Super moist and easy Passion Fruit Cake (known in Brazil as Bolo de Maracujá) topped with vanilla glaze and passion fruit sauce. One of the best desserts ever just like our passion fruit mousse and passion fruit cupcakes!
I love passion fruit! Don't you? So we'll be using this fabulous fruit to make a moist, delicious cake that will delight your senses.
Come along!
Passion Fruit Cake Recipe
In Brazil, our passion fruit is big, yellow on the outside, full of juicy pulp, and a bit less acidic than the purple type found here in the U.S.
The state of Bahia is the highest producer of passion fruit in Brazil. Another interesting fact is Brazil is its largest consumer in the world. Brazilians appreciate this fruit so much that we have an astounding variety of desserts made from it. One of our favorites is passion fruit cake.
Browsing through the many recipes for passion fruit cake that I have, I chose a coffee-cake version for today's post. Something easy and delish!
Yes, it has been a while since I made and got to eat a passion fruit cake because in the US the fruit is seasonal and a bit expensive. But this time I got lucky.
Not only did I have some Brazilian passion fruit juice concentrate that I recently bought at a local Latin market, but I also found fresh passion fruit in season at Central Market. Whoo-hoo!
I bought it knowing that something good would result from it.
And it did!
The easy part was making the passion fruit cake... The hard part was not grabbing a slice immediately!
So as soon as I finish taking the pictures that you'll see here, this cake is mine. OK, I'll try to behave properly and share a piece with my husband. Well, maybe...
Actually, the man loves passion fruit cake so much that what I really hope is that he will share a piece with me. 🙂
I am so greedy for this passion fruit cake that it brings to mind that legendary scene from the movie Lord of the Rings in which Gollum -- in a sinister and selfish voice-- looks at the ring and says "My Precious!" Sorry, but this is exactly how I feel about this passion fruit cake... Another Brazilian specialty to must-try is this Carrot Cake. I feel almost the same about my kid-friendly carrot cake...
Well, make this bundt cake and you'll know exactly what I am talking about.
Now, please excuse me while I go and enjoy "My Precious":) To encourage myself to overcome the selfish battle within me, maybe I should step on the scale later... Or not? Hmmmm?! 😉
How to make passion fruit cake
- Preheat the oven to 350º F (180ºC). Grease and flour a 10- in (25.4 cm) fluted tub pan. Reserve.
- In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Then, add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Sift and combine flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with the passion fruit juice.
- Pour into the prepared pan and bake for about 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
- Let cool down over a wire rack for about 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edges carefully. Then, invert the cake onto a plate and let cool down 10 minutes longer. Pour icing over, and let cool down. When is completely cool, drizzle the cool or chilled passion fruit sauce on top. Serve.
- To prepare the icing: In a bowl, mix all the ingredients well. Unmold the passion fruit cake when still slightly warm and pour the icing on top of the cake. Let cool down.
- To make the passion fruit sauce: Cut the passion fruit in half and scoop out center (including the seeds) into a small saucepan. Add the sugar, the water, and cachaça or rum. Let cook over high heat until sugar has dissolved and sauce has thickened, about 7 - 9 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and let cool down (or chill). Drizzle the top of the iced passion fruit cake with the passion fruit sauce.
Storage
Keep this passion fruit cake covered at room temp for up to 3 days or chill in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can freeze the cake, well wrapped in parchment paper and the plastic wrap, for up to 2 months (but without the cake and sauce).
Thaw in the fridge and then top with the glaze and sauce. It is one of those easy freezer recipes!
Other cake recipes
- Honey cakes
- Death by chocolate cake
- Brigadeiro cake
- Berry cake
- Strawberry pound cake
- Lemon coconut pound cake
PIN & ENJOY!
Passion Fruit Cake
Equipment
- mixer
- bowl
- pan
Ingredients
For the Batter:
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 large eggs at room temperature
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup concentrated passion fruit juice**
For the Icing:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 4 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 1-½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the Passion Fruit Sauce:
- 2 passion fruit pulps
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons cachaça or white rum
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º F (180ºC). Grease and flour a 10- in (25.4 cm) fluted tub pan. Reserve.
- In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Then, add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Sift and combine flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with the passion fruit juice.
- Pour into the prepared pan and bake for about 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
- Let cool down over a wire rack for about 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edges carefully. Then, invert the cake onto a plate and let cool down 10 minutes longer. Pour icing over, and let cool down. When is completely cool, drizzle the cool or chilled passion fruit sauce on top. Serve.
- To prepare the icing: In a bowl, mix all the ingredients well. Unmold the passion fruit cake when still slightly warm and pour the icing on top of the cake. Let cool down.
- To make the passion fruit sauce: Cut the passion fruit in half and scoop out center (including the seeds) into a small saucepan. Add the sugar, the water, and cachaça or rum. Let cook over high heat until sugar has dissolved and sauce has thickened, about 7 - 9 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and let cool down (or chill). Drizzle the top of the iced passion fruit cake with the passion fruit sauce.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
** Nutrition labels on easyanddelish.com are for educational purposes only. This info is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate, since the nutrition content of recipes can vary based on ingredient brand or source, portion sizes, recipe changes/variations, and other factors. We suggest making your own calculations using your preferred calculator, based on which ingredients you use, or consulting with a registered dietitian to determine nutritional values more precisely.
Please note that health-focused and diet information provided on easyanddelish.com is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Consult with your doctor or other qualified health professional prior to initiating any significant change in your diet or exercise regimen, or for any other issue necessitating medical advice.
Nydia says
Here in Peru passion fruit ("maracuyá") is like in Brazil, yellow outside, with some brown or black dots when it's very rip. I was also surprised that in the US it is like purple, and also prices, here is very cheap and you can find it all the time with a very low price.
Denise Browning says
That's right, Nydia! It's the same in Brazil. I love passion fruit... Thanks for commenting. xoxo
mywaytocook says
Hi Denise, nice recipe. You know I never ever had passion fruit, I mean I always buy juice from shop, but I don't know why I never thought if buying the real fruit :), may be because most of the fruits like avocado, berries we can find only in imported fruits section in giant stores here in Malaysia. But I will buy passion fruit for this coming weekend for sure. I really like the way you used sauce with the cake, its beautiful and looks so delicious.
Denise Browning says
Thanks so much, Ila! How are the passion fruit in Malaysia? In Brazil, they are big, yellow on the outside (instead of purple as you see in the US), and has much more pulp. I hope you can make the cake and like it. Since yesterday, we have not stop eating it. 🙂 I made 2 cakes and the 1st is already gone. 🙂 If you have any questions, please let me know. I'll be glad to answer...Have a great day! xx
Nami | Just One Cookbook says
Passion fruit is one of beautiful fruits I enjoy whenever we go to Taiwan. I don't really eat here in SF though. This cake is amazing - so pretty with the sauce!!! My mouth started to water thinking about this.
Denise Browning says
Thanks, Nami! It's a pity that here in the US passion fruit is seasonal and a bit expensive. But I enjoy so much that sometimes I buy a few to make desserts. Most of the time, I use a bottle concentrated juice from Brazil which is available at a local Latin supermarket.
This cake was over in just one day. 🙂 My husband also loves anything made with this fruit. Well have a great week ahead! Thanks for stopping by!!
Danny says
Thanks for a great recipe. I've now made it 6 times here in England! I use tropicana fresh tropical juice as I can't find the concentrated passion fruit juice, although I wish I could!
Denise Browning says
Thanks a lot for your feedback, Danny! I am happy to hear that you love this passion fruit cake...
Tania says
Hi want to make this cake,but don't get fresh passion fruit easily, so do I have to reduce the sugar if I used concentrate pulp from bottle. Thanks
Denise Browning says
Hi Tania! Thanks for your question. Please take a look at the ingredients on the label. If it has sugar listed as one of the ingredients, taste the concentrated juice to see whether is overly sweet (in this case reduce the sugar in the recipe by half) or if is only mildly sweet (in this case, reduce sugar by 1/4). This cake is a coffee cake. It should be mildly sweet! The main ingredient is the passion fruit so it must taste like passion fruit, not sugar. Enjoy!
Tania says
Hi,I made the cake,as suggested by you reduced the sugar by half,and had to use additional half cup of pulp.The cake was absolutely perfect and delicious. Thank you for an awesome recipe.
Denise Browning says
Hi Tania! I am so happy the substitutions had great results.