GRAPEFRUIT DRIZZLE TRAYBAKE

Grapefruit has a complex sour-sweet-bitter-floral thing going on that is distinctive when eaten raw but tends to get lost when cooked. I suspect this is why grapefruit cakes are not really a thing. Still, I was determined to give grapefruit its time to shine and the reason it works so well here is because of the glaze, which isn’t heated. The grapefruit juice retains the qualities that make it wonderful and it simply seeps into the cake. It’s my new favourite.

MAKES 12-16 SQUARES

H 170g caster sugar

H zest of 2 red grapefruit

H 225g unsalted butter

H 4 eggs

H 50g ground almonds

H 1½ tsp flaky sea salt

H 225g self-raising flour

H 1 tsp baking powder

H 4 tbsp whole milk (or non-dairy milk)

FOR THE GLAZE

H 175g granulated sugar H juice of 1 red grapefruit

H Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line a 30cm x 25cm x 4cm baking tin with a piece of baking paper (this can be done by roughly pushing a sheet into the tin – this is a rustic cake!).

H In a large bowl, rub together the caster sugar and grapefruit zest. Add the butter, eggs and ground almonds, sprinkle the salt over evenly, then sift over the flour with the baking powder (to help disperse it evenly). Mix everything together using an electric hand whisk until fully combined and smooth (don’t spend too long on this, as overworking the mixture will result in a tough cake). Briefly whisk in the milk, then pour the batter into the prepared tin and even out the top.

H Bake for 30-40 minutes until golden and a skewer inserted in the cake comes out clean. Leave to cool completely in the tin.

H To glaze the cake, combine the granulated sugar and grapefruit juice in a jug, then pour the mixture over the cake so that it is evenly covered.

Leave to set (around 2-3 hours) before eating.