Bolo de Maracujá (passion fruit cake) Recipe

The first time that I tried Bolo de Maracujá was at a birthday party in Piracicaba located in the Brasilian state of São Paulo. The Bolo de Maracujá is one of the most common desserts in Brasil. The cake itself is mildly sweet from the passion fruit juice. The bolo (cake) is then topped with whipped cream made from scratch along with a sweet and tart tasting fruit glaze.

The most challenging part of making the Bolo de Maracujá is getting your hands on the 2 to 3 passion fruit that you will need to make the bright yellow glaze for the topping. Passion fruit is native to Paraguay and Brasil but can be found in select produce markets around the World throughout the year. You will find these fruit either fresh, big and shiny with a yellow to purple hue or old and shriveled. The fruit in either form will work as the nectar and seeds inside are not affected by the fruit's outward appearance.

Recommended Equipment:
9 inch spring-form pan

Ingredients:
cake:
2 tbsp butter + butter to grease pan
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup passion fruit juice (I made it from frozen pulp and a little water)

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder

whipped cream

passion-fruit topping:
2 to 3 passion fruits
1 1/2 cups confection sugar

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease the spring-form pan. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites into two bowls.
2. Using a stand mixer, beat egg yolks, sugar, and butter.
3. While mixing, add the passion fruit juice, flour, and baking powder.
4. Slowly stir in the egg whites and beat until the dough is smooth and creamy.
5. Pour the dough into the greased spring-form pan and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour. When a fork can be inserted into the middle of the cake and comes out clean, the cake is done.
6. Let the cake cool for an hour, then cover it with plastic wrap and place it in the freezer for 2 hours. Then transfer the pan to the refrigerator and let it thaw overnight. This process helps lock the moisture into the cake.
7. Remove the plastic wrap and remove the cake from the spring-form pan.
8. Using a serrated knife, cut a horizontal layer off of the top of the cake if needed to make it flat and level on top.
9. Prepare the whipped cream. Cover the cake with a smooth layer of whipped cream.
10. In a medium saucepan, add the pulp and seeds from 2 or 3 passion fruits along with the confection sugar over low heat. Whisk until the mixture thickens.
11. Let the passion fruit mixture cool and then spoon it evenly on top of the cake and serve. The seeds on top of the cake can and should be eaten as they add to this cake's exceptional flavor.
    

Brasil [ print this recipe for Bolo de Maracujá ]