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.
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
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 doesn’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 it’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.
Let’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.
Video
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 – is an approximate and is based on per slice
A note on measurements – 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 | Carbohydrates: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
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