Passion Fruit Coconut Cake

This passion fruit coconut cake is one of my favorite ways to mix something tropical with a classic layer cake. It looks fancy but it is really not that hard to make at home.

The cake itself is soft and moist, thanks to the coconut milk and sour cream in the batter. It has a gentle coconut flavor that is not too strong.

In the middle you get a layer of passion fruit curd. It is bright, a little tart, and it balances out all the sweetness really nicely.

On the outside there is a smooth cream cheese frosting with a touch of coconut. Toasted coconut goes all around the sides for a bit of crunch.

If you have never worked with passion fruit before, this is a good place to start. I will walk you through each step so it feels simple.

Why You’ll Love It

Sweet Meets Tangy – The bright passion fruit curd cuts through the rich coconut cake for a perfectly balanced bite.

Super Moist Crumb – Coconut milk and sour cream keep every layer soft, tender, and melt-in-your-mouth good.

Tropical in Every Bite – Real passion fruit and toasted coconut bring sunny island flavor to your kitchen any time of year.

Gorgeous to Look At – Toasted coconut on the sides and bright passion fruit pulp on top make it a stunning centerpiece.

Recipe Ingredients

For the Coconut Cake

• 2 1/2 cups Cake Flour
• 2 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp Fine Sea Salt
• 3/4 cup Unsalted Butter, Softened
• 1 1/2 cups Granulated Sugar
• 4 Large Eggs
• 1 cup Full-Fat Coconut Milk
• 1/2 cup Sour Cream
• 2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 tsp Coconut Extract

For the Passion Fruit Curd

• 1/2 cup Passion Fruit Puree
• 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
• 3 Large Egg Yolks
• 1 Large Egg
• 6 tbsp Unsalted Butter, Cubed
• 1 pinch Fine Sea Salt

For the Frosting

• 12 oz Cream Cheese, Softened
• 1 cup Unsalted Butter, Softened
• 4 cups Powdered Sugar
• 2 tbsp Full-Fat Coconut Milk
• 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1/4 tsp Fine Sea Salt

For the Finish

• 1 1/2 cups Sweetened Shredded Coconut, Toasted
• 1/4 cup Passion Fruit Pulp

Directions

Step 1

Whisk the passion fruit puree, sugar, egg yolks, whole egg and salt in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir constantly until thick enough to coat a spoon, then remove from the heat and stir in the butter. Cover the surface and refrigerate until cold.

Step 2

Heat the oven to 350 F. Grease and line two 8-inch round cake pans, then whisk together the cake flour, baking powder and salt.

Step 3

Beat the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then blend in the vanilla and coconut extract.

Step 4

Whisk the coconut milk and sour cream together. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in three additions, alternating with the coconut milk mixture, and mix just until smooth.

Step 5

Divide the batter between the pans and bake for 28 to 33 minutes, until the centers spring back when lightly pressed. Cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then turn out and cool completely.

Step 6

Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar, then add the coconut milk, vanilla and salt and beat until fluffy.

Step 7

Pipe a ring of frosting around the edge of the first cake layer and fill the center with the chilled passion fruit curd. Add the second cake layer, then cover the top and sides with the remaining frosting.

Step 8

Press the toasted coconut over the sides of the cake. Spoon the passion fruit pulp over the top shortly before serving.

My Tips

Cook the Curd Low and Slow

Keep the heat on medium-low the whole time you’re making the passion fruit curd. If it gets too hot, the eggs will scramble and you’ll end up with lumpy bits instead of a smooth, silky curd.

Stir constantly and don’t walk away, even for a minute. My favorite trick here is to run my spoon across the bottom of the pan the entire time so nothing has a chance to cook onto it.

You’ll know it’s ready when it coats the back of your spoon and holds a line when you drag your finger through it. That usually takes about 8 to 10 minutes.

Cover the Curd Surface Before Chilling

Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the top of the curd so it touches the whole surface. This stops a rubbery skin from forming while it cools in the fridge.

I’ve found that the curd needs to be completely cold and set before it goes into the cake. If it’s still warm or runny, it will squeeze out the sides when you stack the layers.

Bring Everything to Room Temperature

Set out your butter, eggs, sour cream, and coconut milk about an hour before you start. Cold ingredients don’t blend together well and can leave your batter looking curdled.

Room temperature butter should give a little when you press it but still hold its shape. If it’s greasy or melting, it’s too warm and won’t hold air when you beat it with the sugar.

More Recipes

• Mango Coconut Sticky Rice Cake
• Lemon Ricotta Cake
• Tres Leches Cake
• Classic Lemon Bars
• Salted Honey Butter Cake

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I find passion fruit puree and pulp?

You can usually find frozen passion fruit puree in the freezer section of well-stocked grocery stores or Latin and international markets. Look for the unsweetened kind so you can control the sweetness yourself.

For the pulp on top, you can scoop it fresh from ripe passion fruit, seeds and all, since those little crunchy seeds add a nice texture and look pretty on the cake.