Grapefruit Layer Cake

You guys, I have to be honest. 2015 has been a little gnarly so far. Every January I think I’m going to conquer the new year like a she-beast, and every January our little household is struck with various combinations of illnesses, crazy work deadlines, and unexpected life stuff. It’s like New Year’s Claus isn’t even reading my letters!

Fortunately, I’ve got the antidote to the January blues. I dare you—DARE YOU I SAY—to look at this bright and cheerful Grapefruit Layer Cake and not smile like a fool…or at least smize a little.

I decided that what this gloomy month needed was a little edible sunshine, stat. And what could be sunnier than a grapefruit cake, layered with grapefruit curd, topped with grapefruit buttercream, and decorated to look like a…wait for it…grapefruit?

Have you ever said to yourself, “Self, the problem with cakes is that they’re not literal enough. Lemon cakes with white frosting, strawberry cakes with chocolate curls, German chocolate cakes without a single German person or flag piped on top…it’s maddening!” Great news, you literal-loving weirdo. This Grapefruit Layer Cake solves all of your problems!

Heaven knows I love big swoops of frosting and intricate piping and big piles of chocolate curls as much as the next girl, but for this cake I wanted to do something completely different and a little more stripped-down. After covering the cake with a simple layer of white fondant, I painted it with watered-down food coloring to look just like a grapefruit.

I first stippled the sides to give them little dimples, jut like a real grapefruit. Then I brushed a mix of orange, yellow, and a bit of ivory on the sides, and painted some pinkish-orange sections on top. And yes I looked at a real grapefruit the whole time, because as soon as I had the paintbrush in my hand, my mind went blank and I had zero memory of what an actual grapefruit looked like. (#performanceanxiety)

I often have the experience where the execution of my ideas doesn’t live up to the way I pictured them in my head, but this one was pretty close to the mark! It was surprisingly smooth sailing too. I would guess that it took me about 20 minutes to paint the outside, and it would probably go faster now that I’m a bit more confident. This decorating idea would work with other fruits too—any citrus fruit, of course, but also kiwi or watermelon!

But enough about the outside—this cake is more than just a pretty face. It features THREE grapefruit components: four layers of moist grapefruit cake, three layers of grapefruit curd inside, and a tart grapefruit buttercream along the outside. Only serious grapefruit lovers need apply!

I hope your Januaries have been treating you all splendidly, but in case your month has been a little gnarly too, I hereby prescribe you a dose of grapefruit cake, to be taken as often as desired until you feel better.

⇒ Click Here for the Recipe - Grapefruit Layer Cake

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