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.
Chef Jamie says
This cake is truly divine! I love it because it is tart and spongy, and not too sweet…
Imma says
Thank you for the feedback, Chef Jamie!
Lisa Reineke says
I live in northern USA. It is difficult to find passion fruit, especially ripe good ones. Can I substitute pulp,puree, curd?
Imma says
Yes, you sure can. You can use ¼ cup puree instead of the fruit. Please let me know how it goes.
Luciana Martins says
Hello! We’re making this now and so excited! What’s the batter consistency supposed to be like? My was liquid-y so wanted to be sure
Imma says
I’m so excited, too, because I just now uploaded the video. So now you can see for yourself what the batter consistency should be. Yay!!! Please take a look and let me know what you think. ❤️
Carol says
The ingredient list says “2 passion fruit or sub 1/4 cup puree” followed by “1/4 cup puree.” If you’re only using puree do you use a total of 1/2 cup?
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Carol. Yes, 1/2 cup of puree if using only puree. Do let me know how it works out for you :)!
Michelle Humphrey says
I have made the original recipe of this and it was soo good. I’m about to make again but with Mango puree and Lime so I was also wondering about the measurements so I’m glad to know to use the 1/2 cup. So Thank you so much.
Birute says
This was amazing! So fluffy and creamy, did not expect that! I used 70g sugar, 30g butter and blended pear for purée and mandarin liqueur and it turned out just perfect! Was a bit worried that the mixture became very liquidy, but when chilled turned out of perfect texture!
Imma says
Thank you so much for trying this recipe and showing your love. If you can rate my recipe it will help new readers to gain more confidence on the recipe:) Explore the blog and enjoy more recipe:)
Birute says
Sorry, I rated it in a different comment by accident 🙂
Imma says
No worries, thank you once again:)
Stephanie says
Hi! I’m so excited to make this! Our passion fruit vine has produced a ton of fruit this year! One (possibly dumb) question though – what’s the best way to make the puree? Do you just blend and strain it like making juice? Thank you!!
Imma says
No worries at all, I already have a puree recipe for you. You can find it hear https://www.africanbites.com/passion-fruit-puree/. Let me know how it goes:)
Birute says
It is really worth the highest rating!
Imma says
Thank you so much Birute:)
Kim Milholland says
My husband just made this recipe for the first time. He grew an amazing vine in our garden and just harvested them all. Our first experience was in Hawaii riding horses and our guide jumped off his horse and gathered the fruits to take home. The taste was amazing. Later we picked them from the ground at our rental and my husband made smoothies. Needless to say he is passionate about passion fruits now.
Imma says
Great to hear all the facts. Thank you so much for your feedback, stay tuned for more amazing recipes:)
Missy says
I made this recipe today & it was excellent! Thank you for sharing! Big hit in my house.
Imma says
Thank you so much for your valuable feedback. Enjoy your day !!!
Lydia Small says
Is the recipe correctly stated here please ? “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)” Only, I would have thought that the recipe would have required to fold in the egg yolk mixture INTO the egg white mixture……. and that is what the photo looks like. But the instructions are the other way round. I followed the instructions and the pudding is not rising. I wonder if I have knocked the air out of it? It Definitely hasn’t needed a 2 quart cooking dish! 🙁
Imma says
So sorry that happened. I will clarify the recipe.