Passionfruit Cake Recipe

Looking for a sweet treat that isn't your typical, run-of-the-mill dessert? If so, we have the perfect suggestion for you. This passionfruit cake is filled with wonderful flavors thanks to the inclusion of vanilla extract, orange zest, and passionfruit pulp in the batter. The recipe also includes instructions on how to make a sweet glaze to go on top of the cake that adds another great dimension of flavor. One other wonderful part of this recipe is that it requires just a few ingredients and it takes just about an hour to make. This means you won't be slaving in the kitchen all day long. 

Recipe developer Jennine Bryant of The Marshside Pantry is a pro when it comes to desserts and this is some of her best work yet. If passionfruit is a passion of yours, this is a must-try! "I love how well the sponge cake takes on the passionfruit flavor through the pulp, so it has that lovely sweet tang of passionfruit all through the cake, not just from the topping!" Bryant raves. "It's a great summertime cake, the tropical passionfruit flavor is so fruity and not too heavy. It's definitely more of a casual snack type of cake, great to eat over a coffee [as you] catch up with friends, or as a treat for the kids." 

Keep reading to find out how to make it. 

Once you're ready to begin, you'll need to gather the ingredients. Pick up butter, granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, orange zest, passionfruit pulp, plain flour, baking powder, salt, buttermilk, powdered sugar, and water.

Then, you can start whipping together the passionfruit cake for your next get-together! 

Since you'll need to use the oven for this recipe, preheat it to 340 F. Then, take out a 2-pound loaf pan and grease it to prevent the cake from sticking to the bottom. As another layer of added protection, line the pan with parchment paper.

In a bowl or stand mixer, add ½ cup butter and the granulated sugar. Beat together for about 3-4 minutes until well-combined. The mixture should turn light and fluffy. 

Next, add the eggs one at a time, mixing each with the butter and sugar until well-combined before adding the next one. Now, to add the tropical flavors, mix in the vanilla extract, orange zest, and 4 tablespoons passionfruit pulp. Mix again to combine everything well.

In a separate bowl, add the flour, baking powder and salt, and mix to combine.

Then, add ½ the flour mixture to the wet ingredients until the flour is just combined. Next, add ½ the buttermilk and mix again. Then, toss in the other ½ of the flour and mix until everything is just combined. And to complete the mix, add the second ½ of the buttermilk and stir again. Voila, that's your batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes. You can check to see if the cake is done by inserting a skewer into the center. If the skewer comes out clean, that means the cake is done. 

After you remove the cake from the oven, let it sit for about 15 minutes. Once the 15 minutes are up, turn the cake out and allow it to cool completely on a wire rack.

What cake is complete without icing? In a clean bowl, add the remaining tablespoon butter and 3 tablespoons pulp and mix until smooth. If the mixture is too thick, you can add 1-2 tablespoons water until the glaze is smooth and slowly slides off a spoon. "The icing is fruity and sweet without being too sweet. It has a really heavy kick of passionfruit which balances out the sweetness of the sugar with the tartness and slight tang of the fruit," Bryant shares of the flavor. It complements the passionfruit cake amazingly well! 

Drizzle the icing on top of the cooled cake and serve. To make the cake even more visually appealing, decorate with any leftover passionfruit halves. "It's great served as it is, but if you want something to cut through the sweet sharpness of the passionfruit, a spoonful of soft whipped cream would be lovely," Bryant suggests. "Fresh strawberries would also go really well. As for drinks, something light and sparkly like lemonade or sparkling elderflower would be a perfect match."

And as far as leftovers go, "The cake lasts well for 3-4 days at room temperature, it just needs to be well-covered or sealed in a Tupperware," Bryant shares.