Dark Chocolate and Passion Fruit Cupcakes are the perfect balance of bittersweet chocolate and zesty passion fruit. Get the recipe below.
Time to celebrate!
Today I was baking for a very special reason. Jon and I were off to visit two of our best friends, Joey and Amy and their new born baby boy Robbie. I must say, Robbie is just the CUTEST! Now I may be slightly biased as he’s the first baby in our group of friends and I get to be god Mum when’s he’s christened. BUT, at just 9 days old he is still so teeny tiny and adorable. He has the most delicate fingers, the softest of skin and that addictive new born baby smell. Why do they smell so good?! Safe to say he needs lots of cuddling and snuggling and I was happy to oblige.
After spoiling Robbie something rotten at Amy’s baby shower back in April (see the bath time hamper I put together for him here) Jon and I wanted to take some goodies round just for the new parents. A big bottle of Prosecco was a must but we also took them so edible treats to enjoy over the next week or so. First up was a chocolate dipping set with white and milk chocolate, fruit, biscuits, marshmallows and more for them to nibble on in front of the TV when Robbie is fast asleep. We also took a big batch of dark chocolate and passion fruit cupcakes for them to share with guests over the coming week. It seems we weren’t the only ones desperate for a cuddle with the new baby.
An old favourite
When I was trying to decide what to bake I was racking my brains trying to remember all of the different foods that Amy couldn’t stand while she was pregnant. I didn’t want to find out the hard way that the pregnancy hormones hadn’t quite worn off yet. I knew chocolate was bound to go down well and decided my fool-proof dark chocolate cupcakes were a pretty good starting point for any celebratory bake.
But, I wanted these cupcakes to be quite special and unique – after all the birth of a child is pretty damn special and I wanted my edible gift to reflect that. I then recalled these dark chocolate and passion fruit cupcakes that I had posted all the way back in 2013 for another special occasion – my graduation from law school. I really don’t know where the time goes. How was that 3 years ago?! Am I REALLY a qualified lawyer? Did my friends REALLY just have a baby?! We must be growing up…
Ever since I first shared that recipe they’ve gotten a lot of love. Dark chocolate and passion fruit cupcakes aren’t the most obvious flavour combination but the bitter-sweet chocolate and intense sugar hit from the passion fruit works really, really well. It’s all about balance!
Add some passion
To be honest these moist dark chocolate cupcakes could be eaten alone and still be delicious but the classic vanilla butter cream and drizzle of passion fruit makes them extra special.
I really think that passion fruit is an underused fruit. To be honest, the only time I ever eat passion fruit is if it’s in a porn-star martini! (Surely I’m not the only one?) Once you’ve tried dark chocolate with passion fruit I guarantee you’ll be hooked and trying to find new ways to use the combination – until then you’ve got my recipe below.
Dark Chocolate and Passion Fruit Cupcakes – The Recipe
Ingredients
- For the cupcakes
- 75g self raising flour
- 25g cocoa Powder
- 25g roughly chopped dark chocolate chunks
- 100g caster sugar
- 100g butter
- 2 large eggs
- For the decoration
- 300g icing sugar
- 150g softened butter
- 1 tsp vanilla paste
- 4 tbsp passion fruit pulp (roughly 6 passion fruits)
Instructions
- In a large bowl cream together the butter and the sugar until pale and creamy.
- Slowly add in the eggs a little at a time beating well after each addition.
- Once you have a light, airy and creamy mix begin folding in the flour, cocoa powder and chocolate pieces.
- Divide between 12 cupcake cases and bake at gas mark 5 (160C) for 20 mins.
- Once cooked (they will be light and springy to the touch), place on a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before decorating.
- To make the icing cream together the butter and icing sugar, before adding the vanilla paste. Make sure the vanilla paste is mixed through the icing thoroughly and transfer into an icing bag with a large star nozzle.
- Pipe swirls on top of the cupcakes then drizzle over roughly 1-2tsps of passion fruit over each cupcake.
I’m pleased to say that the prosecco, chocolate dipping set and cupcakes were very welcome. (We may have helped them drink the prosecco in a toast to the safe arrival of Robbie of course!) (OK, I may have had a cupcake too…)
Have you ever tried the chocolate and passion fruit combination? Let me know in the comments below!
In the meantime, why not pin this recipe to bake later!
These cupcakes are gorgeous! Dark chocolate and passion fruit is such a great combination, however I never tried it before! I think now it’s time to change it! – Love, Anna
Thanks Anna I’m glad you like them! I was really pleased with how the photos came out. They taste as good as they look I promise 🙂 xx
YUM! I can imagine the the sharpness and richness of these flavours works so well together. And I absolutely adore the purple cupcake cases.
Thanks Claire 🙂 they do look cute don’t they! Funnily enough they look almost identical to the first time I made them (I think I may have used the same cake cases actually…just the quality of photo is much higher!)
Chocolate + passion fruit + cupcakes = sold! Three things I absolutely love. Definitely going to be trying this.
Hey Sisley – glad you like them! If you do make them be sure to send me a pic on twitter 🙂
I made cupcakes the other day and was a bit sad I only had boring white cases. I wish I’d had some lovely purple ones like these. (The cakes sound gorgeous, too!)
Mmmm. These look delicious! I’m attending a birthday this weekend and I think these would be a huge hit. I love the idea of zesting up the chocolate with some passionfruit.
What perfect timing Laure 🙂 if you do make them be sure to send me a pic over twitter (@KitchenGoddess3) I love seeing how my recipes work out for others.
What a sweet gesture! These cupcakes look delicious, especially with that passion fruit drizzle.
Thanks Sarah. I got a little over zealous on a few of them and they ended up a little sticky but you can’t have too much passion fruit can you? 🙂
These are stunning!!! I’ve never tried passion fruit with chocolate, but these are just so pretty I’m now dying to!!!
Thanks Annie. I was really happy with how they turned out! Glad you like them 🙂
These are incredible looking cupcakes. I’m a huge fan of passionfruit, but I’ve never tried it in frosting before. I think I want to now! Absolutely gorgeous!
Thank you so much Lisa 🙂 you must give it a go!
I am going to have to try this frosting. My husband loves Passion Fruit!
This sounds like the perfect recipe for him then Amanda! If you do give it a go make sure you send me a pic on twitter (my handle is @KitchenGoddess3) I love to see when people make my recipes 🙂 enjoy!
Wow! These look and sound amazing! And what a good idea. After having our kids, it was always nice when people showed up with ready made good food since it was hard to pull off with a newborn! I try to bring something anytime visiting new parents! These would be perfect.
Thanks Melissa! My friend was AMAZINGLY organised before she had Robbie so has a freezer jam packed full of food. The least I could do was take some yummy cakes 😉
These cupcakes are so pretty! Isn’t it fun visiting people with babies? My boyfriend’s sister had a baby boy in January and he was the cutest little thing. It’s important to bring the new mamas over some snacks though, because they totally don’t know how to do all the regular life things on top of taking care of a baby yet. I’m sure these went over very well 🙂
Thanks Jessica. They went down very well 🙂 congratulations to your boyfriends sister! Very exciting time 🙂
I am now wanting cake more than anything else and I wasn’t even hungry before reading this post x
Haha thanks Rachel! These are very hard to resist 😉
These look amazing – I can see me making these for the school fayre
Great idea Kara I’m sure they’d go down well
Oh wow these look amazing!! I’m trying to find cake recipes which will get fruit into my daughter without her realising!!
Thanks Sabina! I’m glad you like them.
If you’re after some more inspiration then do check out Veggie Desserts (http://veggiedesserts.co.uk/) . Kate makes AMAZING puddings, desserts and other sweet treats packed full of fruit and veggies.
All the best. Emma
These look so pretty! Love the chocolate and passion fruit combo too.
I love dark chocolate. I never would have thought to put passion fruit in the mix but you’ve convinced me! These look phenomenal. (And babies have that wonderful, wonderful baby smell don’t they? So precious! I could eat them! I mean, not that I actually would…)
Haha I know EXACTLY what you mean Jolina 🙂
How yummy! Fruit and chocolate together is perfect!
Thanks Sarah! Chocolate makes fruit taste even better 😉
I am loving these cupcakes. I see passion fruit in desserts so often now it make me want to try it too!
Thanks April. You should definitely try it. You won’t look back!
I am having a new baby in a few weeks…I think you should bring me a big batch of these!! They look absolutely beautiful and I bet they taste amazing as well!
Haha Let me know and I’ll be there Amanda 😛 it’s important to keep your sugar up. Best of luck! Hope it all goes well 🙂
These looks sinfully delicious. I would gobble up a few of these in one sitting. Love the flavor of passionfruit with chocolate. Yum!