Pink Grapefruit Cake

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 20 g pink grapefruit flesh
• 15 ml oil
• 80 ml water
• 15 g sugar
• 80 g flour

Method

Crack both eggs into the foil pan and add the grapefruit flesh. Pour the oil around the base and tilt the pan to coat it evenly — this prevents sticking and contributes fat to the batter structure. The grapefruit will break down as you mix, distributing its juice and fibre throughout.

Split your dry and wet ingredients into two additions. This staged approach prevents overworking the gluten in the flour, which would toughen the crumb. Add 10g sugar, 40g flour, and 40ml water first. Stir with a chopstick or fork in one direction until the mixture turns pale yellow — you're looking for full incorporation without aggressive whisking, which would overdevelop the gluten network. The pale colour signals the flour has hydrated evenly and the sugar is beginning to dissolve.

Add the remaining 5g sugar, 40g flour, and 40ml water. Stir again in the same direction until you reach the same pale yellow consistency. The batter should coat the back of a spoon with no dry flour visible at the bottom. Stop here. Overworking at this stage creates a dense, tough cake.

Place the foil pan into the air-fryer basket and bake at 180°C. After 15 minutes, the top surface should be set and slightly springy to the touch, but the interior will still be underbaked. This is intentional. Carefully flip the cake using chopsticks or the back of a spoon — you're inverting it so the uncooked base now faces the heating element. Continue baking for 8 minutes. The air-frying method's rapid air circulation means the second side cooks faster than the first, and the structure of the partially set cake will hold together through the flip.

Remove when a skewer inserted into the thickest part emerges with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. The cake will continue to firm as it cools. Serve warm — the grapefruit's acidity and juice keep the crumb tender and prevent drying, which is why the citrus quantity matters here.