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.
Julia grace says
I was looking for ways to use my passion fruits and found this recipe. So easy and so delicious! I ended up using half white sugar and half light brown and it still came out delicious and worked. Cant wait to try the other recipe on this blog!
ImmaculateBites says
Awesome! Thanks for the feedback.
May says
Hi Imma
I made this pudding twice and I swear I won’t make it again. It is totally delicious. The only problem is I can’t stop eating it. I will hold on to the recipe though. Thanks so much.
imma africanbites says
You just made me smile, May. Thank you for trying it out. I agree. I actually made one before and almost finished the whole thing. Such an irresistible treat.
Kurt Britz says
I LOVE passionfruit but have a really hard time finding it fresh. Can I use 1/2 cup of frozen passionfruit pulp (I have goya brand) as substitue for the fresh passionfruit and the puree? Also, I see where it says 1 T of lime zest, is it also 1 T lime juice, there’s no measurement for the juice. I CANNOT wait to make this!!
Thank you
Danae
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Kurt. Yes, you definitely can use the frozen passionfruit pulp. The measurement for the juice is 1 Tablespoon, check the recipe again. I can’t wait for you to try it. Let me know how it turns out!
Chantal Kuhn says
Fantastic dessert!
Easy and delicious!
I was wondering, did you ever freeze the leftovers? Does it thaw well?
Elena says
Imma, this was absolutely delicious. I came across this recipe long ago and finally got around to making it. It disappeared in a heartbeat. I am obsessed with passion fruit and this was the perfect way to incorporate it into a light and fluffy dessert which was not overly sweet. I still have many passion fruit left that will be going bad soon so I plan on making more tomorrow. I can’t wait to make more of your recipes.
Aurora says
How to send photo
Charlie says
Good Morning
This is my first time on your blog.
I have looked through your recipes, and although I may have to tweak when it comes to peppers, I like your recipes.
I have joined your site.
May I ask how you pronounce your name. Is it Emma or EEma?
I hope this post turns out all right, I’m getting double lines.
imma africanbites says
Hi, Charlie. Welcome to my blog! You can call me Imma (yes, pronounced as EE-ma). =) Can’t wait for you to try my recipes here. Enjoy!
Denisse says
Hice Emma, Is there a video oficial this recype?or In spanish here? Thanks
ImmaculateBites says
Hello Denisse. We are working on a video for this recipe. Just stay tuned :).
Gail J. Worth says
Hi, I live in Costa Rica and grow passion fruit, starfruit, pineapple, mangoes, abiu, guanabana, mangosteen and several other tropical fruits. The passion fruits are plentiful right now and I was hoping to find a great recipe to use them and THIS IS IT! I made it yesterday (it’s all gone now! ;^)) and I can’t wait to try it with other fruits. Thanks so very much for my new go-to dessert recipe!
Hillary Bressler says
Just made it tonight as a test run for a family get together. It was FAB! I put it in a larger baking tray, that was technically two quarts, but the cake was really shallow. Do you think if a double or triple this recipe it will work for a larger pan?
Can’t wait for my boyfriend and his family to try it!
Hillary Bressler says
Hi there! In your directions you say mix 2/3 sugar with flour and salt. But then after you beat the egg whites, you beat in the sugar. Can you please clarify this? Super excited to try this!
ImmaculateBites says
Mix all the sugar (2/3 cup) with flour and salt . No need to add more sugar when beating the egg whites, it’s optional and works either way.
David Paetz says
Did you sprinkle some icing sugar over the top of the cake when it cooled down? I am going to use some Brazillian Passoa Liqueur instead of Rum. Passionfruit are now in season in NZ!!
Cassandra Lenz says
I’m from Australia and I Love Passion fruit but It is hard to come by here in states without spending a bunch to get fruit at grocery store or hope that a vine can grow in your area but if you live San Diego , Specialty Produce on Hancock st sells large tubs of frozen passion fruit purée ! I have my mum send me cans of passion fruit purée from Australia but when I run out I go to SP! Excited to try this recipe
Stephanie says
I’m in east county and have passion fruit coming out of my eyeballs lol! Propogarying 35 vines in my mini greenhouse too!
Lucy says
Stephanie, if you ever have a need to give some away I’d be stoked to take some off your hands!!! I just bought passionfruit puree online but nothing compares to fresh passionfruit straight off the vine I’m a professional baker too so I’d love to trade baked goods for fresh fruit!! can’t wait to try this recipe it looks sooo good!
Fathi says
Hi imma
Looks delicious! I want to try it out.is there any need for baking powder or soda.
Julie Slayton Frank says
It was the hit of our party. I too strained out the seeds because I like the look of them but not the texture. I will be passing this recipe on to a few people tomorrow.
Jamie says
Got a lot of passion fruit and stumble upon this recipe. It’s a winner!!! My partner likes it too. Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
Imma Adamu says
You are so welcome.. i love love love passion fruit. I love passion fruit juice too…. ! Enjoy
Jay Manning says
Wow! Just made this amazing pudding cake last night. I’ve never worked with Passion Fruit nor made a pudding cake before. The water bath worked perfectly to keep the bottom part of the cake super moist and pudding like, while the top part set up like a cake. All of it had the really lovely flavor of passion fruit, which is new to me and really delicious. Everybody loved it, including my daughter who is a trained baker (with high standards that I struggle to meet sometimes). Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I will definitely make it again and will try it with other fruit. Jay
imma africanbites says
I’m so happy it turned out well for you, Jay! Happy holidays!