Passion Fruit Sponge Cake

Passionfruit sponge cake, made from scratch. Fluffy and feather-light sponge cakes are sandwiched with clouds of whipped cream and topped with tangy passion fruit icing. Tall, light and airy, this luscious sponge cake is easy to whip up for afternoon tea or a special celebration.

This is a long post, full of helpful tips and step-by-step photos to achieve the perfect sponge cake, every time. Sponge cakes are delicate and can be prone to sinking, and some people find them intimidating or need help troubleshooting common issues. To skip these tips and head straight to the recipe, hit the ‘jump to recipe’ button at the top of the post.

Why you’ll love this recipe

• Step by step guide – sponge cakes can be tricky to perfect, but these tips and tricks make it easier to get a beautifully light and tender sponge, every time.
• Simple ingredients – this recipe uses a handful of basic pantry staples like cornflour, eggs and custard powder and requires minimal preparation.
• Perfect for any occasion – serve it for morning or afternoon tea, high tea, family celebrations or special occasions.
• Weights – the ingredients (including the eggs) are weighed in this recipe, giving you the same results each time.
• Customisable – the sponge itself is not overly sweet and is the perfect base for your favourite fillings. While passion fruit icing and whipped cream are a retro favourite, you can also add lemon curd, raspberry jam and cream, strawberries and cream, a dusting of icing sugar or whatever you fancy!
• Old-fashioned recipe – an Australian classic, this is an old family recipe that has been tried, tested and much-loved for decades.

Ingredients you will need

** This post contains tips and instructions to achieve the best possible results. The photo above is a great guide for when you are in the supermarket, but for full ingredient quantities and methods, please scroll down to the detailed recipe card below!

• Eggs – the structure of the sponge cake comes from whipping air into the egg whites, before gently adding the other ingredients. For this recipe, you will need 4 large eggs, separated and at room temperature. Room temperature egg whites beat more easily than cold eggs and allow more air to enter the mixture. Weights are included, for accuracy.
• Caster sugar – also called superfine sugar, caster sugar is recommended for this recipe because it dissolves into the egg whites more easily than granulated sugar. Add the sugar gradually, to ensure the mixture doesn’t become gritty.
• Cornflour – also called corn starch, cornflour is a fine, white starch powder that is commonly used in light baking. It gives the cake structure and stability, while maintaining a tender and light crumb. Wheaten cornflour or regular cornflour can be used. But please note that wheaten cornflour is made out of wheat, instead of maize. The texture and taste of both are similar, but the biggest difference is that regular cornflour is gluten-free, where wheaten cornflour is not. Use regular cornflour if you require the cake to be gluten free.
• Custard powder – a thick, cornflour-based powder which thickens into custard when mixed with milk and heated. For this recipe, it provides structure, stability and a light vanilla flavour. Choose a gluten-free custard powder, if needed. You can even make your own!
• Baking soda – also called sodium bicarbonate or “bicarb soda” in Australia, baking soda reacts with the cream of tartar (acid) to produce air bubbles and help the cake rise. Check the expiry on the packet and make sure it is in-date, or it won’t be effective.
• Cream of tartar – an acid that stabilises the whipped egg whites and helps to prevent collapse. Cream of tartar is found in the baking aisle in supermarkets.
• Heavy cream – for the whipped cream, use heavy whipping cream or thickened cream with a fat content over 35% to ensure that the cream will whip into soft peaks. Keep it cold at all times.
• Passion fruit – use fresh passion fruits when they are in season and scoop out the pulp. When passion fruit are not readily available, use frozen/fresh passion fruit pulp with no additives, added sugar or flavours. Canned pulp can also be used, but fresh or frozen has the best flavour.
• Icing sugar – you’ll need icing sugar (powdered sugar/confectioner’s sugar) for both the passion fruit icing and as a sweetener for the whipped cream.

Step by step instructions

Full ingredient notes and quantities can be found in the detailed recipe card below. But here is a brief overview of what you can expect;

Step 1 – Prep;

Prepare 2 x 20 cm springform cake tins by lining the bottom (not the sides) with baking paper. Grease the sides of the tin with a little butter or oil spray and then dust the sides of the tins with flour. The flour will stick to the butter, which will help the sponge cake to rise. Tap the excess flour from the tin. (Image 1).

Sift the cornflour, custard powder and bicarb soda three times and set aside. (Image 2).

Step 2 – Beat the egg whites;

Beat the egg whites on low-medium speed until the mixture becomes white, foamy and forms soft peaks. Room temperature egg whites will beat more easily and will hold more air than cold egg whites.

Step 3 – Add the sugar;

While beating, gradually add the caster sugar, one tablespoon at a time. Turn the speed up to medium and beat only until the sugar has dissolved (the mixture should feel smooth and not gritty) and the mixture is thick and glossy, with stiff peaks.

Beat in the cream of tartar.

Step 4 – Fold;

Using a spatula or a large metal spoon, gently fold in the beaten egg yolks.

Sift a third of the cornflour mixture over the top and gently fold it into the egg mixture. Continue adding the cornflour mixture in thirds, folding in between additions, until the cornflour mixture is incorporated. Fold as minimally as possible; don’t overmix.

Step 5 – Bake;

Divide the sponge cake batter evenly between the cake tins (baking scales can be handy to divide evenly) and bake for around 16-18 minutes, until the cakes are lightly golden and spring back if gently pressed in the middle. The cake will also start to pull away from the sides of the tin.

Leave the cakes in the tins for 5 minutes before gently turning onto a wire rack to cool. A towel can be placed underneath to stop the wire pressing into the cake.

Step 6 – Make the whipped cream;

Beat the cream, vanilla and icing sugar to soft peaks.

Step 7 – Make the passion fruit icing;

Mix the icing sugar with enough passion fruit pulp and lemon juice to make a firm, but spreadable icing.

Assemble the cake by spooning the whipped cream onto one of the cakes. Top with the remaining cake and cover with the passion fruit icing.

Expert tips

• Use fresh, room temperature eggs. Room temperature eggs will whip more easily than cold eggs and achieve more volume. Separate the eggs and let them reach room temperature before baking.
• Make sure there is no yolk in your egg whites! Yolk contains fat and even small amounts can interfere with how the egg whites foam up.
• Sift the flour three times and add it to the batter in stages. Sifting removes lumps and results in a lighter batter.
• Don’t overbeat the egg whites. Whisk until the meringue is glossy and thick, with firm peaks and the sugar has dissolved. If it is grainy and dull, it has been overbeaten.
• Gently fold the flour into the egg whites with a spatula or large metal spoon. Do this gently, to keep the air in the mixture. If you are too heavy-handed, the mixture will become runny and your sponge won’t rise. Fold from the bottom of the bowl, lifting and folding the batter over itself only until everything is combined. Don’t overmix.
• Don’t over-grease the tins. The batter sticking to the sides actually helps the sponge “climb” and hold its shape as it cooks. Line only the bottom of the tins with baking paper and leave the sides bare, with a little oil spray that is coated in flour. Tap out any excess flour before adding the cake batter. The flour helps the cake to hold on to the sides as it rises.
• To ensure the cakes cook evenly, place both cake tins in the middle rack on the same shelf and try to divide the cake batter as evenly as possible.
• This recipe uses two cake tins, to make two sponges that are stacked with cream and icing. You can also bake in one large cake tin, or one ring tin. Baking times will vary (approximately 40 minutes for one tin or 28-30 minutes for a 23cm ring tin).
• Accurately measure and weigh your ingredients. Use a baking scale, for best results. Any change in ingredient quantities can alter the outcome of the sponge.
• Watch the bake time. Baking times can vary, depending on the type of cake tin and the oven that you use. If the sponge is under-baked, it will sink in the middle. And over-baking the sponge will make it dry. Remove the cake from the oven when it is lightly golden all over and springs back if lightly pressed in the middle.
• Don’t open the oven door during the baking process. A sudden temperature change can make the sponge collapse.
• Allow the sponge to cool completely before assembling. Otherwise, the cream and icing will melt.

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Update Notes: This recipe was originally published in March 2019, but was re-published with new information and photos in May 2023.