Passion Fruit Pudding Cake offers two treats in one – an airy, soufflé-like cake on top and a creamy pudding-like sauce on the bottom. A luscious treat in one pan!
If you were to ask me to pick an exotic fruit, I would choose, hands down, passion fruit, no doubt about it – it’s intriguing, alluring, and captivating, even for a tropical girl like me. And the seductive aroma of the tropics gets to me every time. Not to mention the taste; a little sweet and partly tart, citrusy, and refreshing all at once.
Aah! I’m super excited to share this easy passion fruit cake pudding with you and win you over to join me in my passion fruit craze. 😉
What’s Behind the Name Passion Fruit?
Believe it or not, the flower’s name is related to Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. In 1700, missionaries from Brazil named the passion flower “flor das Cinco Chagas” or flower of five wounds. It was their way of introducing Christianity to the indigenous inhabitants through their educational program.
And, of course, passion fruit comes from the passion flower or passiflora species. In Spanish, it’s called maracuya, a little sour but so full of flavor.
Recipe Ingredients
Let’s get going with this easy pudding cake. You can make this dessert with frozen passion fruit puree any time of the year. And it will be just as good as the fresh ones without the seeds.
- Passion Fruit – This sweet and tart fruit contains nutrients such as vitamin C and A, antioxidants, and minerals, like potassium, magnesium, iron, and calcium. And oh, keep the seeds and pulps because they add flavor and texture to our mousse cake.
- Milk and Butter – Thanks to these two, our passion fruit pudding cake turns out creamy and buttery every time.
- Meringue – The whipped egg whites and sugar make it irresistibly soft and smooth with melt-in-your-mouth delectable goodness.
- All-Purpose Flour – But, of course, our dessert won’t hold without the flour. It will help to stabilize our fruity-based mousse.
- Rum and Lemon – Their complex flavors complement the cake as a whole, giving it a bright and refreshing citrusy goodness with a kick of robust flavor. Feel free to skip the rum to make this heavenly dessert alcohol-free.
How to Make Passion Fruit Pudding
Make the Cake Batter
- Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C – Grease a 2-quart oven-safe dish (ceramic, glass, or Pyrex custard cups) or eight 4-ounce ramekins generously with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Whisk Dry Ingredients – Whisk together granulated sugar, salt, and flour in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Mix the Wet Ingredients – In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, butter, milk, rum, lime zest, lime juice, passion fruit puree, and passion fruit pulp until thoroughly combined.
- Combine – Add the wet mixture to the flour mixture and whisk until combined.
Make the Meringue
- Beat Until Stiff Peaks Form – Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites for about a minute, then add about a tablespoon of sugar if desired – it’s optional. Continue mixing on medium-high until stiff peaks form; this may take 2-3 more minutes. (Photos 1-2)
- Fold– Using a spatula, carefully fold in ¼ of the egg whites mixture, and then fold in the remaining until well incorporated. (Photos 3-4)
Bake the Pudding
- Pour the Batter into a buttered baking dish, place in the large baking or roasting pan, then carefully pour hot water into the baking pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins or casserole dish.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top of the cake turns light golden and puff slightly (do a test with your finger, it should feel spongy and spring back a bit but hold a shallow indentation.
- Refrigerate Before Serving – Let the cake cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for 2 hours or more before serving (you can refrigerate it for 24 hours).
Recipe Variations
- Fruity Additions – Take this passion fruit mousse cake to another level by incorporating more fruits into the batter. Coconut, mango, lime, and pineapple are excellent choices for this.
- Toppings – Aside from powdered sugar, you can go all out with toppings, such as whipped cream and vanilla ice cream, to make our pudding more delectable and enticing.
Tips and Tricks
- If you want sauce at the bottom of the cake, you must use a water bath. The bain-marie should be in a baking or roasting pan larger than whatever you are baking the cake in (ramekins, casseroles, or baking dish).
- The water level usually determines how creamy the layer is at the bottom of the dish – the middle of the casserole is an excellent place to start.
- Be sure that the water you pour into the outer pan is hot, and, to be on the safe side, put the pan inside the oven before you pour the hot water into it.
Make-Ahead Instructions
I recommend making this cake a day ahead since it needs time to set and firm up in the refrigerator. And I guarantee it will taste much better the next day because the flavors meld beautifully.
Serving and Storage Instructions
Once cooled, cover the dish tightly with a cling wrap and refrigerate. The pudding cake will keep in the fridge for four days or two months in the freezer. You can do the same with the leftovers. When ready to serve, defrost it naturally in the fridge overnight or for 1-2 hours on the countertop.
You can also store passion fruit puree for future use. Keep the puree in an airtight glass container for four days. You can also use an ice cube tray for easy storage. Once frozen, transfer the cubes to a freezer-safe resealable bag and freeze again. They will keep for six months. Thaw and use them to make passion fruit desserts and juice anytime. 😉
FAQs
Some doctors say passion fruit boosts the immune system, improves blood flow, and reduces stress. This is because passion fruit is packed with antioxidants, fiber, vitamins, and minerals, despite its high water content.
Aside from this delicious self-saucing pudding, you can also make cakes and pastries, such as cheesecake, mousse, tart, pavlova, and roulade. Passion fruit also makes refreshing beverages.
A pudding that produces a sauce at the bottom after it is done baking. The water bath or bain-marie creates a luscious dessert with a special sauce, making it even more enjoyable.
What to Serve with Passion Fruit Pudding Cake
Complete your perfect dessert with the easy and refreshing cocktail recipes below.
- Mai Tai
- Pina Colada
- Jungle Juice
- Peach Bellini
- Strawberry Daiquiri
More Fruity Desserts to Try
Conclusion
These health benefits from passion fruit are enough reasons to make you fall in love quickly with this fruit. Not to mention all the fantastic recipes you can make with them. What was your first experience with passion fruit? Let me know in the comments! 😉
Watch How to Make It
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This blog post was originally published in October 2015 and has been updated with additional tips and a video.
Passion Fruit Pudding Cake
Ingredients
- 2 fresh passion fruit, sub ¼ cup passion fruit puree
- ¼ cup (60ml) passion fruit puree
- ⅔ cup (120g) granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup (40g) all-purpose flour
- 3 large eggs, separated
- ⅓ cup (75g) butter, melted
- ¾ cup (177ml) whole milk
- ¼ teaspoon (1.5g) salt
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) lemon or lime juice
- 1 tablespoon lime zest
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) rum, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Grease a 2-quart oven-safe dish (ceramic, glass, Pyrex custard cups) or eight 4-ounce ramekins generously with cooking spray and set aside.
- Whisk together granulated sugar, salt, and flour in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, butter, milk, rum, zest, lime juice, passion fruit puree, and passion fruit pulp until fully combined.
- Add the wet mixture to the flour mixture and whisk to combine.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites for about a minute, then add about a tablespoon of sugar if desired – it's optional. Continue mixing on medium-high until stiff peaks form; this may take about 2-3 more minutes.
- Using a spatula, carefully fold in ¼ of the egg white mixture, and then fold in the remaining until well incorporated.
- Pour the batter into a buttered baking dish, place in the large baking or roasting pan, then carefully pour hot water into the baking pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins or casserole dish. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top turns light golden and puff slightly (do a test with your finger, it should feel spongy and spring back a bit but hold a shallow indentation.
- Let the cake cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for 2 hours or more before serving (up to 24 hours).
Tips & Notes:
- If you want sauce at the bottom of the cake you have to use a water bath. The water bath should be a baking/roasting pan that is larger than whatever you are baking the cake in (ramekins, casseroles, or baking dish).
- The water level usually determines the creamy layer at the bottom of the dish – the middle of the casserole is a good place to start.
- Be sure that the water you pour into the outer pan is hot, and, to be on the safe side, put the pan inside the oven before you pour the hot water into it.
- This cake can be made ahead of time, up to 4 hours, refrigerate, and then baked when ready.
- Sub passion fruit puree with mango or pineapple puree.
- Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
Kathryn says
Beautiful
Made it yesterday
Now making a second one to take to family dinner tonight
ImmaculateBites says
That’s wonderful to hear Kathryn! Thank you for letting me know!
Natalie says
Made this for the first time today, to use up some passionfruit purée. It was absolutely delicious – will definitely make it again! Thank you for the great recipe.
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Natalie!!!Thanks for taking the time to let me know. Glad you enjoyed it.
Lois says
I have only fresh passionfruit to work with. Can I make a puree out of the pulp? Does the puree involve mixing in sugar with the pulp? I assume no seeds in the puree. Thank you, it looks fabulous!
ImmaculateBites says
I make it all the time with fresh passion fruit only, including seeds and it works . You don’t have to mix the pulp with sugar. Remove the seeds by straining in a non-aluminum sieve, press to extract pulp or juice.
GC Holani says
What is the baking time for the individual ramekins? Thanks for sharing!
ImmaculateBites says
You bake for the same amount of time about 30-35 minutes or until they are puffy and golden on top.
Devika Jayawardena says
do you need to use fresh passionfruite as well as 1/4 cup passion fruite puree?
ImmaculateBites says
Yes, you do.
Darlenn Grace Ayan says
Why refrigerate? Can this not be served warm?
ImmaculateBites says
You can serve it warm if you prefer. Refrigeration firms it up a bit.
Sonia says
I tried this recipe it was very delicious, tasty and smooth loved the passion fruit pulp. I used both the zest and Lemmon juice. Used a little less sugar. My one error is my Pac was too large will use a smaller one next time. Will try mango next time.
ImmaculateBites says
Awesome! Glad it worked out well for you.
Cassidilla says
Thank you so much for blessing my taste buds with this recipe! Definitely one of my new favorites:)
ImmaculateBites says
Awesome! Glad you liked it !!!
Katrina says
I’ve made this cake twice and, even though it’s really delicious, it collapses and gets very thin instead of staying nice and fluffy like in the picture. Do you know what I might be doing wrong?
ImmaculateBites says
How long are beating the egg whites? It’s very important that you don’t over beat them . As soon as they form a soft peak stop- about 4 minutes. Check out this site here . It will definitely help https://www.quora.com/Why-is-making-a-soufflé-considered-difficult.Hope this helps.
Roseline says
Hi,
Whats the difference between the first 3 ingredients? They all look similar
ImmaculateBites says
Sorry about the confusion;I took out the extra one. The first is from whole passion fruit,while the second is from frozen pulp.
favour says
Thanks sis,
I want to try this, bt I don’t understand the last instruction (where do I add d water) before baking.
ImmaculateBites says
You place your pudding cake in a another large baking pan, then add water to the large baking pan, fill it up half way and bake.
Skoenlapper says
Hi Immaculate it looks lovely! I’m a bit confused by the amount of fruit required if I want to sub it for something else? Thanks I can’t wait to try this – but with pineapple!
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Skoenlapper! Use about 1/2 cup pineapple puree for this or 1/2 cup pineapple juice
amy says
I;m trying the recipe now – the ingredient list says 1 Tbsp of lime or lemon juice but the instructions don’t indicate where/when this should be added? I’m assuming to the wet mixture?
ImmaculateBites says
Yes, add it to the wet mixture .
Caasandra says
Imma,
This looks delicious!! I might have to try it out over the weekend. I love passion fruit! Can 2% milk be used instead of whole milk?
ImmaculateBites says
Caasandra, you sure can. Let me know how it turns out for you.
Cassandra says
Imma,
You are a genius! This is delicious! I used 2% milk, cut back on the sugar and used lemon zest instead of lime. The dessert is very light and fluffy and because there is so little flour, I dont feel guilty eating it. The flavor is tart, sweet and smooth all at once! I bought frozen passion fruits puree from a Hispanic market. I will have to try this recipe with mango or other fruit combinations. I love the outcome and might eat the entire pan of pudding!
ImmaculateBites says
Love the excitement Cassandra. I wish I came up with the idea…the first time I made this I almost eat the whole thing. Now when I make it to give myself a treat I use ramekins(portion control)
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry says
I could get behind this dessert big time esp if I can also add in some mango
ImmaculateBites says
You sure can Bintu!
dobby says
looks Yum!
ImmaculateBites says
Thanks Dobby!