These easy Passionfruit Cupcakes bring a tropical twist to classic sponge cupcakes, with a burst of passionfruit flavour in both the quick-mix cupcake batter and icing. Light, fluffy and topped with a sweet passionfruit icing glaze that’s so easy to make, they’re perfect for any occasion — whether it’s a birthday party, afternoon tea, or just a sweet treat. They’re great for kids lunch boxes! These quick-mix Passionfruit Cupcakes are a deliciously simple, yummy treat.
Why an icing glaze makes these the easiest passionfruit cupcakes
Not only are they made with a quick-mix batter recipe, topping these Passionfruit Cupcakes with a simple passionfruit glaze makes this a really easy cupcake recipe for any home cook! It’s a straightforward combination of icing sugar, butter, hot water and passionfruit pulp, heated until runny and then spooned over each cupcake.
As beautiful as cream cheese frosting looks, I’m less inclined to go to the effort of baking and piping creamy frosting onto simple cupcakes for toddler morning tea or after school treats. I wouldn’t say I’m a lazy mum, but I love a short-cut! 🤣 Unless it’s a special occasion, I opt for a simple glaze.
With no elaborate piped frosting or decoration, they also transport really well — perfect for lunch box treats!
Ingredients in Passionfruit Cupcakes
Here’s what you’ll need for both the quick-mix passionfruit cupcake batter and passionfruit icing…
Passionfruit cupcake base:
Flour – Self-raising/self-rising flour, for a light and fluffy texture.
Sugar – Caster sugar/super fine sugar adds sweetness to the sponge base. For those in the US, you can substitute with granulated sugar but the batter may take a little longer to incorporate because it’s a larger grain.
Butter – Unsalted. Make sure it’s softened to room temperature before mixing.
Eggs – Provide structure and lift.
Milk – Just a small amount, so you can use your preferred variety.
Vanilla paste – Enhances the flavour of the sponge.
Passionfruit pulp – Adds natural passionfruit flavour to the sponge. You can use fresh, frozen or canned passionfruit pulp. When making these cupcakes for my kids, I strain the pulp to remove the seeds, just for the cupcake batter. My toddler doesn’t mind passionfruit seeds in the icing, but doesn’t like them in the actual cupcake.
Passionfruit glacé icing:
Icing sugar – The base of the glacé icing. Make sure it’s pure icing sugar, and not soft icing mixture! In the US, use powdered sugar.
Butter – Adds creaminess to the icing.
Hot water – To help mix the icing sugar to a paste.
Passionfruit pulp – For the fresh, tangy flavour.
How to make Passionfruit Cupcakes
First, line a 12-hole muffin tin with cupcake liners. Make the quick-mix cupcake batter by adding all cupcake batter ingredients into a large mixing bowl. With an electric mixer, beat the ingredients together on low speed until just combined. Increase the speed to medium and beat for a minute or two until the batter is pale and smooth. Put approximately ¼ cup of the cupcake batter into each cupcake liner and bake in the oven. Once golden and cooked through, remove from the oven and allow to completely cool.
To make the passionfruit icing, sift the icing sugar into a small bowl. Add the melted butter, hot water and passionfruit pulp to make a firm paste. Then, place the bowl over a small saucepan of simmering water, stir the mixture until it is running enough to pour or spread over the cupcakes. If needed, add more passionfruit pulp for a thinner icing or more icing sugar for a thicker consistency. Ice each cupcake and allow 10 minutes for the icing to set.
Thermomixer? It’s a quick-mix cupcake batter recipe in your machine. Just add all cupcake batter ingredients to the mixing bowl, and mix until creamy. I then like to make the icing by hand.
You’ll find the recipe card below, with ingredient amounts and detailed steps for both regular and thermo cooker methods.
Toddler-friendly Passionfruit Cupcakes
These cupcakes may be a treat because of the sugar content, but their smaller size and simple icing makes them toddler friendly. If passionfruit seeds will bother your kids, strain the passionfruit pulp before adding it to the cupcake batter, to remove the seeds from the mixture but keep the yummy flavour.
I’ve recipe tested these cupcakes both with and without the seeds in the cupcake base, and my children (and husband) didn’t comment on the difference in flavour. My youngest LJ though prefers no visible seeds in the actual cupcake, and so that’s how I’ve written this recipe 🥰.
Serving and storing
These Passionfruit Cupcakes are yummy on their own, but you can also top them with extra passionfruit pulp or a sprinkle of desiccated coconut for added texture and flavour.
They’re best enjoyed fresh but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 to 2 days, or refrigerated for 3 to 4 days. Allow the refrigerated cupcakes to come to room temperature before eating.
To freeze, wrap each individual cupcake in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container. Then freeze for up to 3 months.
If you make these Passionfruit Cupcakes, please leave a 🌟 star rating and a 📝 comment below. I love hearing how my recipes work for you and your family! Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest too for more treats recipes for kids.
Enjoy,
Chloe x
Passionfruit Cupcakes
Category: SweetsTap or hover to scale
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 85 g butter softened
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 tsp vanilla paste
- 1/2 cup caster sugar
- 1 1/3 cup self-raising flour
- 2 tbs milk
- 1/4 cup passionfruit pulp OPTIONAL: strained to remove seeds (Note 1)
Passionfruit icing
- 1 1/2 cups pure icing sugar/powdered sugar
- 20 g butter melted
- 1 tbs hot water
- 1 tbs passionfruit pulp
Instructions
To make the cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F (160°C fan forced) and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
- Add all cupcake batter ingredients: 85 g butter, 2 eggs, 1/2 tsp vanilla paste, 1/2 cup caster sugar, 1 1/3 cup self-raising flour, 2 tbs milk and 1/4 cup passionfruit pulp to a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat ingredients on low speed until just combined. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes, until the batter is smooth and pale.
- Drop about ¼ cup of mixture into each paper liner, until mixture is evenly divided.
- Bake for 16 minutes, until golden. Remove from the oven and let stand for five minutes, and then transfer onto a wire rack to cool.
To make the glacé icing:
- Sift 1 1/2 cups pure icing sugar/powdered sugar into a large bowl.
- Add 20 g butter, 1 tbs hot water and 1 tbs passionfruit pulp, and stir to make a firm paste.
- Over a saucepan of simmering water on the stove top, stir the mixture until it is runny enough to spoon over the cupcakes.
- Drop a heaped tablespoon of the icing onto each cupcake, rolling them in your hand to cover the cupcake surface. Use a knife to help spread if needed.
Thermomix Instructions
- Put all cupcake batter ingredients into the mixing bowl. Mix for 10 seconds, speed 2, MC on to combine. Scrape down the mixing bowl.
- Mix for 2 minutes, speed 4, MC on.
- Drop about ¼ cup of mixture into each paper liner, until mixture is evenly divided.
- Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, until golden. Remove from the oven and let stand for five minutes, and then transfer onto a wire rack to cool.
- To make the glacé icing, follow the instructions above.
One Response
My boys love these passionfruit cupcakes! They’re super light and fluffy, and have that yummy sweet passionfruit icing. The boys love the flavour but not the passionfruit seeds, so I strain the pulp to remove them. Great for an easy-to-make treat in lunch boxes!