Passion Sponge Food

PASSION FRUIT SPONGE

Steps:

• To make the sponge: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Grease and line 2 (8-inch) cake pans with parchment.
• In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking powder with the cornstarch and sift the ingredients together twice. Beat the eggs with the sugar for about 7 to 8 minutes or until the mixture is pale and thick. Gently fold the flour mixture into the beaten eggs.
• Mix the butter with the boiling water, and then add it to the sponge batter, stirring gently. Divide the mixture between the prepared cake pans, and bake for 20 minutes or until the cakes are golden brown and separating from the tins. Remove the pans from the oven. Cool the sponges in the pans for 10 minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• To make the icing: While the cakes cook and cool, beat together the sugar, butter and passion fruit pulp until a spreading consistency is reached.
• To serve, place 1 of the cakes on a serving plate and spread it with the whipped cream. Layer on the remaining cake and spread that with the passion fruit icing.

PASSION FRUIT & LEMON SELF-SAUCING PUDDING

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and butter a deep baking dish (about 20 x 30cm and 5cm deep). Tip the flour, baking powder, sugar, lemon zest and a pinch of salt into a large bowl. Put the melted butter, milk, eggs and passion fruit pulp in a jug and whisk together. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix together using a spatula until you have a smooth batter. Pour the batter into the prepared dish.
• For the sauce, whisk the sugar, lemon juice, passion fruit pulp and lemon curd together in a heatproof bowl with 300ml boiling water from the kettle. Carefully pour the sauce directly over the batter in the dish, then bake for 40-45 mins until the top is set and golden, and the sauce is bubbling up at the edges. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

PASSION FRUIT TEACUP PUDDINGS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Line a large, deep roasting tin with a tea towel, set aside, and boil the kettle. Put 100g of the curd in a bowl, mix the remaining curd with the passion fruit seeds and pulp, and divide between 6 teacups or ramekins (mine were around 200ml).
• Whisk the eggs and sugar together in a large bowl until pale and fluffy - this will take about 5 mins. Add the reserved curd, butter, milk, flour and baking powder. Fold the mixture together with a spatula until there are no visible lumps of flour, then divide between the teacups.
• Put the teacups in the roasting tin. Carefully fill the tin with hot water from the kettle to come about halfway up the sides of the teacups, being careful not to get any water in the cups. Bake for 50 mins until risen and golden. Once cooked, you can cool the puddings and chill for up to a day, or wrap in cling film and freeze for up to 2 months. To reheat, bring to room temperature, put back in a hot water bath in the oven and bake for 15 mins at 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Before serving, dust each pudding with a little icing sugar and put a spoonful of clotted cream on top, if you like.

ORANGE & PASSION FRUIT TRAYBAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Butter and line a 20 x 24cm cake tin with baking parchment. Cream the margarine or butter with the caster sugar using an electric whisk until light and fluffy, then beat in the eggs one at a time. Sieve in the flour and fold it in. Add the orange zest and juice, fold that in as well, then pour into the prepared tin, smoothing over the top. Bake for 25 mins until golden. A skewer should come out clean when inserted in the middle.
• Remove the cake from the oven, leave for 5 mins, then remove from the tin, peel away the parchment and leave to cool on a wire rack.
• Meanwhile, make the topping by mixing the mascarpone, icing sugar, orange juice and vanilla until smooth. Cut open the passion fruit, scoop out the seeds, then add half to the mix, reserving the rest.
• Use a palette knife to spread the topping over the cooled cake, then drizzle over the remaining passion fruit seeds.