I think it’s pretty obvious by now that I love all things citrus–lemons, oranges, grapefruits, or limes it really doesn’t matter =). Some people find grapefruit too bitter for them but I kind of like foods that are slightly bitter (remember the brussels sprouts?), and if I’m going to drink juice it will probably be ruby red grapefruit juice. So I was pretty excited when I thought about making pink grapefruit cupcakes. Even better because I happened to have several grapefruits on hand.
The cupcakes turned out even better than I had hoped. They were very moist with a subtle grapefruit flavor. I tinted the icing pink since they are pink grapefruit cupcakes, but this is completely optional. I thought the pink frosting made them so cute and dainty–very girly =). They also kind of gave me spring fever! Enjoy!
Pink Grapefruit Cupcakes
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon grapefruit zest (about 1 grapefruit)
2 eggs
1 cup plain yogurt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon grapefruit juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line a cupcake tin with paper liners.
2. In a medium bowl, sift and whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a large bowl, combine granulated sugar and grapefruit zest. Mix together with your fingers or the back of the spoon until the two are completely combined, creating a fragrant grapefruit sugar.
4. Beat the eggs into the sugar until the eggs are thick and pale yellow. Add the yogurt, oil, grapefruit juice, and vanilla extract. Stir well to combine. Add the flour mixture a little at a time, being careful not to overmix, until it is all incorporated.
5. Scoop batter into the paper liners, filling each about 3/4 full. Bake for about 15-17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan for a couple minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
Yield: about 18 cupcakes
Pink Grapefruit Buttercream
1 stick softened butter
4-5 cups powdered sugar
1/4-1/3 cup grapefruit juice
1 tsp vanilla
pink food coloring (optional)
Beat butter until light and fluffy. Add 4 cups of powdered sugar and mix until combined. Add juice a tablespoon at a time until you reach you desired consistency, adding more powdered sugar as necessary. Mix in vanilla and food coloring, if desired.
