Fragrance & Food – Grapefruit Fir Compote with Angel Food Cake
Loosely based on CREED Silver Mountain Water
Years ago, I had a sponge cake with a rosemary grapefruit topping at a café. This combination of flavors inspired me to play around with the combo of tart grapefruit, the dynamic fresh/cooling mountainous flavor of fir over vanilla sugar. I wanted something refreshing.
This is a super easy recipe especially if you buy a pre-made angel food cake. I purchased an angel food cake. Yes, I purchased an angel food cake. I’m the type of person that cooks everything from scratch so this is shocking, but I did purchase a locally made brand. And I’m pleased. I should do that more often 😉
You will need:
pre-made loaf of angel food cake (or you can make your own)
1 large ruby red/pink grapefruit – peeled segments
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
a drop of fir essence – I used Aftelier Chef Essences in Fir Needle
I made a simple syrup of 1/2 cup refined sugar and 1/2 cup water and boiled it until it became syrupy. I removed from heat and added a drop of Aftelier Chef Essences in Fir Needle. I poured this fir simple syrup over the peeled segments of a large grapefruit and refrigerated. The slices will become slightly “candied”, covered in a sugary fir glaze.
I sliced my mass produced cake and applied this fir and grapefruit compote over the cake. You know what to do from here…
This is a super easy recipe. The flavor is nice. Fir adds a citrus, fresh and “cool” flavor and mixes well with the tangy grapefruit. It’s fun to taste a non-smoky fir and a “dessert evergreen”. The sweet vanilla of the angel food cake is awesome with the citrus.
I love both grapefruit and angel food cake, but would never have thought of combining them. This sounds really, really good (not to mention, easy!) 🙂
Also, I think your photo is quite good. Maybe could be a little more of a close-up, but I really like the colors.
Super, super easy. Try it. You’re hands will smell wonderful after peeling the grapefruit 😉 It’s good without the fir too.
Thanks. I think food photography is a mystical art. I’m always impressed by people that are good at it. I love perfume, food, textiles and Fiestaware. Who knew collecting plates would be so much fun?
How wonderful, thank you so much Victoria, I really appreciate your creativity & experimentation! I’m excited by your marvelous flavor combination – you’ve shown how just one drop is enough to make a deliciouis treat!
xo Mandy
These have been so much fun to play with. It’s not everyday you taste fir, especially a non-smoked fir. These have really had my husband and I thinking more creatively and enjoying cooking again.
I think one could use 2 drops if they made more simple syrup. I wanted to use 2 but I must use some restraint with these 🙂
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