Method

• 1.
  Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Grease a 20cm round cake pan and line with baking paper.
• 2.
  Put the butter in a small saucepan and melt it over a low heat. Leave it until it becomes foamy and starts to smell amazing, then set it aside to cool. If you have a few burnt bits, strain them out and discard. If you prefer a less toasty flavour, you can just melt the butter and take it off the heat before it starts to brown.
• 3.
  Whisk the eggs, sugar and vanilla in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium-high speed for around 10 minutes. The mixture should triple in volume and become pale and creamy.
• 4.
  In a separate bowl, mix the flour and 1/4 tsp fine salt with your fingers. Sift a third of the flour mixture over the egg mixture, then use a spatula to gently fold it in, ensuring you scrape the side and bottom of the bowl to get an even mix. Repeat with half the remaining flour mixture, and then the last of it. Once the flour is almost mixed through, pour the butter over the top of the mixture and fold it in until just combined.
• 5.
  Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and gently even out the top with the spatula. Put it on the top shelf of the oven. Bake for 20 minutes before checking (cake is done when a skewer inserted in centre comes out clean). If required, rotate cake and bake for another 1-2 minutes.
• 6.
  Leave the cake to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• 7.
  Now make the filling and topping. Halve the passionfruit and scoop pulp and seeds into a bowl. You’re aiming for around 125ml pulp.
• 8.
  Sift icing sugar into a bowl and add roughly 1 tbs passionfruit. Mix thoroughly to create the icing. You want the mixture to be thin enough to spread, but not so runny that it won’t set - it should be a runny custard consistency. Adjust by adding a little more passionfruit or icing sugar as required.
• 9.
  In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream and caster sugar together to form soft peaks. When you lift the beater, the cream should hold its shape. Fold the remaining passionfruit into the cream.
• 10.
  Carefully cut the completely cooled cake in half horizontally. Place the bottom half on a plate and spoon the passionfruit cream on top. Use an offset spatula to spread it evenly over the cake, right to the edges. Gently place the other half of the cake on top, then pour the icing over it. Use a clean knife to spread the icing all over the top, allowing a little to drizzle over the sides.