If you like the heady taste of passionfruit, you’ll love this passionfruit curd sponge cake. It’s not the simplest of cakes to make, especially if you make your own curd, but it’s worth the effort. Two passionfruit sponges are sandwiched together with a white chocolate passionfruit buttercream and topped with a little orange icing.
Clandestine Cake Club
Hoorah! Finally, I attended my very first Clandestine Cake Club (CCC) event. Cornwall CCC started up a few months ago, but as it’s held mostly during week days (or if in the evenings has been quite some distance away), I hadn’t been able to get to any earlier ones.
I was ridiculously excited. At last an opportunity to meet other cake bakers and talk cake for two hours. It was also a fine excuse to eat lots of delicious bakes. How good is that?
I was a little nervous, I didn’t know anyone else who was going to be there, or at least I thought I didn’t. This meeting was a mid-week morning one and was way down west. I happened to be on leave, however, so it seemed a good opportunity to take part and also visit Heartlands, which had newly opened just a 15 minute walk away from our venue.
CT, lured by the promise of a look around the newly created botanical gardens there as well as indulging his love of cake, bravely accompanied me. The venue was Baker Tom‘s newly opened cafe in Pool, half way between Redruth and Camborne.
Passionfruit Curd Sponge Cake
The cake theme was “fruity”. I’d recently made a batch of passionfruit curd which I was keen to try in a cake. Thus my passionfruit curd sponge cake was born.
Thankfully, the cakes both turned out of their moulds with no mishaps whatsoever – a huge sigh of relief was heaved at this point. All I had to worry about was getting it to the meeting in one piece. This was achieved successfully. The cake cut well, was eaten by many and was, I’m pleased to say, delicious with a pronounced passionfruit flavour.
Can’t Find Passionfruit Curd?
Passionfruit curd isn’t difficult to make, but it does take a bit of time. If you don’t want to make your own or can’t find any to buy, you can turn this passionfruit curd sponge cake into any fruit curd sponge cake you like. I’ve made a lemon & apple & curd cake, which was also quite delicious. I haven’t tried raspberry yet, but I reckon that would be pretty good too.
You could use my recipe for raspberry curd and then make the icing with a little raspberry juice. Alternatively you could use lemon curd, which is very easy to get hold of. But, just in case you wanted to make your own, here’s my easy lemon curd recipe.
CCC Cakes
And what of the CCC? Goodness, what an array of amazing looking cakes there were. I didn’t manage to get a picture of the whole spread as more kept arriving throughout the morning.
Sadly, there was no way I could try all of them, even CT couldn’t manage that. But I really enjoyed each and every one I did try and it was very hard to decide which was my favourite. Luckily, we got to take cake home with us too, a nice plateful in fact – yum, what an excellent idea.
Everyone was very friendly and it was interesting to put a few twitter names to faces and meet the organiser Ellie Michell. We spent a pleasing amount of time talking cake. As it happened Nicky Harwood, who we know from a previous incarnation and lives near Liskeard turned up as well. What a surprise to find she was into cake baking too.
Ellie has organised some fantastic venues for the Cornwall CCC meetings and this one was no exception. Baker Tom’s cafe was really interesting, it was brand spanking new with enough room to set out our wares on wooden table tops. The bakery itself was in full view behind the counter.
Despite being a real fan of Baker Tom’s pain aux raisins – (I’ve not yet had better), I’d never met the man behind the bakes before. He was lovely and made us all very welcome.
I got to have a tour of his bakery, which I found really interesting. I was particularly keen to have a peek at his rye sourdough starter to see how it compared to mine. He also allowed us to have a go at shaping some Fougasse which we then got to take home with us – an unexpected pleasure.
Other Recipes Using Fruit Curd You Might Like
- Chilli chocolate cake with apricot curd buttercream
- Chocolate pomegranate cake with lemon curd and strawberries
- Chocolate tarts with lime curd and mascarpone
- Ginger & lime cake with lime curd & whipped ganache
- Mini chocolate pavlovas with rhubarb curd
- Mini orange sponge cakes with blood orange curd
- Roasted plum parfait with lemon curd
Keep in Touch
Thanks for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make this passionfruit curd sponge cake, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. And do please rate the recipe. Have you any top tips? Do share photos on social media too and use the hashtag #tinandthyme, so I can spot them.
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Choclette x
Passionfruit Cake. PIN IT.
Passionfruit Curd Sponge Cake – The Recipe
Passionfruit Curd Cake
Ingredients
Passionfruit Cake
- 225 g unsalted butter softened
- 225 g golden caster sugar (I used cardamom sugar)
- 2 tbsp passionfruit curd
- 4 medium eggs (I used a goose egg)
- 100 g wholemeal flour
- 100 g plain flour (all purpose flour)
- 25 g coconut flour or swap for more of either the wholemeal or plain flours
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 3 tbsp milk
White Chocolate Passionfruit Buttercream
- 50 g white chocolate
- 75 g unsalted butter softened
- 125 g icing sugar
- 2 tbsp passionfruit curd
- 2 tsp orange juice
Orange Icing
- 75 g golden icing sugar
- orange juice
Instructions
Passionfruit Cake
- Cream the butter with the sugar until pale and fluffy. I do this with a bowl and wooden spoon, but you can use elecric beaters or a stand mixer if you prefer.225 g unsalted butter, 225 g golden caster sugar
- Beat in the curd. Then beat in the eggs, one by one. If the mixture looks like curdling, stir in a little of the flour.2 tbsp passionfruit curd, 4 medium eggs
- Sift the flours and baking powder and fold into the mixture. If there are any large bran flakes left in the sieve, throw them into the compost bin. Then stir in the milk.100 g wholemeal flour, 100 g plain flour (all purpose flour), 25 g coconut flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 3 tbsp milk
- Spoon the mixture into two 20 cm (8") silicone cake moulds or lined tins and bake at 180℃ (350℉, Gas 4) for 25 minutes or until the sponge is firm to the touch and an inserted skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool for ten minutes then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
White Chocolate Passionfruit Buttercream
- Melt the chocolate in a bowl over hot but not boiling water. Take of the heat when melted and leave to cool a little.50 g white chocolate
- Cream the butter with the icing sugar until very pale. Beat in the cooled chocolate followed by the passionfruit curd and as much orange juice as is needed to make the buttercream spreadable.75 g unsalted butter, 125 g icing sugar, 2 tsp orange juice, 2 tbsp passionfruit curd
Orange Icing
- Mix the icing sugar with enough orange juice to make a slightly runny icing. Be careful as it's usually ends up runnier than you think it's going to be.75 g golden icing sugar, orange juice
- Sandwich the two cakes together with the buttercream. Spoon the icing over the top of the cake, allowing some of it to drip down the sides in a decorative fashion. Add yellow and white sugar flowers if liked.
sniffandsnort says
Those are impressive CCC cake entries! I am so pleased that there is a CCC local to me too, we are approaching our third meeting. It’s been great.
Garden Tea Cakes and Me says
A very impressive cakes that sounds divine! I so want to go to a CCC since I have discovered a local one, unfortunately the dates clash with other commitments.
thelittleloaf says
I love the idea of the CCC – it sounds like so much fun! And I bet they all loved this cake – it sounds like such a gorgeous combination of flavours. I’d been wondering what you might make with that passion fruit curd – makes me want to make my own even more now!
Johanna GGG says
those cakes look wonderful – I would love to go to a CCC meeting but I haven’t heard of any in Australia and my cakes rarely look very impressive because I am not really into icing
Grazing Kate says
Glad you made it to a CCC event! It is truly amazing how little cake you can actually eat isn’t it? I think I managed 3.5 very small slices at the last Devon CCC and that was in the evening without having had any dinner! No stamina at all. Did you have a cake-over the next morning? I actually felt a bit unwell and unable to eat until lunchtime which is highly unusual – as if I’d overdone it on wine or something.
Your cake looked beautiful (sugar daffodils!) and I love the fact you were able to look around Baker Tom’s kitchen. I have made fougasse before and you have reminded me to make them again.
Katie says
Wow what a wonderful and utterly delicious event. I’m so jealous, all those cakes look amazing. Love your passionfruit one, so fresh and fruity. Great location to host it too. Looking forward to seeing what you bake for the next one
Jo says
What a beautiful, tropical looking cake. I love the sound of the white chocolate filling with the passionfruit. Glad the sponges turned out better than the apple and lemon curd cakes. I still have your apple and lemon curd in my bookmarks! Really need to get round to making it.
Baking Addict says
Wow so many gorgeous cakes. I really have to get myself to a cake club one day soon. I love your passionfruit curd cake and am so pleased (and relieved to hear) that it turned out well. I love the icing dripping down the sides and the pretty yellow flowers (good to see you are putting all your wins to good use!)
Alida says
What a beautiful cake you made! I love all the others too. It’s amazing what people can create!
Chris says
It appears to me that this was a very great event – so many good looking and for sure good tasting cakes – completely irresistable.
Chris says
This seemed to be a great event – eating as much cake as possible, and that with so many good looking and of course good tasting cakes.
laura@howtocookgoodfood says
I am always so impressed at how much effort goes into the CCC and the end results are always absolutely gorgeous. I wish I could also find a way of just eating and eating all cakes on offer but I haven’t reach that standard yet. I have only done this at an arranged afternoon tea event and struggled to get through it all. So, I do think it is a great idea to take home some cake to try the next day.
I do love the sound of your passionfruit curd cake decorated with such pretty decorations that I have not seen before. Hope you get to go to many more CCCs! x
Janice says
Wow, I really love your cake, it looks so pretty. Glad your CCC went well.
Choclette says
Thanks Janice – is there a CCC around your way?
The Caked Crusader says
Wow – what a stunning array of cakes. Love your cake with it’s pretty daffs decoration
Choclette says
Thanks CC – yes, those daffs were lovely – sadly didn’t have quite enough for the cake though and had to use a few plain white ones.
Esther says
wow! beautiful cake! I love passionfruits!
And those other cakes look wonderful too! 🙂
Choclette says
Thanks Esther – I love passionfruit too, so wish we could grow them here in the UK.
matthewsfoodblog says
Was that whole plate of slices just for you!!! I need to go to this place now!!! haha, its my version of dessert heaven!
Choclette says
Ha ha Matthew, much as I’d like it to have been, I live with a cake gannet!
Mac says
The CCC sounds like a really good club to join,and all the cakes look amazing I bet they taste even better.
Choclette says
Mac, those cakes tasted wonderful 😀
debby emadian says
What a pretty cake and sounds like an amazing event. Heartlands does too…The Secret Garden sounds intriguing. It must be nerve wracking baking for other bakers…glad you had a good time…that bread looks amazing.
Choclette says
Thanks Debby, it was a fun event, especially with the bonus of bread. The gardens are very young at the moment, but it was interesting to see it.
Fabulicious Food says
SUCH a pretty cake Choclette and wonderful flavour combinations. I am off to search for a club near me!
Choclette says
Hehe Ren, thank you and hope you find one.
Jacqueline says
The cakes look amazing. It sounds like you had fun. I think we all need cake club in our lives. I akm going to have to decide on my next cake for cake club very soon.
Choclette says
Yes it was fun Jac. I’ve managed to get to two so far, but sadly probably won’t make it again for some considerable time.
MissCakeBaker says
It sounds like a brilliant event. I haven’t been able to get to one yet but really want to. Your cake looks so pretty and Springlike!
Choclette says
Thank you MCB – hope you manage to make it some day soon.
Susie @ Fold in the Flour says
Unfortunately, I had to miss the first event in Cardiff I signed up for as Mike had to travel at short notice, but I’m really looking forward to being able to go to the next one. It seems such a brilliant idea to meet fellow bakers and get to talk cake for an hour or so. It must be very inspirational! Anyway, your cake looks lovely and the passion fruit curd has my mouth watering! 🙂
Choclette says
Thanks Susie, not sure how much is inspirational and how much is pure gluttony, but it is good fun. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it when you do get to go. Do you have a theme?
Lauralovescakes says
What a fabulous array of cakes…CCCs are great events to meet like minded bakers and a great excuse to eat excessive amounts of cake. I went to my first one in March and am looking foward to the next. Your cake looks great, I love the sound of passionfruit curd!! 🙂
Choclette says
Thanks Laura. As a fellow cake lover, I know you understand. What surprises me, is how little cake I can eat in one sitting – must need more practise 😉