Passion Cake Recipes

PASSION CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Oil and line the bases of 3 x 20cm sandwich tins with baking parchment. Mix the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, half the sugar and the coconut in a large mixing bowl. In another bowl mix the beaten whole eggs, mashed bananas, grated carrot, drained crushed pineapple, milk and oil. Beat the egg whites until stiff, then add the remaining sugar and beat until stiff and shiny again.
• Stir the wet mixture into the dry until smooth and lump-free, then using a large metal spoon or spatula, fold in the egg white mixture. Divide evenly between the tins and bake for 25 mins until risen and a skewer comes out clean. You might need to swap the position of the tins after 20 mins.
• For the drizzle, scoop out the passion fruit pulp into a small pan. Add the pineapple juice and caster sugar and heat until bubbling, then bubble until syrupy. For the icing, beat the cheese and butter until lump-free, then beat in icing sugar and vanilla. Chill until ready to assemble.
• Poke the cakes all over with a skewer, drizzle over most of the passion syrup, then cool. Once cool, spread the icing over two of the sponges. Sandwich together and top with the third, un-iced, sponge. Drizzle over the remaining syrup.

SUGAR-DUSTED PASSION CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Grease and line a deep, 20cm square tin with baking paper. Sift the muscovado until it's lump-free. Tip into the largest bowl you have with the flour, coconut, mixed spice, baking powder and walnuts, then mix well. In a jug, whisk together the oil, eggs and 2 tsp of the vanilla extract, then pour over the dry ingredients. Add the carrot, pineapple, reserved pineapple juice and lime zest to the bowl, then give everything a really good mix until combined. Scrape into the tin, then bake on a low to middle shelf for 1 hr, until a skewer inserted comes out with just moist crumbs clinging to it and no sticky mix. Once cool, the cake can be frozen for up to 3 months, then soak with the syrup once defrosted.
• Meanwhile, make a lime syrup by gently heating the caster sugar, lime juice and final tsp of vanilla in a small pan. Once dissolved, boil for a few mins until syrupy.
• Leave the cake in its tin until cool enough to handle, then turn upside-down onto a wire rack. Using a skewer, poke holes all over the cake and drizzle over the syrup a little at a time, waiting for the last addition to soak into the cake before pouring over any more. Cool completely, then trim the edges. Will keep for a few days in an airtight tin.
• To serve, return the cake to a serving plate, right side up, and place a doily, or a few doilies, over the top. Dust liberally with icing sugar, then very carefully lift off the paper without disturbing the sugar. Serve immediately, as the icing sugar will begin to melt after a while, with a dollop of something creamy on the side - try mixing equal amounts of mascarpone and natural yogurt with a little more icing sugar.