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Sunday, 3 July 2011

olive oil and grapefruit cake

I have been baking, and baking often ever since I discovered the joys of having a mini loaf pan.

What are the joys of having a mini loaf pan, you ask?

Well!

Firstly, it's cute.

Secondly, I can experiment to my heart's content without worrying about a massive waste of ingredients in the event of a failure.

Thirdly, it stops me from overeating.

Fourthly, baked goods always seem more delicious when you are left wanting more.

And if it wasn't for my mini loaf pan, I probably wouldn't have bothered baking this light and gentle olive oil and grapefruit cake, which would've been a shame, because it turned out to be a great success.

olive oil and grapefruit cake... a great little snack and lovely with a cup of tea.

The first good thing was seeing my cousin licking the leftover batter in the bowl as we waited for this olive oil and grapefruit cake to finish cooking in the oven.

The second good thing was smelling the cake as it rose and browned in the oven.

The third good thing was tipping the cake out, having it come off cleanly with a gentle thud, then feeling and hearing that gorgeous crackle of the crust as I sliced through it with a knife, sending crispy crumbs a-flying.

The fourth good thing was tasting it, sharing it with loved ones, and, yes... wishing there were more.

a soft, rustic olive oil and grapefruit cake with delicate citrus flavours...

mini olive oil and grapefruit teacake
(mini loaf pan dimensions: 18cm (l) x 10cm (w) x 5.5cm (h) exterior, 15 x 8 x 5.5cm interior.)

3/4 cup self raising flour
1/4 cup raw sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
1 teaspoon grapefruit zest
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pinch salt

Preheat oven to 180C fan-forced (200 regular).
Combine self-raising flour and raw sugar in a bowl. Make a well in the centre. Set aside.
In another bowl, lightly whisk egg, then add grapefruit juice, zest, olive oil and salt. Continue whisking till well-mixed.
Pour the wet ingredients into the well of dry ingredients. Stir together until just combined - do not overmix.
Pour the batter into a greased mini loaf pan (or other mini cake pan) and bake in the oven for approximately 25 minutes or until it boasts a lovely tan.
Let the cake cool slightly for 10 minutes, then remove from pan, slice and enjoy the cake by itself or with a nice cup of tea.
Posted by leaf (the indolent cook) at 21:51
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42 comments:

  1. Yasmeen3 July 2011 at 21:55

    I absolutely love this, leaf - the citrus and olive oil combination is absolutely up my alley. Plus, I agree with your philosophy about reducing waste. Great work :)

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  2. leaf (the indolent cook)3 July 2011 at 22:41

    Thanks yas! :)

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  3. penny aka jeroxie3 July 2011 at 23:02

    What a lovely combination :) And mini loaf pan? I think I need to get one too.

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  4. leaf (the indolent cook)3 July 2011 at 23:10

    Thanks Penny! I love having my mini loaf pan - it really encourages me to play around and bake more often to build up my confidence.

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  5. ann low4 July 2011 at 02:43

    WOW! Looks so yummy with nice combination :) I definitely like to bake this cake too! Thanks for sharing :)

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  6. Cooking Gallery4 July 2011 at 03:56

    Grapefruit cake...! Wow, I would never have thought of this, this sounds like a great idea!

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  7. Alicia Foodycat4 July 2011 at 04:25

    This cake looks gorgeous!

    I really want a mini loaf tin now!

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  8. PFx4 July 2011 at 10:17

    "What are the joys of having a mini loaf pan, you ask?
    Well!
    Firstly, it's cute."

    Hahahahaha!!!

    Love the rustic and crumbly looking cake. Great for a classic English morning tea... hmmm Charming indeed! ;)

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  9. msihua4 July 2011 at 10:41

    Yum... I can't say I love baking at all, but I always feel so jealous when I visit and you've baked something new :) Yayy!

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  10. leaf (the indolent cook)4 July 2011 at 11:21

    Thanks Anncoo, Cooking Gallery. :D

    Foodycat, mine is non-stick too which makes for easy cleaning. Win!

    Thanks PFx... you're a sweetheart! :)

    msihua, I wasn't really big on baking either. In fact, I got this mini loaf pan last year for my birthday and only started using it some weeks ago... and now I'm starting to really enjoy baking! ;)

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  11. Adrian (Food Rehab)4 July 2011 at 20:58

    haha, I like your 3rd point : "it stops me from overeating." I concur. This go splendid with a cup of tea

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  12. Hannah4 July 2011 at 21:14

    Because I cook (and eat!) just for me, I often struggle with having entire batches of baked goods that I get bored of eating in the rush to make sure they don't go off. Clearly, I need me a mini loaf tin! Off to The Essential Ingredient this weekend :D

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  13. Agnes4 July 2011 at 21:17

    I'm with you on cute - love mini loaf tins!

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  14. leaf (the indolent cook)4 July 2011 at 22:34

    Totally Adrian, it's portion control made easy! And it definitely goes well with a hot cup of tea.

    Hannah, a mini loaf tin will be perfect for you!

    Agnes, I'm thinking about getting a mini cake tin next. :D

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  15. Anna Johnston5 July 2011 at 06:55

    Absolutely :) I've got a few 'mini baking pans/tins etc' & I love 'em for all the same reasons & the best when your apartment dwelling with just one other too huh.

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  16. Miss Adriennely5 July 2011 at 21:54

    Love the sound of cake falling onto the board when you turn the tin upside down! Thud~ so therapeutic, with a hint of content and relief! :p

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  17. Zurin5 July 2011 at 23:20

    Wow that looks gorgeous and healthy! Lovely fotos! :) I love mini loaf pans too;)

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  18. Joyti6 July 2011 at 03:08

    I was thinking yesterday that I have to buy some mini loaf pan. And olive oil and grapefruit sound delicious (and healthier than most loaf cakes too). Yours looks so golden and good.
    There's a famous bakery in San Francisco called Miette, and they have some delicious mini loaf cake recipes...and I need a mini pan to try them.

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  19. Shilpa6 July 2011 at 08:14

    What a beautiful and healthy post....I have bookmarked this and will be making this soon....

    -Shilpa

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  20. Ashley6 July 2011 at 11:09

    Grapefruit is quite an interesting one to bake! And mini loaf pans are adorable! :)

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  21. leaf (the indolent cook)6 July 2011 at 12:39

    Thanks Anna, Adrienne, Zurin, Joyti, Shilpa and Ashley for your lovely comments on the cake and your input on mini loaves! :D

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  22. Koci6 July 2011 at 15:02

    This cake sounds so cool! I keep hearing wonderful things about olive oil cakes, but I've never tried one. Plus I love the summery grapefruit twist! Yum!

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  23. Nicole7 July 2011 at 04:09

    Looks like a very nice recipe. Two of my favorite foods together. Very unique.

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  24. Tasty Trix7 July 2011 at 05:06

    I need to get myself a mini loaf pan - you are right, small = cute = less chance to overindulge. Lovely loaf!

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  25. Sprigs of Rosemary7 July 2011 at 06:09

    This is definitely speaking to me . . . and I do so happen to have a raft of mini loaf pans. (For supposed Christmas gift giving!) And I also have a grapefruit that Wants to be eaten. What a creative combination.

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  26. Anne-Marie8 July 2011 at 15:19

    how big is the mini loaf pan- looks so so good.... i want to make a big one so i can eat it ALL!! Double the recipe for a normal size loaf tin??

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  27. Jayanthy Kumaran8 July 2011 at 20:53

    sounds amazing...fab recipe ...
    first time here..love your space..
    excellent recipe collection..
    Am your happy subscriber now..:)
    do stop by mine sometime..
    Tasty Appetite

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  28. leaf (the indolent cook)9 July 2011 at 12:11

    Thanks everyone! Your comments are much appreciated. x

    Anne Marie, these are the dimensions I got from the website I bought it from:

    Dimensions: 18cm (l) x 10cm (w) x 5.5cm (h) exterior, 15 x 8 x 5.5cm interior.

    I hope that helps!

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  29. Maria10 July 2011 at 04:17

    Yum! This sounds delicious, I love citrus flavoured cakes!

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  30. msihua10 July 2011 at 15:19

    I seriously need to hire you or have you guide me in baking.. I'm a baking failure!!

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  31. leaf (the indolent cook)11 July 2011 at 22:11

    Thanks Maria and msihua. :D

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  32. Two fit and fun gals13 July 2011 at 09:37

    we have grapefruit trees in our yard- i am totally bookmarking this recipe! thanks for sharing :)

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  33. leaf (the indolent cook)13 July 2011 at 21:58

    Thanks fit and fun gals! I hope you enjoy it. :)

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  34. Taste of Beirut4 October 2011 at 13:44

    would love this little beauty, flavored with any citrus!

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  35. leaf (the indolent cook)4 October 2011 at 23:29

    Thanks Taste of Beirut! :)

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  36. Bruce23 November 2011 at 20:25

    Thanks for a great blog
    Best Christmas Cake Recipes

    ReplyDelete
  37. Molly Iris Alpern25 November 2011 at 18:20

    Made this - multiplied by four and made four tiny cakes. Soooooo good : ) Rich, tender, just barely sweet, not too strongly flavored but both the olive oil and the grapefruit are clear. Wonderful recipe : ) Thank you!

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  38. Chopinand @ ChopinandMysaucepan26 November 2011 at 15:34

    Dear leaf,

    The golden brown crust of this cake looks so enticing. I'm not a baker so I always admire someone who can bake so well.

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  39. leaf (the indolent cook)26 November 2011 at 16:03

    Thank you so much for trying the recipe and letting me know you loved the cake, Molly! That always makes me happy. xx

    Thanks Chopinand, I'm not really much of a baker either. I stick to simple baking, nothing complicated. ;)

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  40. Cook27 November 2013 at 09:44

    It is very tasty cake! I swopt couple ingredients but base is the same, it is great!!! I used 2 table spoons of flax seed plus 6 table spoons of water instead of eggs and used 1 cup white flour and 1/2 cup whole whet flour ( I went for larger cake :) ) I have to make it again today! Thank you!

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    Replies
    1. leaf (the indolent cook)27 November 2013 at 20:00

      Thank you for the lovely feedback, I really appreciate that you left a comment about your experience with the recipe! I'm so happy you enjoyed the cake! :)

      Delete
  41. Cook31 January 2014 at 15:01

    :)

    ReplyDelete

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