Passion Fruit Martini Cake!
, Updated Jul 04, 2025
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Inspired by the popular cocktail, this Passion Fruit Martini Cake combines a soft vanilla sponge, vodka and Passoa and passion fruit frosting. A delicious cake that’s perfect for grown up birthday celebrations!
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Ever looked at a cocktail and think “this would make an excellent cake”? I have wanted to use the wonderful flavours of the Passion Fruit Martini – vanilla and passionfruit – in cake for absolutely AGES…
And I am SO glad I did! This cake is just as seductive as the cocktail with the subtle exotic taste of passion fruit coming through. You can make this cake as boozy as you like by brushing the sponge layers with vodka and Passoa liqueur…
But you can just as easily leave the alcohol out and call this a Passion Fruit Cake… it’s delicious either way. Just make sure to serve it with a glass of Prosecco on the side 😉
Here’s what you will need
- Plain flour, baking powder and baking soda
- Caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- Soft butter or Stork
- Eggs
- Milk
- Lemon or lime zest
- Vanilla bean paste or extract
- Cream, icing sugar, mascarpone, cornflour, vanilla and fresh passion fruit for the frosting. You can also use passionfruit purée
- Vodka and passion fruit liqueur (Passoa) to brush on the cake layers. Use Monin Passionfruit syrup to keep the cake alcohol free
- Fresh passionfruit pulp to decorate or make a batch of my delicious Homemade Passion Fruit Jam
Useful tools
- 20cm (8inch) cake tins
- Cake release spray
- Hand or stand mixer
How to make a Passion Fruit Martini Layer Cake
Full measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page. Please take a look at the steps and video before attempting this recipe!
- Make the cake layers – put all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat until batter is smooth or use your stand mixer. Divide into cake tins and bake for 25-30 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.
- Make the frosting – put icing sugar, mascarpone, double cream and vanilla in a mixing bowl and beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Add the passion fruit juice and continue mixing until frosting holds peaks.
- Brush the cake layers liberally with the vodka and Passoa and sandwich together with the frosting. If you like you can add some passion fruit curd in between the layers!
- Frost the cake! Cover the cake with a thin layer of frosting and smooth. If you want a perfect finish, chill the cake and apply a second layer of frosting. I quite like the more rustic look of a semi naked cake.
- Decorate your passion fruit cake – top the cake with more frosting or add meringue kisses and some fresh passion fruit pulp. Serve with a glass of sparkling wine.
TIPS AND FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
• How do I know my cake is baked? Oven temperatures can vary so you need to rely on visual cues not just the recommended baking time. This cake is JUST RIGHT when evenly risen and golden, springy to the touch and just coming away from the edges of the tin.
• Levelling your cake: If the cake has domed while baking, level using a large serrated knife or a cake leveller
• Store your Passion Fruit Martini cake in the fridge but bring back to room temperature before serving.
You may also like…
P*** Star Martini
Gin and Tonic Cupcakes / Cake
HAVE YOU MADE MY PASSION FRUIT MARTINI CAKE? Please leave a rating, post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #supergoldenbakes and make my day!
Passion Fruit Martini Cake
Video
Ingredients
- 350 g ( 2 ¾ cups) plain flour (all purpose flour or cake flour)
- 330 g (1 ⅔ cups) sugar
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- ½ tbsp bicarbonate of soda
- 200 g (7/8 cup) softened butter or margarine such as Stork
- 4 medium eggs
- 120 ml (½ cup) whole or semi skimmed milk room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
- 2 lemons zest only
Frosting
- 250 g (1 cup) mascarpone full fat
- 240 g (2 cups) icing sugar powdered sugar
- 400 ml (1 ¾ cups) COLD double cream heavy cream
- 2 tbsp cornflour cornstarch
- 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
- 2 passion fruit
To brush on cake layers
- 3 tbsp Passoa or passionfruit liqueur or Monin Passion fruit syrup
- 1 tbsp vodka
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
To decorate
- 2 passion fruit
- meringue kisses optional
Instructions
Make the cake
- Preheat the oven to 180C (350F). Mist three 20cm (8 inch) cake pans with cake release and line with baking paper.
- Put the flour, sugar, baking powder and bicarbonade of soda in a large mixing bowl and mix together to combine.
- Add the softened butter, eggs, milk, vanilla and lemon zest.
- Start beating at lowest speed setting until ingredients come together. Increase the speed to maximum and beat until the batter is completely smooth – about 30 seconds to one minute. Stop the mixer and scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl halfway through.
- Transfer batter to the prepared cake tins and level using a spatula.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cake is golden and feels springy to the touch. A skewer or knife inserted in the centre should come out clean – if not cook for a further 5 minutes.
- Transfer cakes to a wire rack and cool completely before frosting.
Make the frosting
- Scoop the pulp out of the passion fruit and strain the juice into a bowl. Discard the seeds.
- Beat all remaining ingredients together, on medium-low speed, until you have soft peaks. Add the passion fruit juice, a little at a time. You might not need to add it all. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl and beat until the frosting holds peaks. Keep chilled until you need to use it.
Assemble the cake
- Brush the cake layers with vodka and passionfruit liqueur (you might need to warm it slightly so it sinks into the cake).
- Pipe a generous layer of frosting to sandwich the cake layers together.
- Cover the cake with frosting, smoothing over top and sides. Chill and do a second layer of frosting for a smooth finish or leave the cake layers showing through for a semi naked effect.
- Top cake with any remaining frosting or decorate with meringue kisses and the passionfruit pulp. Slice and enjoy!
Notes
- Unless specified otherwise all your ingredients including butter eggs and milk should be at room temperature in order to achieve a smooth batter. If one or more of the ingredients are cold they will cause your batter to split or look curdled.
- If your milk is cold from the fridge then heat briefly in the microwave or saucepan until just tepid. Make sure the milk is body temperature – not too hot!
- Place cold eggs into warm water for five minutes to bring them back to room temperature.
- Cut cold butter into cubes and leave for an hour on your counter to warm up or use margarine (Stork).
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate, and will depend on quality of ingredients and serving sizes.
Love this have made it numerous times for celebrating
Want to upsize this but will it work with double ingredients in 12inch round tin and is it ok to cook sponge day before please
I haven’t tested it but it should work fine. You can definitely bake it up to two days in advance. Wrap well in plastic wrap / clingfilm and store at room temperature
Soft sponge, great flavours.
Used the Monin Passionfruit syrup and added cued as well as frosting between the layers.
Very very very good.