Grapefruit & poppy seed cake

• butter↗175g g

  softened, plus extra for the tin

• plain flour↗300g g

  plus a little extra for dusting

• caster sugar↗300g g
• large eggs↗3
• vanilla extract↗1 tsp tsp
• baking powder↗1 ½ tsp tsp
• soured cream↗225ml ml
• zest 2 grapefruit

  plus 3 tbsp juice

• poppy seed↗4 tsp tsp

  toasted

• caster sugar↗100g g
• butter↗25g g
• zest 1 grapefruit

  plus 4 tbsp juice

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Butter then flour a 1.5-litre Bundt or ring tin. Beat together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla, flour, baking powder, soured cream, grapefruit zest and juice, and toasted poppy seeds. Scrape into the tin and level it off. Bake for 40-55 mins, depending on the shape of your tin, until a skewer poked in comes out clean. Leave in the tin to cool a little while you make the icing.

2. 2

   Gently heat the caster sugar, butter and grapefruit juice to melt the butter. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 3 mins. Remove from the heat, stir in the zest and cool for about 10 mins until thickened and syrupy.

3. 3

   Turn the warm cake out onto a cooling rack and brush half the glaze over the cake. Spoon the rest over, little by little, so it sinks in.