Recipe: Grapefruit Cake

The Hollywood Brown Derby‘s grapefruit cake is famous in its own right. Robert Cobb, for which the Cobb salad is named after, and Herbert Somhorn opened the original restaurant in Golden Age of Hollywood and to this day is synonymous with the glitz and glamour of the 1920s. This light, yet delicious cake is a fan favorite!

Grapefruit Cake

1 1/2 cup sifted cake flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs (separated)
3 tbsp grapefruit juice
1/2 tsp grated lemon rind
1/4 tsp cream of tartar

1. Preheat oven to 350º F. Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into mixing bowl. Make a well in center of dry ingredients.
2. Add water, oil, egg yolks, grapefruit juice, and lemon rind. Beat until smooth.
3. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar separately, until whites are stiff but not dry.
4. Gradually fold egg whites into the cake batter, folding gently with a rubber spatula until just blended. Do not stir the mixture.
5. Pour into an ungreased 10-inch cake pan. Bake at 350º degrees for 25 to 30 minutes, or until cake springs back when lightly touched with a finger. Invert pan on cake rack until cool. Run spatula around edge of cake. Carefully remove from pan. With a serrated knife, gently cut layer in half.

Grapefruit Cream Cheese Frosting

2 six-oz packages of cream cheese
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp grated lemon rind
3/4 cup powdered sugar (sifted)
6 to 8 drops yellow food coloring
1 one-pound can grapefruit sections (well-drained), reserving 2 tbsp of juice OR 3 fresh grapefruits, peeled, sectioned, and drained, reserving 2 tbsp of juice.

1. Let cream cheese soften at room temperature. Beat cheese until fluffy.
2. Add lemon juice and rind.
3. Gradually blend in sugar. Beat until well blended. Add food coloring.
4. Add reserved grapefruit and blend into frosting.
5. Divide the frosting evenly into two bowls. Roughly chop 2/3 of the grapefruit sections and add them to half the frosting. Spread this mixture on the bottom half of cake. Top with several grapefruit sections. Cover with second layer of cake. Frost top and sides. Garnish with remaining grapefruit sections.