Like so many people who are staying home as much as possible, I’ve been cooking and baking even more than usual. I decided to look at recipes I’ve had for years and always MEANT to make, but never did. I’ve discovered some delicious soups, scones and nibblies that are scrumptious! I thought I’d share this one, as the ingredients are gotten easily and it has olive oil instead of butter.
I don’t remember where I got it from, either. Some healthy magazine, no doubt. It’s also a little different than the basic lemon-poppy seed cake. I happen to like trying things that are a bit different. I used pink grapefruit for this recipe and for the juice, I used fresh squeezed with the pieces in it. It makes the cake even more grapefruit-y!
I like that it has a yogurt glaze, instead of sour cream. It’s still sweet, but there’s a tartness that stops it from being too cloying.
Try a slice toasted with a cup of tea or coffee for breakfast or even for a light dessert, now that it’s getting warmer out.
Grapefruit Poppy Seed Breakfast Cake

Ingredients
- Nonstick vegetable oil spray
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt, plus a pinch more
- 1 tbsp finely grated grapefruit zest
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/3 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup plus 1 tbsp plain Greek yogurt
- 8 tbsp fresh grape fruit juice, divided
- 1 tbsp poppy seeds
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350.
- Line loaf pan, preferably metal, with parchment paper, leaving overhand on the long sides.
- Lightly coat with cooking spray.
- Alternative: use a non-stick loaf pan
- Whisk flour, baking powder and 3/4 tsp salt in a medium bowl.
- Using your fingers work the grapefruit zest into the granulated sugar in a large bowl until sugar starts to clump and the mixture is fragrant.
- Add eggs, oil and vanilla and beat with an electric mixer on high for about 3-4 minutes, until light and thick.
- Reduce speed to low and add 1/2 dry ingredients for 30 seconds.
- Mix in 3/4C yogurt.
- Mix in remaining dry ingredients followed by 5 tbsp juice and 1 tbsp poppy seeds.
- Scrape batter into prepared pan.
- Bake until top is golden brown and toothpick comes out clean, when tested. Between 50-60 minutes.
- Transfer to a wire rack.
- Poke holes in top of cake and brush remaining juice over the top.
- Let sit 15 minutes and remove cake from pan and onto rack.
- If using parchment paper, lift out of pan and run a knife around the edge to gently break cake from paper.
- Cool completely.
- While it cools, whisk powdered sugar, remaining 1 tbsp yogurt and 1 tsp water with a pinch of salt until smooth.
- Drizzle over cake and let sit until glaze is set, about 30 minutes.