The iconic Brown Derby restaurant was open from 1926 to 1980 on Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, California. This renowned cake first appeared on the menu in 1936 when chef Harry Baker developed it for Louella Parsons, Hollywood’s well-known gossip columnist, who requested a lower-calorie cake option with a bright-yet-creamy grapefruit frosting.
Reprinted with permission from Citrus, Illustrated by George Geary, Chronicle Books, 2026
YIELD: Makes one 9-inch round cake
INGREDIENTS
Cake:
3 cups (360 g) cake flour
1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
½ cup (120 ml) cold water
½ cup (120 ml) canola oil
6 eggs, separated
6 tablespoons (90 ml) freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
Grapefruit Cream Cheese Icing:
8 ounces (230 g) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
2 teaspoons lemon zest
4 cups (480 g) confectioners’ sugar
1 large grapefruit, sectioned
INSTRUCTIONS
- To make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray two 9-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray.
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center and add the water, oil, egg yolks, grapefruit juice and lemon zest. Mix until very smooth. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment, combine the egg whites and cream of tartar on low speed. Steadily increase the speed to high, and whip until the mixture begins to look thick and frothy, about 3 minutes. Continue whipping until the egg whites hold stiff peaks but do not look dry.
- With a rubber spatula, carefully fold the flour mixture into the beaten egg whites until just combined.
- Divide the batter between the two prepared cake pans. Bake until the top of the cake is golden brown and springs back when the center is pressed, about 30 minutes. Cool completely on baking racks.
- While the cake cools, make the icing. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, blend the cream cheese, juice, zest and confectioners’ sugar on medium speed until smooth. Add three grapefruit sections to the icing, one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition.
- To assemble the cake, place one layer on a cake plate or stand. Spread a layer of about ¼ cup of icing on top and level out with a spatula. Repeat with the remaining layer. Ice the sides with the remaining icing.
- Once assembled, decorate the top of the cake with the remaining grapefruit sections.
