Grapefruit Bundt Cake

Your birthday cake choice says a lot about you, doesn’t it?

I can never decide between all of the sweet possibilities, so I try to maximize my day with a two-in-one choice: cookie cake. My husband usually goes less traditional: the last few years he’s requested an apple pie and donuts.Ā My mom, on the other hand, has held strong with this grapefruit bundt cake!

She’s requested this grapefruit bundt cake for several years now, and it’s become a family favorite! It has a hint of citrus from the grapefruit, and a richness from the cream cheese. I don’t remember where the recipe first came from, but it’s become part of our story now! And aren’t the best recipes passed down like memories?

Along with birthdays, we also make it for other special occasions! So in celebration of Mother’s Day this weekend, here is one of my mom’s favorite desserts šŸ™‚

Grapefruit bundt cake

Grapefruit Bundt CakeĀ 

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp) unsalted butter
  • 8 ounces cream cheese
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 1 Tbsp grapefruit rind
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup milk (Any kind works! I’ve used skim, whole and almond milk)
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt

Grapefruit Glaze

  • 4 Tbsp grapefruit juice
  • 2 cups powdered sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare your bundt pan – instead of spraying it with oil, we recommend buttering the pan and then coating it with a light flour layer. In a mixing bowl, combine butter, sugar and cream cheese and beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs, along with the oil, grapefruit rind, vanilla and milk and mix it all together. Next, add the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder and salt). Pour into the pan and bake for approximately one hour. Let the cake cool completely before taking it out of the pan!

To make the grapefruit glaze, combine the grapefruit juice and powdered sugar with a mixer. You can experiment with the amount of juice and sugar, depending on the thickness desired. The more glaze, the better!

Happy Mother’s Day!

Easy Entertaining Menu with Pomegranate Guacamole

When the witching hour replaces happy hour:Ā After emerging from the newborn haze, I felt like I had to re-learn or refine some of my social (and general life) skills. Mainly, the art of entertaining while also taking care of a tiny human. Who knew it would be so exhausting?

I’ve always been a little scatterbrained (can we call it creative?) and now that my attention is consumed by a crazy little boy, I’m at a whole different level of distracted most of the time. But, I love having people over when I can get it together! And I’ve been lucky enough to learn from my mom, the ultimate hostess, over the years! She’s always throwing together events, hosting large groups of people and cooking homemade-everything in the midst of it all.

Of course, doing it all isn’t always realistic! But I’ve certainly picked up on a few valuable tips from my mom. Number one? Make a plan and have fun with it. Make sure that you choose recipes you trust and that can be prepped ahead of time to reduce stress. Cultivating community is important and it doesn’t have to be high-maintenance or all consuming to have friends or family over. Sometimes, pizza is totally the answer.

Other days, you can make an impressive line-up, like the following menu, and still have time to relax beforehand with a glass of wine. It all comes down to prepping items and utilizing shortcuts — like rotisserie chicken, store-bought salsa and cake mix. Amen.

guacamole-with-pomegranate-seeds

Apps:Chips, salsa and pomegranate guacamole (recipe below!)

Dinner: Chicken avocado enchiladas

Dessert: Snickerdoodle bundt cake

The Best PomegranateĀ Guacamole

Serves 2 – 4

Ingredients:

  • Ā 3 avocados
  • 1/3 tomato, diced
  • One big handful of cilantro, chopped
  • 1/2 lemon or lime juice
  • Salt and pepper to taste (plus, add a dash of garlic salt!)
  • 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
  • Optional: 1/4 onion, minced

Directions: First, get the avocados into a big mixing bowl and mash them up. Next, dice the tomato and chop the cilantro and throw it into the bowl. Squeeze 1/2 of a lemon or lime into the bowl, then add the rest of the seasoning and mix. Fold in the pomegranate seeds last, saving a few to sprinkle on top. Enjoy!