Passion fruit cake with mascarpone cream topping is a tropical delight to slice into. This passion fruit sponge cake includes passion fruit drizzle and curd to deliver a double whammy of tropical fruit flavour.
This easy passion fruit cake is pure joy to make and eat. It comprises two layers of sponge cake, each one glazed with passion fruit drizzle. These sponge layers are sandwiched together with barely sweet mascarpone cream and a generous amount of passion fruit curd.
The result is light & bouncy pillows of golden sponge and plenty of dreamy tropical fruit flavour. In summary, this passion fruit sponge cake is a total delight.
In the mood for more fruity cake recipes? How about a blackcurrant upside-down cake, rhubarb and custard cake or a chocolate cherry cake?
Why you’ll love this passion fruit curd cake
- The cake is fluffy and moist.
- There’s a tart and tangy passion fruit drizzle crowning each layer.
- The creamy topping is not too sweet.
- And the passion fruit curd adds plenty of tropical fruit flavour
- It’s really easy to decorate.
Ingredients notes
Passion fruit puree: this can either be from a carton or extracted from fresh passion fruits. I used puree from a carton. If you intend to make it from fresh fruit there are some detailed instructions for doing so in my post for passion fruit curd. You’ll need about 3 fresh passion fruits for the puree.
Fresh passion fruit: (optional) this is only needed if you are using passion fruit puree from a carton and wish to include seeds in the recipe (mixed into the curd).
Passion fruit curd: making your own is easy (find the recipe here) but if you’re short on time then store-bought is perfectly acceptable. I highly recommend The Carved Angel Passion Curd.
Plain flour: also known as all-purpose flour, it has no raising agent included so it’s necessary to add baking powder when making this passion fruit cake. Self-raising flour can be used instead but remember to omit the baking powder in this instance.
Butter or baking margarine can be used in this recipe.
Mascarpone cheese: milder in flavour than typical cream cheese, this is the ideal way to add a rich and creamy topping to this passion fruit curd cake without introducing too much sweetness or flavour from a typical buttercream or cream cheese frosting.
Double cream: this is cream with a fat content of around 48%. When whipped it thickens and holds its shape well. It helps turn the mascarpone cheese into a delectable topping for this passion fruit cake.
Step-by-step instructions
Despite having a longish list of ingredients, this passion fruit curd cake is a relatively straightforward bake:
- Begin by creaming the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
- Then add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition.
- Sieve in the flour and baking powder and fold in using a large metal spoon.
- Divide the batter between the cake tins (greased and lined) and bake until a skewer poked into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
- Make the drizzle topping just before the cake comes out of the oven: mix together passion fruit puree, lime juice and caster sugar.
- As soon as the cakes are baked, poke holes all over them using a skewer then spoon the passion fruit drizzle all over the top.
- Leave the cakes to cool completely in the tins then carefully turn them out.
- Whip the mascarpone, cream and sieved icing sugar together briefly until it reaches the soft peak stage. Don’t whip too much as the mascarpone will separate if beaten too much.
- Optional: mix a few passion fruit seeds into the passion fruit curd.
- Lay one layer of sponge cake onto a plate (with the drizzle side facing upwards). Spread half of the cream over the top and drizzle half of the curd over it.
- Top with the second layer of sponge cake and use the remaining cream and passion fruit curd to garnish it.
Expert tips
- Preheat the oven and prepare the baking tins before baking commences. The aim is to get the cake batter into the oven to bake as soon as possible as the raising agents are most active at this point.
- Always grease the tins and use a circle of baking parchment to line the bases regardless of whether or not they are non-stick tins. Getting your cakes out will be so much easier if you do this.
- Measure your ingredients accurately. It makes all the difference to the success of a cake recipe. I don’t generally list cup amounts because using grams (along with a set of digital scales) is a much more accurate measuring system. Cups can vary in size and one person’s method of filling a cup can be quite different to another person’s, so they are wildly inaccurate.
- Use the tin size specified (two 8-inch round tins). Don’t try to cram the mixture into tins that are too small or large as bake times will vary, the batter may spill over the edge in the oven (messy) and the thickness of the finished cakes may disappoint.
- Ensure the butter or margarine is at room temperature and soft. Eggs should also be at room temperature.
- Beat the mascarpone and cream together as little as possible. Mascarpone has a tendency to split if it is over-beaten and it’s practically impossible to rescue. Try beating in 15-second bursts and stop as soon as it reaches the soft peak stage.
- If your passion fruit curd is too thick to drizzle try mixing in a splash of passion fruit puree to loosen it to a soft dropping consistency.
Frequently asked questions
I tried twice to bake this cake with passion fruit puree mixed into the batter and on both occasions I found the resulting cake to be on the dry side.
Serving up dry cake is a kitchen crime I won’t knowingly commit, so I opted to make vanilla sponges in this passion cake and add in the flavour of the fruit by way of topping them with a passion fruit syrup once baked and including plenty of passion fruit curd between the layers of cake and on top.
Yes, you can. I’d suggest finding one that is not too sweet as the passion fruit drizzle and passion fruit curd add plenty of sweetness. A mascarpone buttercream or even white chocolate mascarpone buttercream would work very well though.
Since this passion fruit curd cake does contain fresh cream, once assembled, it does need to be refrigerated if not consumed within a couple of hours. Simply cover a transfer to the fridge for up to 3 days.
It’s best to let the cake come to room temperature before serving to let the flavours shine, so bring it out of the fridge 1-2 hours before serving.
Passion fruit sponge cake variations
There are so many fun ways to take this passion fruit cake for a little variation:
- Fold the finely grated zest of a lime directly into the cake batter to add a citrusy edge to the sponge cakes.
- Or fold in 1 tablespoon of poppyseeds into the cake batter instead.
- Alternatively, add some mega-crunch by folding in 1 tablespoon of passion fruit seeds.
- Introduce some fresh raspberries as a garnish
- Or opt for coconut chips or white chocolate curs as a final garnish to the top of the cake
- Chopped pistachio nuts are another worthy adornment – try adding them to the filling and the top.
More creamy cakes to make
Like this passion fruit sponge cake, the following creamy cakes are a breeze to make and trim too.
If you make this passion fruit cake recipe I would love to hear how you get along. Please leave a comment and/ or star rating and don’t forget to share your gorgeous creation on Instagram and tag #littlesugarsnaps so I can see it too.
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Recipe
Passion Fruit Cake
Equipment
- 2 x 8-inch circular sandwich cake tins
Ingredients
For the cakes
- 225 g Butter or baking margarine
- 225 g Caster sugar
- 4 Eggs large, free-range
- 225 g Plain flour
- 2 teaspoons Baking powder
For the passion fruit drizzle
- 60 ml Passion fruit puree
- 15 ml Lime juice
- 45 g Caster sugar
For the Filling and topping
- 250 g Mascarpone cheese full-fat
- 125 ml Double cream 48% fat
- 2 tablespoons icing sugar
- 100 g Passion fruit curd
- Seeds from a passion fruit optional
Instructions
Make the cakes
- Preheat the oven to 180C/ 350F/ GM4 and grease the base and sides of the cake tins then line the bases with circles of baking parchment.
- Use electric beaters to cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition. Don't worry if the batter curdles, once the flour is added it will rectify.
- Sieve in the flour and baking powder and fold in using a large metal spoon.
- Divide the batter between the cake tins and bake until a skewer poked into the centre of the cake comes out clean (25-28 mins). Meanwhile, prepare the drizzle topping.
Make the Passion Fruit Dirzzle
- Make the drizzle topping just before the cake comes out of the oven by mixing together the passion fruit puree, lime juice and caster sugar.
- As soon as the cakes are baked, poke holes all over them using a skewer then spoon the passion fruit drizzle all over the top.
- Leave the cakes to cool completely in the tins then carefully remove once cold.
Fill and top the cake
- Put the mascarpone and cream into a bowl and sieve the icing sugar in.
- Whip together using electric beaters on a low speed until the topping reaches the soft peak stage. Don’t whip too much as the mascarpone will separate if beaten too much.
- Optional: mix a few passion fruit seeds into the passion fruit curd.
- Lay one layer of sponge cake onto a plate (with the drizzle side facing upwards). Spread half of the mascarpone cream over the top and drizzle half of the curd over it.
- Top with the second layer of sponge cake and use the remaining cream and passion fruit curd to garnish it.
Notes
- Preheat the oven and prepare the baking tins before baking commences. The aim is to get the cake batter into the oven to bake as soon as possible as the raising agents are most active at this point.
- Always grease the tins and use a circle of baking parchment to line the bases regardless of whether or not they are non-stick tins. Getting your cakes out will be so much easier if you do this.
- Measure your ingredients accurately. It makes all the difference to the success of a cake recipe. I don’t list cup ingredients because using grams (along with a set of digital scales) is a much more accurate measuring system. Cups can vary in size and one person’s method of filling a cup can be quite different to another person’s, so they are wildly inaccurate.
- Use the tin size specified (two 8-inch round tins). Don’t try to cram the mixture into tins that are too small or large as bake times will vary, the batter may spill over the edge in the oven (messy) and the thickness of the finished cakes may disappoint.
- Ensure the butter or margarine is at room temperature and soft. Eggs should also be at room temperature.
- Beat the mascarpone and cream together as little as possible. Mascarpone has a tendency to split if it is over-beaten and it’s practically impossible to rescue. Try beating in 15-second bursts and stop as soon as it reaches the soft peak stage.
- If your passion fruit curd is too thick to drizzle try mixing in a splash of passion fruit puree to loosen it to a soft dropping consistency.
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