Nothing says summer better than citrus.

I experimented with grapefruit cupcakes after I realized I became bored with lemon or mock cocktail desserts and wanted something a little different. Grapefruits were the unexpected and yet obvious choice for my summer cupcake recipe.

When I first shared the idea with those around me they were pretty skeptical about how it would taste, though. Apparently grapefruits are a divisive fruit.

Regardless, be bake-assured these cupcakes are perfect whether you like grapefruit or not.

They aren’t too sweet and have the perfect tang.

Many of the recipes I consulted in my research phase opted for glazes rather than butter creams, but I am a real sucker for my classic frosting and I love experimenting with the traditional.

I kept my cake recipe relatively simple so you can play around with zest and flavours if it suits your fancy.

In fact, the history of the cupcake was all about keeping things simple. The cupcake came about in the the19th century because most cooks were illiterate. Recipes needed to be easy to remember.

Food historians found the standard cake recipes were actually made for cupcakes <–> all measurements were done in cup measurements for clarity.

These became a familiar object amongst dessert trays, with the first recorded recipe for an individual small cake – or — created 1828.

And with that, the grapefruit cupcake might now be added to one of your favourites.

Ingredients
For the cake:
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temp
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup and 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsps baking powder
1 pinch salt
2 tbsp grapefruit zest
1/2 cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice

For the buttercream:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 pound confectioners sugar
3 tbsp heavy cream
1 tbsp grapefruit zest
2 tbsp fresh grapefruit juice

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cream the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Whisk together the egg, milk.
4. Combine flour, baking powder and salt.
5. Alternate combining wet and dry ingredients.
6. Add zest and juice to the batter.
7. Spoon batter into cups and bake until golden and cooked through.
8. Begin the buttercream by adding the butter, sugar and cream into a bowl and beat on high until ingredients are combined fluffy and light.
9. Add the juice and the zest and beat until incorporated and ready to spread.
10. Wait until cupcakes have been completely cooled on a wire rack and frost the cakes until your heart’s content.