Are you sick of winter yet? I know I am. The weather forecast finally calls for a reprieve from the weekly snowstorms, and the later daylight hours provide a glimmer of hope that spring might be around the corner, but in the produce aisle at the grocery store, fresh options are still sorely lacking.

This is the most challenging time of year for seasonal cooking. Spring produce hasn't arrived yet, but the soups, stews, and hearty baked dishes that constitute winter hibernation fare feel too heavy.

This cake promises to brighten your day. With a bright, assertive grapefruit flavor that comes not only from the cake itself, but also from a grapefruit syrup drizzled over the still-warm cake and a grapefruit glaze to finish it off, it's a refreshingly citrusy hint of the warmer weather to come.

The recipe, from Deb Perelman's "The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook," is delicious as written-moist, light, and with a perfect balance of sweet and tart flavors. It's a perfect candidate to bring to the office to share with coworkers, and a slice makes a tasty breakfast or mid-afternoon snack.

For a slightly fancier spin on this, I nixed the grapefruit glaze and instead served the sliced cake with a warm blackberry-lemon compote. The blackberry flavor complements the grapefruit nicely, the lemon adds an extra dimension to the citrusy flavors of the cake, and the beautiful colors make for a lovely presentation.

Grapefruit-Olive Oil Pound Cake

From "The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook”

Cake:

Butter for pan

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus some to flour pan

2 tablespoons grated grapefruit zest (from 1-2 grapefruits)

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup raw sugar

½ cup olive oil

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon table salt

2 tablespoons grapefruit juice

1/3 cup buttermilk

Syrup:

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/3 cup grapefruit juice

Glaze (if desired):

1 cup confectioner's sugar

2 tablespoons grapefruit juice

Pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan.

Combine the grapefruit zest, ½ cup granulated sugar, and raw sugar in a large bowl. Rub the zest into the sugars with your fingertips until the ingredients are evenly combined. Whisk in the oil until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, and whisk until combined.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Combine the 2 tablespoons grapefruit juice and buttermilk in a glass measuring cup.

Alternate adding the flour mixture and the buttermilk mixture to the oil, sugar and zest mixture a little at a time, beginning and ending with flour.

Spread the batter in prepared pan, and tap the pan on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles. Bake for 45 minutes to one hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

While the cake is baking, make the syrup. Combine the 2 tablespoons granulated sugar with 1/3 cup grapefruit juice in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook and stir until the sugar dissolves.

When the cake is done, let it cool for 10 minutes in the pan.

Set a cooling rack over a tray, and carefully invert the cake pan over the tray to remove the cake. Poke holes in the top and sides of the cake with a toothpick. Brush the syrup over the cake, and let it cool completely.

While the cake is cooling, make the blackberry-lemon compote, if desired. To serve, spoon some warm blackberry compote over each slice of cake.

If you'd prefer to make the glaze instead of the compote, whisk together 1 cup confectioner's sugar with 2 tablespoons of grapefruit juice and a pinch of salt. When the cake has cooled, pour the glaze over the top, letting it run down the sides. Slice and serve.

Blackberry-Lemon Compote

(For 4 servings)

1 cup fresh or frozen blackberries

2 ½ tablespoons lemon juice

½ tablespoon lemon zest

2 tablespoons sugar

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Heat over low-to-medium heat, stirring frequently and breaking up the blackberries with a spoon.

Cook and stir for 10 minutes or so, until the blackberries have broken down and released their juices. Serve warm, spooned over slices of cake.

EMILY CLARK ENJOYS DISCOVERING NEW RECIPES AND PERFECTING OLD ONES IN HER EAST LYME KITCHEN. SHE CAN BE REACHED AT SAVORINGSEASONS@GMAIL.COM.