vegan grapefruit poppyseed layer cake

 This Vegan Grapefruit Poppyseed Layer Cake is fresh, zesty, and fun! The light and citrusy flavor is a perfect way to enjoy the last days of summer.

Hi friends! Long time, no see. Life and work have been busy, busy - as I'm sure you know, COVID numbers have been spiking up again which has made work extra crazy lately. I work in pediatrics and kids are being hit really hard with this last wave! As far as life stuff, I recently went to Las Vegas to celebrate my best friend's bachelorette party - we had a ton of fun and ate so much delicious vegan food! Be sure to follow along on my Instagram for all the Vegas deets 🙂 But now, onto cake! This beauty is a Vegan Grapefruit Poppyseed Layer Cake and it is perfect for enjoying the last days of summer before pumpkin season starts. 

If you're a citrus fan, I think you will really enjoy this grapefruit poppyseed layer cake! You start with white cake flavored with grapefruit juice and poppyseed, stuffed with grapefruit curd, and then stacked with grapefruit buttercream. It does sound like a lot of citrus, but the components all work together perfectly to deliver a light and refreshing cake! I wanted to do something a little different than usual with the decorating so I went with a more abstract, messy colorful frosting style and I absolutely love how it turned out. What do you think?

How do I make a vegan grapefruit poppyseed layer cake?

1. First, you're going to work on the grapefruit curd! This needs time to cool and set, so you can make it ahead of time, even 1-2 days before. Combine some nondairy milk with cornstarch and a little water, then heat it up with fresh grapefruit juice, grapefruit zest, sugar, and some vegan butter. Whisk it all up and bring it to a boil until it's nice and thick. Let it cool completely before using.
2. Now, lets bake the cake. To make this grapefruit poppyseed cake, I start with my white cake base recipe and add in grapefruit juice, grapefruit zest, and poppyseeds to flavor it. Divide it into three 6" cake pans and bake!
3. When your cake is all baked up and cooled off, it's time to assemble. Whip up a batch of vegan buttercream and add some grapefruit zest for a little extra flavor. As of late, I have been using Miyoko's butter for my frosting and it comes out soooo delicious. I am obsessed. Anyway, make your frosting and now it's time to stack!
4. Place one of your cakes onto a cake stand or cake board, and spread a thin layer of frosting on top of it. Scoop some frosting into a piping bag, and pipe a circle of frosting around the edge of the cake. Spoon some grapefruit curd in the center, then repeat with the rest of the cakes. Coat the whole thing with a nice layer of frosting for your crumb coat, and let it chill. 
5. Once your crumb coat is solid - time for the fun part! For the colorful patches, I just split part of my frosting into different bowls and colored it with various amount of pink and orange food coloring to create different shades. Spread a small amount on the cake with an offset spatula, then gently smooth it out with a bench scraper. I did this one color at a time, chilling in-between so the frosting would set up. 
6. Finally... slice up and enjoy! That is the best part 🙂

I hope you guys will give this vegan grapefruit poppyseed layer cake a go! It is delicious, fluffy, and perfectly zesty and light. Pumpkin season will be here before you know it... sneak this cake in before it's too late!

Looking for more delicious citrus recipes?

• Vegan Lemon Curd Layer Cake
• Vegan Orange Poppyseed Bundt Cake with Strawberry Glaze
• Vegan Blueberry Orange Layer Cake
• Vegan Blood Orange Dark Chocolate Loaf Cake
• Vegan Lemon Poppyseed Cupcakes

vegan grapefruit poppyseed layer cake

 

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Prep time

1 hour

Cook time

35 mins

Total time

1 hour 35 mins

 

This Vegan Grapefruit Poppyseed Layer Cake is fresh, zesty, and fun! The light and citrusy flavor is a perfect way to enjoy the last days of summer.

Author: Valentina | The Baking Fairy

Recipe type: Cakes

Serves: 12

Ingredients

• *for the grapefruit curd*
• ½ cup unsweetened nondairy milk
• ¼ cup water
• 1 tablespoon corn starch
• 6 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 6 tablespoon fresh grapefruit juice
• zest of ½ grapefruit
• ⅓ cup vegan butter
• pinch of salt
• *for the cake*
• 2 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 6 tablespoon water
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1¾ cup all-purpose flour
• 1½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup vegan butter, at room temperature
• ⅓ cup nondairy yogurt {I used Silk vanilla soy}
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• ⅓ cup unsweetened nondairy milk
• ⅓ cup grapefruit juice
• zest of 1 grapefruit
• ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoon poppyseed
• *for the frosting*
• ½ cup shortening
• ½ cup vegan butter
• 3-4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1-2 tablespoon grapefruit juice
• pinch of salt
• orange and pink food coloring

Instructions

1. First, prepare the grapefruit curd. In a small pot, whisk together the nondairy milk, water, and cornstarch.
2. Place over medium-high heat and add in the juice, zest, sugar, and vegan butter, continuing to whisk. Mixture should start bubbling and thickening. Whisk for 1-2 minutes as it boils, then remove from heat. Set grapefruit curd aside to cool until needed. It has to be COLD before it can be used in the cake.
3. Next, make the cake. Preheat oven to 350F and spray three 6" round cake pans with nonstick baking spray. In a small bowl, whisk together the ground flaxseed with the water and set aside to thicken.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, and poppyseeds.
5. Add in the vegan butter, and beat on low until it's incorporated and has a sandy texture.
6. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, flaxseed mixture, nondairy yogurt, and grapefruit zest, and add them to the dry ingredients. Mix until combined.
7. Finally, pour in the unsweetened nondairy milk and grapefruit juice, and beat on medium-low until smooth and creamy.
8. Divide batter evenly among the 3 pans, and bake for 30-35 minutes until cake is set in the center and a toothpick comes out clean.
9. When curd and cakes are completely cooled, you can make the frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the shortening, vegan butter, and grapefruit juice together until completely smooth and creamy. Add in a pinch of salt and beat in the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, until a thick frosting forms. You may need more or less sugar to get the right consistency. You can add a splash of extra grapefruit juice or some nondairy milk if it is too thick.
10. To assemble the cake, place one cake piece on your cake stand or platter, and spread a thin layer of frosting on top (this prevents the cake from getting soggy from the curd). Pipe a circle of frosting around the edge. Gently spoon some grapefruit curd in the center, and spread it to create a thin layer. Repeat with all. Keep in mind you will have some curd left over! Frost the outside of the cake in white frosting and refrigerate to set.
11. Using the remaining frosting, divide it into 3-4 bowls and add in orange and pink food coloring to create desired colors. I used a small offset spatula to spread small dollops of frosting on my cake, then used my scraper to smooth it out. Refrigerate between each color to avoid smearing.
12. Refrigerate until needed. For best cake flavor and texture, let it sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before enjoying.

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