This Pomelo Cake has a delicious tender crumb. Enjoy this buttermilk sponge cake as an afternoon treat or a unique Lunar New Year Dessert.
Have you noticed pomelos at your local grocery store? Each year, I wait in anticipation for stores to start carrying this fruit. We're getting ready to celebrate Lunar New Year, and this Pomelo Cake is a winning dessert recipe.
This recipe makes a delicious tender cake with a delicate pomelo flavor. It's tangy and floral at the same time. The cake isn't too sweet, and I enjoy it like a slice of pound cake.
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Why You'll Love This Pomelo Sponge Cake
There are so many reasons to love this pomelo cake recipe.
- Moist and tender crumb that is evenly sized, and without large holes or tunnels.
- Keeps fresh for a few days on the countertop, several days in the fridge, and can also be stored frozen for longer periods of time.
- Delicate pomelo taste that is unlike any store bought cake.
- Easy to make in a 9x13 cake pan.
- Brushed with a pomelo syrup for extra flavor, and no extra frosting required.
These aren't the only reasons to love this cake, so I hope you give it a try and find more reasons to love this sponge cake. It might just become a favorite Lunar New Year dessert for your family too.
Ingredients in this Pomelo Cake
Here are what you need to make this pomelo sponge cake. Pomelos are the only out of the ordinary ingredient. You'll be able to find everything else in any supermarket.
- All-Purpose flour - Skip the cake flour, and do not use self-raising or gluten-free flour.
- Granulated sugar - There's no need for caster sugar, but you can use it if you have it on hand.
- Kosher salt - Regular salt is fine, but reduce the amount a bit because the crystals are more uniform and smaller so more fit into a measuring spoon.
- Baking powder - Don't make the common mistake of using baking soda on accident.
- Zest of one pomelo - Yes, the entire pomelo! Try to grate just the zest, and avoid the bitter pith as much as possible.
- Unsalted butter - This needs to be at room temperature.
- Eggs - This also needs to be at room temperature.
- Buttermilk - Buttermilk will give the cake a tangy flavor that complements the floral notes of the pomelo. It also needs to be at room temperature.
How to Use Pomelos
Before you get started, here are a few frequently asked questions about using pomelos in recipes.
Can you use pomelo zest? Is pomelo zest good?
Yep and yep! Pomelo zest is very flavorful. It's a fabulous way to add pomelo flavor to baked goods.
To use pomelo zest, first, scrub the pomelo well under hot water to get rid of as much wax as easily possible. I use the hottest water from the tap, and scrub with my scrub daddy sponge (or any green scrubber should work).
You can also use a tiny bit of dish soap if you are comfortable with that.
To zest the pomelo, I grate it lightly with my microplane zester. The microplane is gentle enough it doesn't get any of the bitter pith. I've used mine for years, love it.
Tip: Be particularly careful you only get the zest. Pomelo pith is particularly bitter, so avoid as much of that as possible.
Can you juice pomelo?
Yes you can. Pomelo juice is tart and tangy, with a mild sweetness. It's sweeter than regular grapefruit juice, and it has a distinct floral note.
To juice pomelos, I first peel the fruit, removing as much of the bitter white pith as possible. Next, I cut the pomelo into segments.
Then, as you can see in the photo below, I just squeeze and juice it over a strainer. I use my citrus reamer to help me get started.
Tip: I wear food prep gloves when I juice pomelos because the juice stings any cracks and cuts I have on my dry winter hands.
For this recipe, you need the juice from about ¼ of a pomelo.
How to make this pomelo sponge cake
Here's a quick preview on how to make this pomelo sponge cake. Full instructions can be found below in the recipe card.
To note, this recipe uses the reverse creaming method (also called "paste" method). It gives the sponge cake a velvety texture and makes it flatter and less domed shape.
Using a stand mixer makes this pomelo cake super quick and easy. You can also use a hand mixer too.
Directions
- Mix dry ingredients - In your stand mixer bowl (or a large bowl if you are using a hand mixer), whisk together the sugar, flour, salt and baking powder.
- Mix in butter and zest - Add the butter and zest to the dry ingredients. Using the paddle attachment, mix at medium speed until the mixture is a crumbly, sandy and uniform mixture (about 1 minute). Tip: Make sure the butter is at room temperature.
- Add in eggs - Add eggs one at a time, fully incorporating after each addition. Tip: Make sure the eggs are at room temperature.
- Add in buttermilk - With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the buttermilk. Stop and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, as needed. Once all the buttermilk has been added, mix at medium speed for about 30 seconds. Tip: Make sure the buttermilk is at room temperature.
- Pour batter into pan - Pour the cake into a baking pan lined with parchment paper.
- Bake, then cool - Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. Once the cake is done, set it on a rack to cool.
- Make pomelo syrup - As the cake is cooling, combine pomelo juice and sugar in a microwavable cup. Microwave for 30 seconds (adding additional 10 seconds, if needed), then mix, until the sugar is dissolved.
- Brush syrup on cake - Gently brush the syrup onto the warm cake. The cake will absorb the syrup as you brush it on.
- Allow to fully cool before cutting - That's it! Now it's time to wait and allow the cake to cool completely before you cut it. This allows the crumb to set, and the syrup to fully soak in.
Why use the reverse creaming method
My favorite aspects of reverse creaming is that it is faster and easier to make. Plus, there's a smaller chance of messing up cake batter because of the way the ingredients are mixed.
If you have never made a cake using the reverse creaming method, don't worry. It's not tricky at all. In fact, it's much more straightforward.
In this method, the flour is first coated in room-temperature butter. What this means is that the cake is almost guaranteed to be tender. When flour is first coated in butter, it limits gluten development. Too much gluten development is the main cause for cakes to be chewy, hard, or tough.
Enjoy this Lunar New Year Dessert
Pomelos really are a spectacular fruit. It's worth the wait each year for supermarkets to stock them around Lunar New Year time.
This cake is a delicious way to use pomelos if you want something special for Lunar New Year dessert. If you just have too many pomelos on your hands, this is a perfect recipe to enjoy the fruits too.
If you celebrate, Happy Lunar New Year!
Love pomelos? Here's another reader favorite recipe you don't want to miss - Pomelo Cheesecake.
Pomelo Cake Recipe
Equipment
- 1 9x13 cake pan
- stand mixer or hand mixer
Ingredients
Sponge Cake
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- zest of 1 pomelo
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 ¼ cups buttermilk at room temperature
Pomelo Syrup
- ¼ cup pomelo juice fresh squeezed from about ¼ of a pomelo
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Instructions
Make the Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 °F (177 °C). Line a 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, salt and baking powder. I do this by hand, directly in my stand mixer bowl.
- Add the butter and zest to the dry ingredients. Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix at medium speed until the mixture is a crumbly, sandy and uniform mixture (about 1 minute).
- Add the eggs one at a time, fully incorporating after each addition.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the buttermilk. Stop and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, as needed. Once all the buttermilk has been added, mix at medium speed for about 30 seconds.
- Gently pour the cake into the prepared baking pan. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. The sides should be a golden brown, and the top should look set.
- Place cake on a wire rack to cool. As the cake rests, make the pomelo syrup.
Pomelo Syrup
- Combine pomelo juice and sugar in a microwaveable cup. Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Stir the syrup. If the sugar isn't fully dissolved, microwave for another 5-10 seconds, then stir and check again. Repeat, adding 5-10 seconds each time until the sugar is fully dissolved.
- Using a pastry brush, brush the syrup over the warm cake. The syrup should soak into the cake. Keep applying the syrup until all of it has been absorbed into the cake.
Serve the Pomelo Cake
- Allow the cake and syrup to fully cool before serving. Ideally, use a warm and slightly damp knife to cut the cake. This prevents the crumbs from sticking to the knife.
Notes
Nutrition
June says
Tried it and loved it