Coconut and Passionfruit Cake

In a recent dinner, organized to celebrate the birthday of a friend, I took this coconut and passion fruit cake, so fluffy and tasty. The vibrant color  and the aroma of passion fruit also contribute to make this cake a true feast for the senses.

Ingredients:

300 g sugar

4 eggs

125 ml of vegetable oil

150 ml passion fruit juice 

150 ml of grated coconut

250 g flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

(for the icing)

1 egg white

100 powdered sugar

2 tablespoons of passion fruit juice

embellishments (optional)

Beat the eggs with the sugar until the mixture is creamy and white. Add the oil and continue to beat. Then add the passion fruit juice. You can use already prepared pulp. In case of using the fruit, remove the seeds and pulp, reduce to pulp and strain to separate the seeds. If necessary, add a little milk to make up 150 ml. Add the grated coconut. Finally, add the flour mixed with the baking powder. Bake in oven heated to 180 ° in a greased and floured baking pan. When cooked, remove and let cool.

When the cake is cool, prepare the icing, beating the egg white with the powdered sugar until it peaks. Add the passion fruit juice and mix well. Cover the top of the cake with the icing and let some drops to go down along the cake. Finish decorating with embellishments of your choice.

Coconut and Passion Fruit Cookies

Today I bring some cookies that combine the holiday season with the tropical spirit of Brazil: coconut and passion fruit flowers!

The combination of coconut and passion fruit is very pleasant  and the passion fruit icing was quite a nice surprise. In fact, usually I just make simple cookies, but in this post I wanted to make something special, where the sugar was the star and the acid tang of the passion fruit pulp cuts any excessive sweetness that the icing may bring!

Ingredients:

150 g sugar

1 egg

100 g butter

300 g flour

1 tbsp baking powder

60 g grated coconut (unsweetened)

4 tsp passion fruit pulp

175 g icing sugar

2 tbsp passion fruit pulp

About 20 minutes before starting the preparation of the recipe, put all ingredients at room temperature. Prepare the passion fruit pulp, removing the pulp inside the fruit and process it in the blender, after which it must be strained to separate the seeds. If using sour passion fruit (big and yellow) one fruit would be enough. If using the sweet passion fruit (small and purple), will be needed two or three fruits.

In a large bowl, mix the flour with the baking powder, sugar and grated coconut. Break the butter into cubes and crumble along with the solid ingredients until you have a homogeneous mixture. beat the egg and add it the passion fruit pulp. Add it to the mixture and mix well, until became a smooth dough. Cover the bowl with film and store in the fridge for one hour. Then extend and cut the biscuits with the cutter of your choosing. Bake them in the middle zone of the oven on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. remove when they are slightly gold and cool on a rack. prepare the icing by mixing the icing sugar with the passion fruit pulp, stirring vigorously until it forms a thick cream. Spread on the cookies and let dry.

These cookies are delicious to give as a present or just to have at home to your family or friends, or to ourselves whenever we need something sweet!

Just let me which you a happy 2012 full of sweet moments!