Smitten Kitchen Grapefruit Olive Oil Pound Cake
It’s almost 2 years since we took our debut whole spice infusion, Moroccan Tagine, to Anthropologie in 
Highland Park for a wellness event. At the same event we also met our amazing photographer Kerri Sherman and formed a friendship that would bring our spice blends to life.
At all of our events, our signature “samplers” for tasting are slow cooker breads. They’re always a surprise, a contemporary twist for our slow cooking audience.
Deb Perlman’s first cookbook Smitten Kitchen, derived from her blog of the same name, had just hit the shelves at Anthropologie and we sampled her grapefruit olive oil pound cake (slow cooked of course.) Our adaptation rounds out our month of afternoon tea, morning coffee and baked goods for breakfast series.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 2 hours high
Servings: 10-12
Butter or non-stick spray for pan
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons freshly grated grapefruit zest, from 2 large grapefruits
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup soft brown sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
2 large eggs at room temperature
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed grapefruit juice
1/3 cup buttermilk or plain yogurt
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/3 cup freshly-squeezed grapefruit juice
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed grapefruit juice
Pinch of salt
Step 1 Take a rectangular piece of aluminum foil and place it on the bottom of your slow cooker insert. Turn your slow cooker onto HIGH.
Step 2 In a large bowl, rub the grapefruit zest into the sugars with your fingertips. This will bruise it and help release as much grapefruit essence as possible. Whisk in the oil until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, and whisk until combined. Scrape down the bowl.
Step 3 In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Step 4 In a liquid measuring cup, combine 2 tablespoons of grapefruit juice and buttermilk/or yogurt.
Step 5 Add the flour and buttermilk/or yogurt mixtures, alternating between them, to the oil-and-sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour.
Step 6 Spread the batter in the pan, smooth the top, and rap the pan on the counter a few times to ensure there are no air bubbles trapped.
Step 7 Bake for 2 hours on HIGH.
Step 8 Make the grapefruit syrup – combine 2 tablespoons of sugar with 1/3 cup grapefruit juice in a small saucepan and cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves.
Step 9 When the cake is finished, let it cool for 10 minutes in the pan and then invert it onto a rack set over a tray. Poke holes in the cake with a skewer or toothpick, then spoon or brush the grapefruit syrup over the cake. Let the cake cool completely while it absorbs the syrup.
Step 10 Make the glaze – combine the confectioners’ sugar, grapefruit juice, and pinch of salt in a bowl, whisking until smooth. Pour the glaze over the top of cooled cake, and allow glaze to drizzle decoratively down the sides.
Zen Moment
“What could be more important than a little something to eat?”
– Winnie the Pooh
