Chocolate & Passion Fruit Cake
1 hour + setting 
8-12 
If you want to be reminded of a warm summer’s day while in the middle of autumn or winter, then this Chocolate and Passion Fruit cake is just the trick. The addition of passion fruit, papaya, and physalis creates a delightfully tropical twist that complements the richness of the dark chocolate. Charlotte’s recipe uses Food Thoughts Dark Chocolate Chips, crafted with 70% cacao from single-origin beans, and Food Thoughts Organic Cacao Powder (100% cacao solids) for a rich, velvety chocolate cake.
You will need
- FOR THE CAKE
- 300g Food Thoughts Dark Chocolate Chips
- 300g unsalted butter
- 3 tbsp instant coffee granules
- 220ml water
- 175g plain flour
- 175g self-raising flour
- 55g Food Thoughts Organic Cacao Powder
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- pinch of salt
- 650g caster sugar
- 5 eggs
- 150ml buttermilk
- 50ml vegetable oil
- PASSION FRUIT FROSTING
- 350g unsalted butter
- 700g icing sugar
- Juice, flesh, and seeds (optional) of 3 passionfruits
- 1tbsp milk
- FOR THE CHOCOLATE DRIP & DECORATION
- 100g Food Thoughts Dark Chocolate Chips
- 70g unsalted butter
- crystalised papaya
- 8 physalis berries
- 50g Food Thoughts Dark Chocolate Chips (melted for dipping)
Method
FOR THE CAKE: Melt Food Thoughts Dark Chocolate Chisp and butter with coffee granules and water, gently in a saucepan or microwave.
Combine flours, Food Thoughts Organic Cacao Powder, bicarb, salt, and sugar in a large mixing bowl.
Mix eggs, buttermilk and oil until combined. Add to the dry ingredients and stir into a thick paste.
Pour the melted chocolate mixture onto the dry paste and mix to combine into a thick and glossy chocolate batter.
Divide the batter evenly between 3" x 8” baking parchment lined sandwich cake tins.
Bake in a preheated oven for 45-50 minutes. Allow to cool completely in their tins before removing.
FOR THE PASSION FRUIT FROSTING: Beat the butter until soft using a freestanding mixer or electric hand whisk.
Add the icing sugar and mix with the butter until smooth.
Squeeze the juice, flesh and seeds of 3 passionfruits into the frosting. You can sieve if you prefer not to include the seeds.
Beat the frosting until light and fluffy. A little milk will help to loosen the consistency if required.
Use this frosting to sandwich together the layers of your cake and cover the top and sides. Allow to set in the fridge for 30 minutes before adding the drip.
Keep any leftover frosting in a disposable piping bag.
FOR THE CHOCOLATE DRIP & DECORATION: Melt the dark chocolate chips in a bain marie or microwave in 30 seconds intervals, adding the butter in small cubes when melted. Stir until all is melted.
Take the ganache off the heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes before using.
To create the drip effect, carefully spoon small amounts of ganache to drip over the top edge of the chilled cake.
Once the edges are complete, spoon ganache onto the top of the cake and spread it out to join the edge.
Gently press small clusters of crystalised papaya at regular intervals around the top edge of the cake whilst the chocolate is still wet.
Once the chocolate has set, pipe 8 small blobs of passion fruit frosting around the top edge of the cake
Place a physalis berry on top of each frosting blob. I opened up my berries, carefully arranging the lantern casing to create a crown on top of each berry. I then dipped each berry in melted dark chocolate chips and allowed these to set before using to decorate my cake.
