Passionfruit And Chocolate Cake

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4.6 from 26 votes
10 Comments

This stunningly delicious cake packs a huge dose of flavor! Passionfruit And Chocolate Cake! You know how they say chocolate peanut butter: a match made in heaven? Have you ever tried chocolate passionfruit? Yeah, itโ€™s actually delicious. And if you think about it, it makes sense! The tartness of the passionfruit curd cuts through the sweetness of the chocolate ganache. Pair that with the absolutely moistest (is that a word?) chocolate cake ever and you have a show-stopping and epic cake!

Slice of Chocolate And Passionfruit Cake.

Nick’s favorite thingโ€ฆ

I absolutely adore the color contrast on this cake. Visually, itโ€™s stunning! Have you ever tried passionfruit and chocolate together? Itโ€™s gorgeous! So refreshing!

What does Passionfruit And Chocolate Cake taste like?

The chocolate and passionfruit in this cake are a beautiful flavor combo. The passionfruit is fresh so itโ€™s full of flavor and the sourness from it breaks through the silky-smooth ganache. The chocolate cake is soft and delicate but so rich in chocolate flavor because of the slight hint of coffee in it.

I also love how silky smooth the ganache is on this cake. It just rounds things off nicely.

Close up shot of Chocolate And Passionfruit Cake.

What are the ingredients I need?

All-purpose flour – also known as plain flour

Caster sugar – also known as superfine sugar. This is a finer sugar and is great for cakes and meringues.

Cocoa powder – I used unsweetened cocoa powder.

Baking powder & Bicarb soda – These raising agents will help the cake rise. The bicarb soda (also known as baking soda) reacts with the cocoa powder.

Salt – I used fine salt.

Coffee shot – I mixed boiling water with instant coffee powder.

Milk – I used cowโ€™s milk.

Vegetable oil – You can also use sunflower oil if you wish.

Eggs – I used large eggs

Vanilla extract – Always use good quality vanilla extract.

Boiling water – The boiling water in this recipe will help make this cake super moist.

Dark chocolate – I used dark cooking chocolate.

Glucose syrup – You can use corn syrup in itโ€™s place. This helps make the frosting glossy and also lessens the chance it will split.

Unsalted butter – I used regular unsalted butter. You can use salted if you wish.

Passionfruit pulp – I used fresh passionfruit for this recipe.

Granulated sugar – this is also known as white sugar.

Slice of Chocolate And Passionfruit Cake.

My Top Tips!

  • When putting this cake together, make sure you pipe a ring of ganache around each layer of cake before adding the passionfruit pulp to prevent it from oozing out and causing the cake to slide.
  • Using a turntable when making cakes like this makes decorating so much easier!

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I hope you guys enjoyed this simple but delicious Passionfruit And Chocolate Cake recipe with me. Please comment in the comments section below, or feel free to share with your family and friends on social media.

Iโ€™ll see you all on the following recipe. Happy baking!

N x

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Chocolate And Passionfruit Cake.

Rich Chocolate Cake Layered with Passionfruit Butter

This rich chocolate cake bursts with silky ganache and vibrant passionfruit curd, creating layers of decadent texture and flavor in every bite.

Serves 20

4.6 from 26 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep: 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Cool: 3 hours
Total: 6 hours
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 446kcal

Ingredients

Chocolate Ganache

  • 840 g dark cooking chocolate, see notes
  • 125 g unsalted butter
  • 60 g glucose syrup, see notes
  • 375 g heavy cream, whipping cream

Passionfruit Curd

  • 125 g passionfruit pulp, see notes
  • 100 g granulated sugar
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 250 g unsalted butter, cold and cubed

Chocolate Cake

  • 300 g all-purpose flour, plain flour
  • 420 g caster sugar, superfine sugar
  • 75 g Dutch processed cocoa powder, see notes
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp bicarb soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 250 g whole-milk
  • 2 large eggs, 55g each
  • 125 g vegetable oil
  • 1 coffee shot or 1 tsp instant coffee, 20g
  • 14 g vanilla extract
  • 250 g boiling water

Learn How To Make it! [VIDEO]


Instructions

Chocolate Ganache

  • Microwave method - Add the dark chocolate, cream, butter and glucose syrup (corn syrup) into a large microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 20 seconds at a time, mixing each time until completely melted and smooth.
  • Double boiler method - Fill a medium sized pot 1/3 of the way with water. Bring to a boil. Place a heat-proof bowl on top and turn the heat to low. Add all the ingredients into the bowl. Gently mix until mixture is completely melted and smooth.
  • To set - Directly cover the ganache with plastic wrap so that it doesnโ€™t form a skin and set aside to set at room temperature, about 4 hours. It will be firm to touch but slightly soft when fully set.
  • Softening the ganache (to do right before frosting) - Once the ganache has set, soften it by placing back in the microwave for 10 seconds, and mix with a spatula until it reaches a soft, spreading consistency. You can also do this by placing it on a double boiler and warming very slightly until you reach a spreadable consistency.

Passionfruit Curd

  • Heat passionfruit and sugar - Add the passionfruit pulp and sugar to a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 2 minutes. Use a whisk to whisk until well combined and sugar is dissolved.
  • Add eggs - Add the egg yolks while whisking with a hand whisk. Microwave for 40 seconds then stir. Repeat that another 2 times until itโ€™s thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
  • Add butter and chill - Then add the butter and stir until melted and everything is well combined. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to set in the fridge for 3 hours or overnight.

Chocolate Cake

  • Preheat a fan-forced oven to 175C / 350F. (190C / 375F for no fan). Spray three 20cm / 8-inch cake tins with oil spray and line the bottom with baking paper.
  • Combine dry ingredients - Add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarb soda and salt to a large mixing bowl. Use a whisk to stir until well combined.
  • Add wet ingredients - Add the milk, eggs, vegetable oil, coffee shot and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients and stir until well combined.
  • Add boiling water - Add the boiling water and stir until the batter is evenly mixed. It will become really thin once you add the boiling water, totally normal.
  • Bake - Distribute the batter amongst the three cake tins and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Once baked allow to cool down for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool to room temperature.

Letโ€™s decorate!

  • To trim the cakes - Use a large, serrated knife or cake leveler to trim the tops of each cake off.
  • To layer the cakes - Add a dab of ganache on your serving plate or cake board and use an offset spatula to spread around. Add the first layer of cake and gently pressed down the center of the cake to help it stick to the plate. Top with about 4-5 tbsp of ganache and spread around nice and evenly using an offset spatula. I used a cake turntable to do this. Pipe a ring of ganache around the top of the cake and then fill with 1/3 of the passionfruit pulp. Spread evenly. Add the next cake layer and repeat, finishing with the third cake layer.
  • Coat the cake in ganache and finish - Spread the remaining ganache around the top and sides of the cake. Chill in the fridge for an hour before topping with passionfruit halves right before serving.

Notes

Chocolate - Using good quality cooking chocolate is important in this recipe. I used semi-sweet chocolate with at least 70% cocoa. You can find cooking chocolate in the baking isle of your supermarket.
Glucose syrup - Glucose syrup helps stabilize this ganache and lowers the chance of it splitting. It is also sometimes known as corn syrup and can be found in the baking isle of most supermarkets. You can leave it out if you wish.
Passionfruit pulp - I used canned passionfruit pulp in syrup for this cake. You can use equal amounts of fresh passionfruit pulp if you like. I left the seeds in, but you can remove them by running the pulp through a sieve. Make sure you have 125g of pulp either way.
Storage - This cake can be stored in an airtight container, in the fridge for up to three days.
Nutrition โ€“ is an approximate and is based on per slice
A note on measurements โ€“ This recipe uses weight measurements for the most accurate results. Cup measurements can vary depending on where you are, which affects the precision needed for a recipe like this. Here is where you can learn more about how to measure ingredients using digital kitchen scales.

Nutrition

Calories : 446kcal
Carbonhydrates: 36g
Protein: 6g
Fat: 26g
Saturated Fat: 16g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g
Monounsaturated Fat : 7g
Trans Fat : 1g
Cholesterol: 70mg
Sodium: 293mg
Potassium : 356mg
Fiber: 5g
Sugar : 17g
Vitamin A: 250IU
Calcium: 79mg
Iron: 5mg
Nutrition Disclosure
Gave this recipe a go?Mention @thescranline or tag #thescranline!

10 comments

Revekka August 30, 2021 - 1:56 pm

Hello, How can I replace the coffee in the Chocolate Cake recipe?
Thank you in advance!

Reply
Nick Makrides September 19, 2021 - 2:35 am

Hi Revekka! You can simply use the water without the coffee. Hope that helps! N x

Reply
Anett September 21, 2021 - 1:00 am

Hi Nick!
How does this recipe for chocolate cake compare to your other chocolate cake recipe (the one with butter, and no hot water)? Iโ€™m curious to hear so I can decide which to make this week? Thanks! โค๏ธโค๏ธโค๏ธ

Reply
Nick Makrides November 7, 2024 - 3:12 am

Hey Anett! Great question. This chocolate cake recipe is extra moist and light thanks to the hot water, giving it a rich, tender crumb. The butter-based one has a denser, richer texture and a deeper buttery flavor. If youโ€™re after a lighter, melt-in-your-mouth cake, go with this one. If you want something richer, try my chocolate cake. Hope that helps you decide. N x

Reply
Abigail July 7, 2023 - 6:30 am

5 stars
You always make a yummy recipe, good recipe

Reply
Nick Makrides November 7, 2024 - 3:13 am

Thanks so much, Abigail! Iโ€™m really glad you enjoyed the recipe. Your support means a lot. N x

Reply
Clare April 30, 2024 - 5:07 pm

5 stars
Hi Nick,
Looove this recipe, I’ve made it a few times and its always a smash hit! So much so that my sister has asked for it to be one of the tiers of her wedding cake!! So I was wondering – could I freeze the un-iced cake, do you think?
Thanks in advance!

Reply
Nick Makrides May 30, 2024 - 7:50 am

Hi Clare! Thanks! Glad you like it. Yep, you can wrap it up tightly in plastic wrap and freeze it, than thaw completely at room temperature and then proceed to use it. N x

Reply
Samia Elizabeth November 6, 2024 - 3:22 am

5 stars
Do you think it would be possible to transform this into a 4inch cake recipe instead of 8? I made it as is and I love it but it is too much cake and I wanted to make it a smaller format. Just not sure how long to cook the batter for.

Reply
Nick Makrides November 7, 2024 - 3:10 am

Hey Samia, I’m so glad you loved the cake! You can definitely make it into a 4-inch version. Scale the ingredients down to one-quarter and start checking for doneness at around 20-25 minutes. Use a toothpick to check if it comes out clean. Hope that helps and let me know how it goes. N x

Reply
4.58 from 26 votes (23 ratings without comment)

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