After we put away the Christmas decorations, we prepare ourselves for the seasonal avalanche of grapefruit. We have a small orchard here on the ranch, and every year we pick hundreds of pounds of fruit. We give some of it away, but we also eat tons of the buttery sweet citrus, and drink gallons of juice. Fresh grapefruit is one of the loveliest perks of living in South Texas.
Grapefruit Shortcake is Fresh and Light
Another favorite is shortcake of any kind, so I thought I would try combining these two flavors in a Grapefruit Brown Sugar Buttermilk Shortcake. I really loved the way it turned out, so I thought I would share the recipe with you.
The trick to making a tender shortcake is using cake flour. Usually I use a pastry stirrup for making shortcakes. It’s an old-fashioned tool that doesn’t overwork the shortcake dough. But most people these days seem to prefer the food processor, which is quick and efficient. Just be aware that you can over mix the dough, which will make your shortcake tough. Keep the mixing time short.
Another detail of making Grapefruit Brown Sugar Buttermilk Shortcake is to let the grapefruit drain some of their juice before you place them on your baked shortcake. This will give a crisp firm look to the grapefruit. The juice is ladled over at the last minute so your shortcake isn’t soggy and falling apart. And if you are so inclined, add a spoonful of brandy or sherry to your juice syrup for a little extra flavor.
Extra Topping, please!
As for the cream topping, mascarpone, crème fraiche or whipped cream worked equally well, but I prefer the cheesy thickness of mascarpone. An extra big dollop of cream is always my preference as well.
Grapefruit Brown Sugar Buttermilk Shortcake is a great treat for Valentine’s Day, or really any day when you have too much grapefruit on your hands. Is there really such a thing as too much grapefruit?
Grapefruit Brown Sugar Buttermilk Shortcake
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: US
Ingredients
Fruit:
4 cups fresh grapefruit segments (850g)
1 tbsp. brown sugar (12g)
Shortcake:
2 cups cake flour (250g)
4 tbsp. chilled butter, cut into ½” (1cm) cubes (56g)
1 tbsp. brown sugar (12g)
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 cup buttermilk (180ml)
2 tbsp. granulated sugar (24g)
Topping:
8oz. container mascarpone cheese or crème fraiche (225ml)
1-2 tbsp. brown sugar (12-24g)
Instructions
Place a mesh strainer over a bowl and place the fresh grapefruit segments in the strainer. Allow the segments to drain juice into the bowl. Combine ¼ cup (60ml) of the juice and with 1 tbsp. of brown sugar for a syrup. Set aside. (The remaining juice can be used for another recipe.)
Heat your oven to 400°F (204°C). Line the bottom of a 9” (22cm) cake pan with parchment paper, and grease the interior of the pan generously with extra butter (about 1 tbsp./14g)
In the bowl of a food processor, combine the cake flour, chilled butter, 1 tbsp. brown sugar and baking powder. Pulse to combine so that your mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the buttermilk and pulse briefly so that the dough gathers into a ball. Avoid over mixing to keep your short cake tender.
Remove the dough from the food processor, and place in the prepared baking pan. Press the dough in the pan to form an evenly thick shortcake. Sprinkle the granulated sugar evenly across the cake surface.
Bake the shortcake for 25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean from the center. Allow to cool completely.
Combine the mascarpone or crème fraiche with the brown sugar. Chill until ready to serve.
Decorate the top of your shortcake with the drained grapefruit. Pour over the reserved juice syrup. Serve garnished with the chilled topping.
This is the first time I have seen grapefruit used in this way–a very attractive dessert. It doesn’t seem like there are as many dessert recipes for grapefruit as there are for other fruits, so your recipe seems like a great way to use all those extra fruits.
I am glad to see new posts after a break