When Claire Saffitz publishes a new cake recipe, mainly a loaf cake recipe, I regulate my existence plans around making it. I should evaluate this to severa things in my lifestyle. When Louise Penny writes a new homicide thriller, I want to examine it. When Film Forum places on a Hepburn and Tracy collection, I need to see all of them. That’s just how I am; the universe stops me in my tracks and needs my attention.
So a few years ago, Claire dropped this grapefruit-poppy seed loaf cake recipe, and I had to bake it. Then I baked it over and over. Once I subbed in lemon for grapefruit—wild instances ensued! But what makes it special is how damn moist it is and the way remarkably citrusy it tastes.
Like this, for mega-citrus flavor, you zest a grapefruit, after which rubdown it into sugar for a minute. It’s not a tough method, status there musing on things and gambling in the sugar sand; however, it’s a clever one. You prompt the essential oils inside the grapefruit zest and spread it at some point of every sugar molecule; the citrus flavor POPS; doesn’t hide inside the historical past like sensible wallpaper.
For mega-moisture, you’re taking the cake out of the oven and POKE HOLES IN IT with a chopstick or something, after which fill the holes with grapefruit juice!!!!! You can be familiar with “poke desserts,” in which gelatin is dropped into holes in a cake for a wacky-varied texture effect. This is…Type of like that. But now, not really, aside from the word “poke.” Instead of making lava drip Jell-O, three tablespoons of grapefruit juice sink in and depart the cake crumb fluffy and nearly wet (however no longer pretty!), then the poppy seeds hop in for an amazing crunchy time.
And just due to the fact: There’s yogurt inside the cake batter for even greater moisture/tang/a laugh. And one tablespoon of yogurt in the easy glaze on top (powdered sugar, water). There’s something virtuous approximately that dollop of yogurt. I adore it. This is what makes a Claire Saffitz cake a Claire Saffitz cake. So we’re no longer blending flour and eggs and calling it a day.
There’s an extra bit of effort. There’s grapefruit-infused sugar, humans! The remaining time I made it, I poured the batter into muffin tins. HOW CUTE. (Cook time is shorter.) It’s a versatile cake: Make it as a breakfast cake (a factor, I swear!!!), make it as a daily tea cake, positioned some candles in it, and sing Happy Birthday on your cat! It’s mild and spongy and hell, pro-freaking-biotic. So now it’s approximately the time you stopped the whole lot and baked it too.
Get the recipe:
When it’s time to make a dessert for a crowd, regular sheet desserts will no longer fit the bill. It is time as a way to step from your consolation area and make a massive cake. It’s no longer as difficult as you watched. You ought to have very critical matters in your kitchen to make your massive cake a success — three or 4 heavy obligation rimmed baking sheets (relying on how tall you want to make your cake) and parchment paper.
Step 1 – Prepare your cookie sheets – Line each one in every of your cookie sheets with parchment paper cut long sufficient ito extendover the side of the pan so that you can suit the parchment down into the corners. If you aren’t certain how a lot of parchment paper to use, roll it out onto the cookie sheet and then set every other cookie sheet on the pinnacle of it and push down. Cut the extra parchment paper off. Repeat until all of your cookie sheets are included. Set them apart.
Step 2 – Prepare your cake batter. Depending on what the number of human beings your cake needs to feed, you will want to double, triple or quadruple your normal cake recipe. Make each batch separately. Use a large glass measuring cup so you can measure how much batter it yields. Note this statistics on your recipe. Please take one of the cookie sheet pans and use a cake batter-filled measuring glass; upload the batter until it’s miles half the height of the cookie sheet. Spread flippantly. Use a spatula to unfold cake batter frivolously taking special care to get into the four corner crevices. Repeat the usage of the identical amount of batter for the opposite cookie sheets.
Bake at 325 levels to ensure that your cake stays level. This is critical to prevent time because you won’t need to level the cake. You can move three or four layers without the usage of dowels for help. Use a butter primarily based frosting so that after the cake is refrigerated, it gets bloodless and your cake may not move. Your cake can also be set in a chilly region if you do not have room on your refrigerator.
