Passionfruit and lemon syrup cake

If only you could grab a piece and taste! You would know then just how good this moist, flavourful cake really tastes. I fear that my words alone do not do it justice. You'll just have to trust me then and take my word for it. This cake rocks! One piece will never be enough. And I'm not just saying that. Convinced yet?

I've always loved passionfruit. Right from my childhood days in Durban when we had a vine growing over an arched trellis in our front garden bearing granadillas (the term for passionfruit in South Africa). We could walk under the purple hued jewels hanging from the vines, taking in their fragrance as they ripen. Now in Australia I find them in the greengrocers all year round at very reasonable prices too. They wrinkle as they ripen and are delightfully exotic in taste.

I've used passionfuit often as a colourful addition to fruit punches but it brings on a whole new flavour to a cake. A very moreish flavour!

This recipe is adapted from The Australian Women's Weekly magazine. The cake is light, moist and fantastic! Certain to disappear very fast off your plates.

Recipe:

You will need:

• 160ml passionfruit pulp
• 250g butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon rind
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 cups self-raising flour

For the lemon syrup:
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup caster sugar

Preheat oven to 180ºC (160ºC for convection ovens). Grease a deep 19cm square cake pan well and line the bottom with baking paper.
Strain the passionfruit pulp and reserve the seeds and juice separately.
Beat the butter, lemon rind and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add eggs one at a time, beating until combined between additions.
Fold in combined passionfruit juice and buttermilk, and sifted flour, in two batches.
Spread mixture into the pan and bake for about one hour till done.
For the lemon syrup combine the lemon juice, water, sugar and some of the reserved passionfruit seeds in a small saucepan. Stir until the sugar dissolves and then let boil for five minutes without stirring.
Stand the cake for 5 minutes in the tin and then turn out. Pour the hot lemon syrup over the cake and eat warm.