Recipe: Hollywood Brown Derby's Grapefruit Cake

Ok, so food week might have been a bad idea because just reading all of your comments is introducing me to a million things I've never tried before! I'm going to have a do a complete culinary tour the next time I'm in WDW...

The first recipe for the week was actually inspired by a comment from Jess, who can't go to Disney's Hollywood Studios without grabbing a slice of the Hollywood Brown Derby's Grapefruit Cake from Starring Rolls Bakery. I've never been to the Brown Derby (much to Kyle's dismay) so I haven't sampled the grapefruit cake...or any grapefruit cake anywhere for that matter. Curious, I dug around and found this recipe:

Grapefruit Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Disney's Hollywood Brown Derby

• 1 and 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs, separated
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons grapefruit juice
• 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 16 oz. can of grapefruit sections drained well
• Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows this one)

(1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-inch by 2-inch round cake pan. Line the bottom of the pan with waxed paper and lightly grease the paper.

(2) In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

(3) In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, oil, water, grapefruit juice, and lemon zest until smooth. Whisk in the flour mixture.

(4) Beat the egg whites and the cream of tartar with an electric mixer in a medium bowl until stiff peaks start to form. With a rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the yolk mixture, until just blended. Pour into the prepared pan.

(5) Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cake springs back when touched lightly in the center. Invert the cake, still in the pan, and cool on a wire rack.

(6) Run a spatula or a table knife around the edge of the cake. Carefully remove the cake from the pan. With a serrated knife, cut cake in half horizontally.

(7) Spread the Cream Cheese Frosting on the bottom half of the cake. Top with several grapefruit sections. Cover with the second layer of the cake and frost the top and sides.

(8) Serve the cake garnished with remaining grapefruit sections.


Cream Cheese Frosting

• 2 8 oz. packages of cream cheese, softened
• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 1 cup sifted confectioners' sugar
• 6 drops yellow food coloring

(1) In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese at high speed until light and fluffy.

(2) Add the lemon juice and the lemon zest. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar and beat until well blended. Add food coloring, if desired, and blend together.



I'm sure that the cake is better when you get it in the parks and, if you look closely, you'll notice that there's more than one layer of cream cheese and grapefruit filling in the photo of the slice above. Still, this sounds like a pretty yummy recipe and it would be a fun dessert for a party, especially in the summer!