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. 

Gather the ingredients for the passionfruit cake

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! 

Preheat the oven and mix the batter

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.

Mix the dry ingredients and combine

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.

Bake the cake

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.

Make the icing and decorate the cake

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! 

Serve and enjoy

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.

Passionfruit Cake Recipe
5 from 53 ratings
If you're looking for a tropical summer dessert, try whipping up this recipe for passionfruit cake. It's not too sweet and only takes about an hour to make.
Prep Time
15
minutes
Cook Time
50
minutes
Servings
8
Servings
slice of passionfruit cake plated
Total time: 1 hour, 5 minutes
Ingredients
  • ½ cup + 1 tablespoon butter, room temperature, divided
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon orange zest
  • 7 tablespoons passionfruit pulp, divided
  • 1 ½ cups plain flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup buttermilk
  • 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
Optional Ingredients
  • 1-2 tablespoons water
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 340 F. Grease and a line a 2-pound loaf pan.
  2. In a bowl or stand mixer, beat together ½ cup butter and the granulated sugar for 3-4 minutes until it's light and fluffy.
  3. Beat in the eggs one at a time, until they are well-combined. Add the vanilla extract, orange zest, and 4 tablespoons passionfruit pulp and mix again.
  4. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
  5. Add ½ the flour mixture to the batter, mix until the flour is just combined, then add ½ the buttermilk and mix again. Then, add the other ½ of the flour and mix until it's just combined, and finish off by mixing the second ½ of the buttermilk into the batter.
  6. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes until a skewer inserted in the cake comes out clean.
  7. Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to sit for 15 minutes before turning it out and allowing it to cool completely on a wire rack.
  8. In a clean bowl, beat together the powdered sugar with the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and 3 tablespoons pulp, until it's smooth. If the mixture is a little thick, add 1-2 tablespoons water until the glaze is smooth and slowly slides off a spoon. Pour this on top of the cooled cake and decorate with any leftover passionfruit halves.
Nutrition
Calories per Serving 417
Total Fat 14.4 g
Saturated Fat 8.7 g
Trans Fat 0.5 g
Cholesterol 74.9 mg
Total Carbohydrates 68.6 g
Dietary Fiber 0.7 g
Total Sugars 47.9 g
Sodium 165.4 mg
Protein 4.6 g
The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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