BakeRecipes

Passionfruit Sponge Cake

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Prep 25min (+cooling time)Bake 18-20minMakes 8-10 serves

This sponge will have you wanting an excuse to make afternoon tea every day. There are two main tricks when making a sponge: don’t over-whisk the mixture once you have added the flour – only whisk it until the mixture is just combined. Also, sponges don’t take long to bake and, if overcooked, will easily become dry, so keep a close eye on them when baking.

Ingredients

160ml (⅔ cup) thickened cream
80ml (⅓ cup) fresh passionfruit pulp

Sponge Layers

Melted butter, to grease
4 fresh eggs, at room temperature
165g (¾ cup) caster sugar
60ml (¼ cup) milk
30g butter, diced
110g (¾ cup) self-raising flour, plus extra to dust
30g (¼ cup) cornflour

Passionfruit Icing

180g (1½ cups) pure icing sugar
1½ tablespoons fresh passionfruit pulp
Approx. 3 teaspoons boiling water

Method
  1. To make the Sponge Layers, place the oven rack in the lower third of the oven and then preheat it to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Brush two 20cm shallow (sandwich) cake tins with a little melted butter to lightly grease. Line the bases with circles of baking paper. Lightly brush the paper with a little more melted butter and then dust the bases and sides of the tins with a little flour to lightly coat, tapping out any excess.
  2. Use an electric mixer with a whisk attachment on medium-high speed to whisk the eggs in a medium bowl until frothy. Add the sugar a spoonful at a time, whisking well between each addition, until the mixture is very thick and pale and the sugar has dissolved (this will take about 8 minutes). Lift the whisk out of the mixture and draw a figure eight, if the trail stays on the surface long enough for you to finish drawing then the mixture is ready. If not, continue to whisk for a further minutes and then test again.
  3. Meanwhile, heat the milk and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until the butter melts and the mixture is almost simmering. Remove from the heat. Pour the hot milk mixture down the side of the bowl with the egg mixture. Quickly sift the flour and cornflour together over the egg mixture and then immediately whisk again with the electric mixer briefly, until the flour mixture is just incorporated (make sure there is no flour caught at the bottom of the bowl and be careful not to overmix).
  4. Divide the mixture evenly between the cake tins (see Baker’s Tips) and gently tap the tins on the bench top three times to settle the mixture. Bake in preheated oven for 18-20 minutes or until the cakes are a pale golden colour, spring back when lightly touched in the centre and start pulling away from the sides of the tins. Remove from the oven and stand for 1 minute before turning onto a wire rack, top side up (see Baker’s Tips), to cool completely.
  5. When ready to fill, to make the Passionfruit Icing, sift the icing sugar into a medium bowl. Add the passionfruit pulp and enough boiling water to mix to a thin, spreadable icing. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and set aside. Use an electric mixer with a whisk attachment or a balloon whisk to whisk the cream in a medium mixing bowl until soft peaks form. Use a large metal spoon or spatula to gently fold the passionfruit pulp through the whipped cream until just swirled through. Place one layer of the sponge on a serving plate or cake stand and spread with the passionfruit cream. Top with the remaining sponge layer. Spread the Passionfruit Icing evenly over the top layer of the sponge, allowing it to drip down the sides slightly. Set aside or 20 minutes or until the icing sets before serving in slices.
Baker's Tips
  • You will need about 5 large passionfruit for this recipe.
  • To divide the mixture evenly between the tins, weigh the tins with the mixture in them to make sure they are the same weight.
  • When removing the cakes from the tins, turn them onto a wire rack covered with a tea towel before inverting onto another rack. The tea towel will prevent the rack marking the tops of the cakes.
  • The unfilled sponge cakes will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day. Once filled, the cake will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving.

This recipe is from Anneka's SBS Food online column, Bakeproof: Sponge Cake.

CLICK HERE for more Bakeproof recipes.

Photography by Alan Benson.