Passion Fruit Raspberry Naked Birthday Cake. Six layers of vanilla bean passion fruit cake filled with raspberry compote and brown butter buttercream.
Guess what?? I am a year older! EEEEEKKKK...To prove I am totally cool with this aging thing, I'm celebrating in the buff. Alright, stop cringing...the only thing naked on the blog today is my Passion Fruit Raspberry Naked Birthday Cake. It's ridiculously tall and mostly naked, with a few strategically placed macarons, chocolate drips and fresh fruit. Totally PG. 😉
Tall cakes, to me, are like big butts, I like them and I cannot lie!! Sir Mix-a-Lot quotes are so not beneath me. Plus, I really do love me a tall cake - more so when stripped down to its birthday suit.
I have a number of tall boys in my cake repertoire, but none quite this tall, naked, or as over-the-top as this. Instagram and Pinterest are teeming with photos and videos of this type of cake, and although I generally don't jump on trend-wagons, I was sufficiently intrigued to briefly hop aboard to make one for my birthday.
I actually preferred the cake just as it appears above - six passion fruit-raspberry-browned butter buttercream filled layers of mouthwatering simplicity. But being gemini, I yielded to my polar-opposite twinsie, who is clearly farther along on the expressive spectrum than I. Ummm... macarons, fresh fruit, sprinkles, drippy chocolate AND an out-of-place chocolate sculpture thingy...all together on one cake?? I soon began to have serious doubts. Plus, it's not a chocolate cake. I ALWAYS do chocolate on my birthday!
I am still not completely pleased with how it looks, but I must confess, this was the most fun I have had decorating a cake! Like a ten year old set loose on a Willy Wonka playground. I reckon I'll be doing it again real soon.
First off, brown butter Italian meringue buttercream...OUT.OF.THIS.WORLD!!! Even more so, when paired with the passion fruit soaked vanilla cake and raspberry compote. Although the completed cake was quite tall (just over 8-inches), the cakes were baked in three 5 x 2-inch pans. However, I forgot to adjust the baking time to accommodate the smaller pans and so they were a little on the dry side. That's cause for a toss and do-over, but I had birthday travel plans from which I was not about to be kept. I remedied that by doubling up my passion fruit syrup soaking efforts. Two layers were also filled with raspberry compote to help the situation. The cake itself isn't overly sweet, so a little additional syrup didn't put it in crawling up the wall status.
Layered cakes can get a little tricky once you get past three layers, particularly for smaller cakes. Here are a few sweet tip reminders I've used and shared with you over the years to avoid the leaning tower of pisa syndrome:
- It's super anal, but I weigh everything - batter, filling the works - it's my way of achieving more even, uniformed layers.
- Another way I achieve even layers is with my Agbay. I know my strengths and torting cakes with a knife by sight just isn't one of them.
- I find it easier to work with cakes that have been chilled. I chill them once they're stacked and crumb-coated and depending on the technique/design, a few more times throughout the decorating process. I picked up a number of my decorating tips from Inspired By Michelle and Royal Bakery, in my early blogging days.
- For large cakes and tall cakes, I skip buttercream and use dark chocolate as my anchor. Smear an even layer on the cake board and firmly plant that first layer dead centre on your board. It ain't going nowhere.
- Bubble straws aren't just for slurping tea. I slip one down the centre of all my cakes with three or more layers and use them as support in tiered cakes.
There are a number of things I wish I'd done differently with this cake. The first would be to torte each cake in three instead of two, to better balance the cake to buttercream experience. No stress - there is always next time!
I had so much fun making this Passion Fruit Raspberry Naked Birthday Cake and then eating it and eating it and eating it. Didn't you know birthday calories don't count?
What are some of your favourite baking/decorating tips and tricks? Would love to know - drop me a note below!
Ingredients
Cake:
- 225 grams granulated sugar
- 115 grams butter unsalted
- 2 vanilla beans scraped
- 2 large eggs
- 185 grams unbleached all-purpose flour
- 7 grams baking powder
- 3 grams baking soda
- 3.5 grams salt
- 250 grams sour cream full fat
Buttercream:
- 125 grams water
- 340 grams granulated sugar
- 250 grams egg whites
- 114 grams sugar
- 400 grams brown butter
- 275 grams unsalted butter
- 1 vanilla bean
Syrup:
- 200 grams granulated sugar
- 200 grams water
- 50 grams passion fruit puree
Chocolate drip:
- 100 grams white chocolate
- 1-2 drops of yellow food colour
Instructions
To make the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Prepare three 5x2" pans, by brushing or spraying non-stick, and place them on a baking sheet.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, then add the sugar and cream until fully combined.
- Scrape the beans of two vanilla pods into the eggs and lightly whisk. Add the vanilla-egg mixture to the creamed butter in two additions, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue to beat until light and fluffy.
- Sift the flour, baking powder and baking soda together and stir in the salt.
- Turn the mixer to low and add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in three additions, alternating with the sour cream and starting and ending with the flour mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, as needed.
- Transfer the batter to each pan in even amounts, filling pans about two-thirds.
- Return pans to baking sheet pan and bake on the middle rack for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Remove cakes from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes on a cooling rack before turning out. Cool completely before decorating.
To make the buttercream:
- In a medium saucepan, add the water and the first measure of sugar and cook without stirring until the mixture reaches (116ºC/240ºF), or what is labelled as 'soft ball' on your thermometer.
- While the sugar is cooking, add the egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and set aside.
- Once the sugar syrup reaches 110C/230F, start whipping the eggs on medium speed. When the egg whites begin to appear foam, sprinkle in the second measure of sugar while whipping.
- The egg whites should be at soft peaks by the time the sugar reaches 116C/240F/soft ball.
- With the egg whites whipping on medium speed, rest the lip of the pot on the lip of the mixing bowl and pour the syrup into the whipping egg whites in a slow, steady stream down the side of of the bowl.
- Continue to whip until the mixture has cooled to room temperature and the meringue is full and billowy.
- On medium speed, add the butter in small chunks and the vanilla beans, continuing to whip until the smooth and light.
To make the syrup:
- heat sugar and water in a small saucepan, until sugar dissolves.
- Remove from heat and stir in passion fruit puree.
Chocolate drip:
- Melt chocolate in 20 second intervals in a microwave and stir until smooth.
- Add colour and stir until uniform and transfer to a piping bag or plastic bottle fitted with a cone nozzle.
Assembly:
- Assemble as below and go to town with decorating it to your liking. It's the best part!
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Radhika says
Happy Birthday J! Have a blessed year ahead.
I Sugar Coat It! says
Many thanks, Radhika!!
Goreti says
Happy Birthday! So glad that birthday calories don't count since mine is coming up too. This really looks delicious and I know I will love. How can anything with passion fruit not taste good? !
I Sugar Coat It! says
RIGHT!! I used to get sick from eating way too much passion fruit as a kid, so now I pace myself. Enjoy your birthday and don't hold back...#eatallthecake!! 🙂
Goreti says
Haha That reminds me of when I went to Brazil many years ago. Everywhere I went I would order a "suco de maracuja" which is pretty just straight passion fruit. Never had anything so delicious in my life. I was in passion fruit heaven.
Julia @ Plated Cravings says
Happy birthday! That is a beautiful cake and the decoration is so good. Looks like out of a fancy cake magazine 🙂 I have to try the brown butter meringue buttercream. I have a bit of a hate-love relationship with meringue buttercream, so my tip would be to use a really clean bowl which was cleaned in the dishwasher and not by hand (I have ruined too many batches of meringue buttercream 🙁 )
I Sugar Coat It! says
Thank you, Julia! Yes, that is a good tip and one that I have shared many times over on the blog. I keep a separate mixer bowl and tools for meringues, but also use half a lemon or vinegar to clean, just in case. The smallest speck of grease or egg yolks will kill your meringue. 🙁
Sonya says
Happy belated! That cake looks like a party all by itself - love it. Have a most brilliant year.
I Sugar Coat It! says
Thank you, Sonya!!
Sarah @ Champagne Tastes says
This is truly incredible! It really does look like a willy wonka cake! I love it.. And hope it didn't have to travel far (I would be so nervous transporting that!!). I wish I could have a bite 😀
I Sugar Coat It! says
Thanks, Sarah!! 🙂 The cake didn't travel with us and it was small enough that I wouldn't be too worried if we had to travel with it. Willy Wonka all the way!!
Liz says
Wow, that really is enjoying your birthday in style. I love the fun accents you created on top. I might have to try a smaller version because let's face it I am still a beginner!
I Sugar Coat It! says
Liz, this is perfect for a beginner! You don't have to worry about smoothing the buttercream or sharpening edges. The cake is tall, but very small. Maybe you can do three layers to start. Would love to see what you come up with!!
Lisa | Garlic + Zest says
You have totally outdone yourself --my Dad's birthday is this Friday and I'm supposed to make the cake -- I was thinking more boston cream pie -- I seriously don't have the chops to attempt this one -- but it's a stunner! Could you be my neighbor?
I Sugar Coat It! says
Sure - we can share our goodies on the regular! 😉 Hope your dad had a wonderful birthday and enjoyed every last bit of your cake.
Azlin says
Happy birthday! That's one delicious looking cake! Love your writing style, am I am so totally with you on the browned butter icing!
I Sugar Coat It! says
Browned butter anything is just so damn GOOD!! I am often critical about my writing (and anything I do for that matter 🙁 ), so thank you!
Deb|EastofEdenCooking says
Happy Birthday Jacquee! You know how to celebrate! A WOW cake!
I Sugar Coat It! says
Thank you, Deb! We'll need bigger plates next time. 🙂
Shashi @ RunninSrilankan says
Happiest of birthdays to you - this cake is stunning! GORGEOUS!
I Sugar Coat It! says
Many thanks, Shasi!!