Passionfruit sponge

Tea time! Photo - Gettyimages.com

A summery afternoon tea treat to make your grandmother proud.

A good sponge is airy and light and the perfect foil to the sweet-tart flavour of passionfruit. 

There are a few secrets to a light sponge: sift the flours to incorporate plenty of air; beat the eggs really well using eggs at room temperature; and use a light touch and a metal spoon to fold in the flours and the water. Avoid the disappointment of a broken cake by doing a good job of greasing and lining the pans. For a deeper passionfruit flavour, sandwich the cakes with passionfruit butter lightened with cream.

What you need

4 eggs

2/3 cup caster sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2/3 cup self-raising flour

1/3 cup cornflour

2 tablespoons boiling water

20g butter

1 cup cream, whipped

1/3 cup strained passionfruit pulp

1 ½ cups icing sugar mixture

What to do

Grease and line two 20cm sandwich cake tins, and heat the oven to 180C.

Beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla together until light and fluffy, about 8 minutes.

Sift the flours together then gently fold into the egg mixture.

Let the butter melt into the boiling water, then dribble this into the cake mix, and again fold in gently.

Divide the cake mix evenly between the two pans, and bake for 20 minutes.

Let the cakes cool in the tins for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.

For the icing add a few of the passionfruit seeds back to the strained pulp. Add the pulp to the icing sugar mixture with just enough boiling water to make a pouring consistency.

To assemble the sponge, pile whipped cream on to one cake. Gently place the other cake on top then pour the icing all over.

3 more ways with passionfruit

Passionfruit butter

In a bowl over simmering water combine 125g butter, 4 eggs, ½ cup of sugar, ½ cup of strained passionfruit juice, and ¼ cup of lemon juice. Whisk until mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Store in sterilised jars in the fridge.

Passionfruit syllabub

Boil a cup of sweet wine for a few minutes, then add the pulp from 6 passionfruit. The heat from the wine will help the passionfruit separate from the seeds. Strain, then add half a cup of icing sugar. Whip 300ml of double cream, then fold the passionfruit wine through. Scoop into individual serving glasses and chill. Top with more passionfruit pulp just before serving.

Photo - Cultura/BRETT STEVENS/Gettyimages.com

Passionfruit and mango meringues

Whip cream with a pinch of cardamon and icing sugar to taste. Pile on to crisp meringue, then top with mango slices and passionfruit pulp.

Text: Robin Powell