Passion Fruit and White Chocolate Truffle Cake

I haven't posted a recipe in a while, partly because I haven't had time to cook much lately. But when a birthday comes by, nothing can stop me from making a cake. I always try to outdo myself, always trying to one-up from my last cake creation. This year my brother turned 25, a quarter of a century! So I wanted to make something more complex and challenging to suit the milestone (it was more time consuming, as you will see from the recipe below =P). After a bit of research into possible flavour combinations, I amalgamated a couple of recipes, chopped and changed parts of them and came up with this Passion Fruit and White Chocolate Truffle Cake. It took me a whole afternoon and then morning to make, but I did it! It's got 6 layers in total which includes the icing. And do I need to mention it tastes amazing? Passion fruit and white chocolate is a popular combination in my household and I'm proud to report that my brother absolutely loved the cake. The truffle layer is sort of like a stiffer custard or fudge layer, and the strong passion fruit curd surrounding it cuts through the richness so well. And the rich white chocolate cake is complimented by the salty chocolate ganache....there is so much balance in this cake I love it.

Passion Fruit and White Chocolate Truffle Cake
Adapted from Hungry Rabbit

N.B - Several elements should be made the day before assembly (curd, truffle layer and icing). I made everything the night before and assembled the day after - less stressful!

Ingredients
Passion Fruit Curd
1/2 cup passion fruit puree
1/2 tsp powdered gelatin
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
2 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
4 tbsp unsalted butter, frozen, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

White Chocolate Truffle Layer
230g white chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp caster sugar
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
250g unsalted butter. softened and cut into 16 pieces
4 large eggs, room temp and lightly beaten

White Chocolate Cake
250g butter
250g white chocolate
200ml water
1 1/2 cups caster sugar
1 3/4 cups plain flour
1 cup self raising flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract

Salty Ganache Frosting
2 cups heavy cream
455g white chocolate, finely chopped
2 tbsp golden syrup
2 tsp flaked sea salt
1 tsp vanilla extract

Method
Passion Fruit Curd
1. Measure 1 tbsp passion fruit purée into small bowl; sprinkle gelatin over top.

2. Heat remaining passion fruit purée, sugar, and salt in medium nonreactive saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves and mixture is hot but not boiling.

3. Whisk eggs and yolks in large nonreactive bowl. Whisking constantly, slowly pour hot passion fruit-sugar mixture into eggs, then return mixture to saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with heatproof spatula, until mixture registers 170 degrees on instant-read thermometer and is thick enough to leave trail when spatula is scraped along pan bottom, 4 to 6 minutes.

4. Remove pan from heat and stir in gelatin mixture until dissolved. Stir in frozen butter until incorporated. Pour filling through fine-mesh strainer into nonreactive bowl (you should have 3 cups).

5. Cover surface directly with plastic wrap; refrigerate until firm enough to spread, at least 4 hours.


White Chocolate Truffle Layer
1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 175C (350F). Spray one 9-inch-round by 2-inch-high straight-sided cake pan with nonstick cooking spray; line bottom with parchment round and spray parchment. Set prepared pan in large roasting pan lined with towel. Bring kettle of water to a boil.

2. Place chocolate in food processor fitted with metal blade. Bring water, sugar and salt to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir to dissolve sugar. (Make sure syrup does not come to a boil.) With food processor running, slowly pour hot syrup through the feed tube into the chocolate. Process until mixture is smooth, about 1 minute. Stop machine scrape side of bowl and add vanilla extract.

3. With machine running, add butter one piece at a time, process until smooth and no butter chunks remain, about 1 minute, scraping down bowl as needed. Pour eggs in slow stream through the feed tube into the chocolate mixture, pulse just enough to incorporate without blending in too much air. Pour batter into the prepared pan.

4. Set roasting pan on oven rack and pour enough boiling water to come about halfway up the side of cake pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes until set. Remove cake pan from water bath and set on wire rack, cool to room temperature.

5. Cover the top of the cake with plastic wrap and top with cardboard round. Invert cake, give it a gentle downward shake if necessary. Lift cake pan and peel off the parchment. Assemble immediately or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.


White Chocolate Cake
1. Preheat oven to 150C

2. Heat, butter, sugar, chocolate and water in a saucepan and stir over low heat until combined.

3. Sift both flours and blend the chocolate mixture into the flour mixture.

4. Stir in eggs, sour cream ans vanilla

5. Pour the mixture into to two 20cm tin pans - bake for approx. 1-2 hours, depending on oven (mine was done after an hour)

6. Let cool for 15-30 mins then turn over onto wire rack to cool completely.


Salty Ganache Frosting
1. Bring heavy cream to a full boil in a saucepan over medium heat, turn off heat.

2. Add chocolate, and swirl pan to completely cover with cream. Slowly whisk mixture until smooth.

3. Add corn syrup, salt and vanilla; stir until combined. Transfer to a medium-size glass bowl and let stand at cool room temperature until tick and spreadable, about 30-40 minutes.


To Assemble
1. Place one cake layer on the bottom of cake stand or serving platter. Spread 1 cup passion fruit curd over cake layer; top with white chocolate truffle layer. Top truffle cake with another cup of passion fruit curd follow by the the remaining cake layer. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to set.

2. Gently spread about half of the ganache frosting (you might use less) over top and side of cake, smooth with spatula

3. Beat the remaining frosting with a hand mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Spread whipped frosting on the side with spatula. Refrigerate cake for 30 min before serving (I didn't do this step since I ran out of time, hence the runny icing on the sides, so I definitely recommend doing this step!)

4. Drizzle passion fruit puree over cake before serving

Via Instagram - Follow me @eesh_89
=D xx