Citrusy and moist, this Venezuelan grapefruit pound cake with poppy seeds and the yogurt glaze is refreshing and light making it perfect for breakfast, dessert or a snack.
Line an 8x4-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the long sides; lightly coat with nonstick cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a large bowl, mix together the sugar and grapefruit zest until the mixture is very fragrant, about 1 minute. Add eggs, oil, and vanilla and beat with an electric mixer on high speed until light and thick, about 4 minutes. Reduce speed to low and mix in half of the dry ingredients, then mix in yogurt. Mix in remaining dry ingredients followed by 5 tablespoons grapefruit juice and 1 tablespoon poppy seeds. Scrape batter into prepared pan.
Bake until the top is golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 50–60 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack. Poke holes in the top of the cake and brush the remaining 3 tablespoons grapefruit juice over top. Let sit for 10 minutes. Run a knife around sides to loosen and use parchment paper to lift the cake out of the pan and onto a rack. Remove parchment and let cool completely.
The glaze
Whisk yogurt, water, and powdered sugar in a medium bowl until smooth and drizzle over cake. Sprinkle with poppy seeds if desired and let sit until glaze is set, about 30 minutes.
Notes
The pound cake can be baked and glazed three days ahead.
Substitute vanilla with orange extract for an extra citrus kick.