Easy Passion Fruit Cake

Easy Passion Fruit Cake Ingredients

I used a deep 8-inch cake pan for this recipe then sliced the cake to create two layers using a cake leveller. The passion fruit syrup can be prepared ahead of time and it’s a must for adding intense flavor!

• Fresh passion fruit – you will need at least eight! Remember that those with slightly wrinkly skin are riper and sweeter. We will be using their pulp in the batter, frosting and to make the syrup.
• The cake uses everyday ingredients: self raising flour, sugar, butter, eggs and milk in addition to the passion fruit pulp.
• The frosting is made of mascarpone (or cream cheese), heavy cream a little powdered sugar and vanilla bean paste. Then you fold in fresh pulp or some of my passionfruit jam – it is so delicious!
• The syrup is made with sugar, passion fruit and a little water or lime juice.

Make the passion fruit syrup

1. Add the passion fruit pulp, sugar and lime juice to a saucepan. Bring to a simmer, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Take off the heat and let it cool down completely. The syrup will thicken as it cools.

Prepare the cake

1. Preheat the oven to 320°F/ 160°C. Mist an 8 inch deep cake pan with cake release and line with baking paper. Sift the self raising flour into a mixing bowl. Add the sugar and stir to combine.
2. Add the cubed butter and rub it in with your fingertips as you would if you were making crumble. You want to create a fine breadcrumb consistency. You could also do this in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.

3. Now add the milk, passion fruit pulp and eggs. Stir to combine until the batter is smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and level. Bake in the middle of the oven for 40-45 minutes, or until the is golden and feels firm to the touch. A skewer or toothpick inserted in the centre should come out clean.

4. Run a knife around the edge of the cake tin and gently turn the cake out onto a wire rack. Make sure the cake has completely cooled down before slicing in half horizontally using a serrated knife or cake leveler.

Make the frosting

1. Place the mascarpone, heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla bean paste into a mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on a low speed setting until the frosting holds peaks. Don’t over-whip. Stir passion fruit pulp into the frosting and keep chilled until you are ready to use it.

Assemble the Passion Fruit cake

1. Put the bottom cake layer on a plate or cake stand and brush with the syrup.

2. Spread with a generous amount of frosting and sandwich with the top layer.

3. Spread the remaining frosting on top of the cake and swirl it. Drizzle with passion fruit syrup. Decorate with halved passion fruit or edible flowers and serve!

Recipe Notes

• This cake is sliced in half in the manner of a Victoria Sponge. But if you would rather skip the frosting and serve the cake whole, you can turn this into a Passion Fruit Drizzle cake!
• Use a skewer to make holes all over the cake. Drizzle the cake with syrup while it is still warm and still in the cake tin. Allow the cake to cool before turning out – be gentle because the top will be sticky!
• If you want to make a layered passionfruit cake then follow my Passion Fruit Martini Cake recipe!

Tips for Cake Success

• Use room tempertature ingredients – apart from the butter! – for a smooth batter and fluffy sponge.
• Strain the passion fruit pulp if you want a smoother syrup — or leave the seeds in for texture and crunch!
• Chill before slicing for clean, bakery-style layers. A cold sponge is easier to handle and you will get fewer crumbs when slicing.
• Decorate your cake with fresh passion fruit or edible flowers just before serving to keep everything looking vibrant and fresh.

How to Store Passion Fruit Cake

This tropical beauty needs a little TLC to keep it fresh and fabulous:

• If your passion fruit cake is frosted (especially with cream cheese or whipped cream), store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container or covered cake dome for up to 3–4 days. Bring to room temperature before serving to enjoy the best texture and flavor.
• Unfrosted cake layers can be frozen for up to 1 month. Wrap tightly in layers of cling film and foil to avoid freezer burn. Defrost fully at room temperature before decorating or serving.