Growing up in South Africa, we ate Granadillas (aka passionfruit) along with lychees and papaya regularly.  I managed to order a few with my last grocery delivery as I’ve been wanting to bake with passion fruit for a while. 

I scoured my old recipes and found one for this granadilla coconut cake with cream cheese frosting. The pulp has a tart vibrant flavour that brings this tender cake to life. Then there’s the subtle tropical coconut flavour and cream cheese frosting studded with passion fruit pulp that adds a tangy brightness. It’s like a tropical delight in a bite. 

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5 from 1 vote

Granadilla Coconut Cake

Course Dessert

Ingredients

• ½ cup whole milk
• 2 tbsp avocado oil
• 2 tbsp granadilla (passionfruit) pulp
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• ¾ cup organic sugar
• 1 cup + 1 tbsp cake flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• pinch salt
• 1 tsp vanilla paste
• ½ cup unsweetened coconut

Granadilla Cream Cheese Frosting

• 4 ounces (115 g) cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 ounces (55 g) butter, room temperature
• 4 cups (500 g) icing sugar
• 3 tbsp granadilla (passionfruit) pulp, save 1 tbsp for topping

Instructions

For the Cake Mixture

• Preheat the oven to 350 °F
• Warm the milk in a small saucepan and stir in the oil and the granadilla pulp. Set aside.
• Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs until pale.
• Add the sugar a few tablespoons at a time mixing well between each addition. Beat until fluffy and light in colour, about 10 minutes.
• Sift the cake flour, baking powder and salt together.
• Stir the flour mixture and the milk mixture into the egg mixture alternately, mixing until a batter forms.
• Finally stir in the vanilla and coconut.
• Grease a loaf pan and line with parchment paper sling.
• Bake for 30-35 minutes, until golden and a skewer inserted comes out clean.
• Let the cake cool inside the pan, then turn out onto a cooling rack to cool down completely before spreading the frosting over the top of the loaf and finish with 1 tbsp granadilla pulp.

Granadilla Cream Cheese Frosting

• Mix cream cheese and butter until smooth. Slowly beat in the icing sugar until combined. Lastly add the granadilla pulp and stir well.