
Wet Ingredients:
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt (I used non-fat, but flavored, whole or 2% also work)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar**
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, plus 2 TBS grapefruit juice reserved for glaze
- 1/4 cup milk of choice
- 1/3 cup butter or ghee, melted and cooled (may also sub oil***)
Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 TBS grapefruit juice (can also sub lemon juice, or milk)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F, thoroughly grease a 10-15″ bundt pan (or 9×9 square pan) with butter and lightly dust with flour. Set aside.
- In a large bowl combine flour, cardamom, baking powder, baking soda, salt, grapefruit zest. Whisk until combined and set aside.
- In a medium bowl whisk together eggs, Greek yogurt, and granulated sugar. Gently pour in 1/2 cup of grapefruit juice, milk, and cooled butter or oil. Gently stir together.
- Carefully pour wet ingredients into large bowl of dry ingredients. Use large rubber spatula to gently combine, avoid over-mixing the batter.
- Transfer cake batter into greased bundt pan. Make sure oven rack is in middle of oven. Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until inserted toothpick comes out with little crumbs.
- Allow cake to cool in pan for 20 minutes before removing. Make the glaze while cake is cooling: Combine powdered sugar and grapefruit juice in a small bowl.
- Once cake has cooled, gently bang pan on counter to loosen cake. Flip onto cooling rack. Place plate or baking sheet under cooling rack to catch glaze. In a zigzag pattern pour glaze over cake.
- Once glaze has set, you can slice, serve, and enjoy!
Recipes Notes:
*You can sub whole wheat white flour, OR half whole wheat/half all-purpose flour with similar results. I do not suggest using all whole wheat flour, as the cake will be pretty heavy and dense.
**I used beet sugar to keep the cake lighter in color, but you can use coconut sugar, or a dry sweetener of choice
***If using melted and cooled coconut oil, make sure the rest of your wet ingredients come to room temperature to allow for even mixing.
Cake can be made a day ahead and glazed before serving. Store leftovers in container at room temperature, up to 3 days.
Recipe adapted from my Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake
Nutrition Information:
- Serving Size: 1/16th
- Calories: 170
- Sugar: 18
- Sodium: 160
- Fat: 5
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Unsaturated Fat: 1
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 29
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 4
- Cholesterol: 34
dimi_q says
Nice one!
★★★★★
kay says
I used Pomelos. YUM!
Davina Ma says
I added extra grapefruit zest and cardamom. I also tried a different glaze recipe this time that incorporates Greek yogurt, but I think the glaze consistency was better in my first loaf. Great flavour and texture!
Follow me @vinaeatsandtreats on Instagram for more honest restaurant and baking recipe reviews!
★★★★★
Marissa D.W. says
This was an absolute hit in our household! We later adapted it with Kodiak Cakes power cakes mix to make protein muffins. Equally delicious.
★★★★★