Passionfruit Cupcakes with Coconut Buttercream (2024)

If you love the tropical sweet and tangy flavour of passionfruit, you’ll love these passionfruit cupcakes. Topped with a creamy coconut buttercream, you’ll love the tropical vibes. And who doesn’t love a cupcake with a surprise centre, in this case my homemade passionfruit curd which is so quick and easy to make and, dare I say, better than lemon curd …. gasp!

The tropical cupcakes have a super tender, light and fluffy cupcake base with a helping of both coconut milk and passionfruit juice. Subtle in it’s flavour, the real flavour punch comes from the curd filling and buttercream.

Fresh, frozen or jarred passionfruit pulp will work here so grab it whichever way you can get it and get baking.

If you love these, you’ll love this passionfruit sponge cake too and this passionfruit tart too.

This post was first published right here on January 10th, 2019. The recipe has been simplified (meringue top omitted) and made even better.

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Jump to the recipefor full ingredients and instructions.

• Passionfruit pulp: Known as passionfruit pulp or passionfruit juice, this is the pure filling from the inside of a passionfruit (or lilikoi / maracuya). Discard the seeds for the cupcake but save some juice with the seeds for topping at the end.
• Sugar: Caster sugar (my preference) or granulated sugar are all you need here for both the cake and the frosting.
• Oil and butter: These cupcakes have a combination of both oil and butter. The butter adds richness of flavour while the oil makes these cupcakes moist and tender.
• Eggs: I use large eggs at room temperature.
• Flour: For these passion fruit cupcakes, I use cake flour. This is just a mixture of plain flour (all-purpose flour) and cornflour (US cornstarch), so if you can’t get cake flour, the details of how to create it with these two simple ingredients is in the recipe notes at the bottom of the post.
• Baking powder: Baking powder, not baking soda so don’t get them confused, gives the cakes their lift.
• Coconut milk: Full fat coconut milk, not coconut cream, is used in both the passionfruit cupcakes and coconut buttercream. Make sure to have the tin at room temperature and give it good shake before using so the solids and liquid combine.
• Vanilla extract: Stick to a pure vanilla extract for the best flavour. Don’t use vanilla essence (it’s synthetic).

How to make passionfruit cupcakes

I adore this coconut cupcake recipe. There is just enough coconut flavour without it being overpowering but the reason I love it most is these cupcakes turn out perfectly light, fluffy and moist – what every good cupcake should be.

Infact, I made these cupcakes for a new years celebration and one of the comments I got was from someone who doesn’t normally eat cupcakes because they are so dry but he loved these. Another comment was something along the lines of “foodgasm”. Pretty sure that’s a good thing.

Jump to the recipefor full ingredients and instructions.

1. Make the batter

Start by beating together the butter, oil and sugar until light and creamy. I melt my butter 50% for this- so not fully melted, still 50% soft chunks. I do this because it helps everything blend together nicely but still beats together enough to create airiness. I love that I can just use a handheld beater for this too.

Next, beat in the eggs, one at a time just until combined.

Finally, alternate the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl then add a third to the batter bowl and stir through with a spatula. Next, add the passionfruit juice, vanilla and half the coconut milk. Repeat with the rest in 3 instalments – flour, coconut milk, flour.

2. Portion and bake

That batter comes together in a matter of minutes – so quick. I like to portion it using a large ice cream scoop (⅓ cup volume) which makes the passion fruit cupcakes very evenly sized so they bake evenly. Use up all the batter between 12 cupcake liners in a standard muffin tin then bake them for around 18 minutes.

3. Make the coconut frosting

While the cupcakes bake, you can start immediately on the frosting. This is my absolute favourite style of buttercream to eat. It’s technical name is ermine frosting. It takes just a little (and I mean a little) more effort than a regular buttercream but the payoff is

• A silky smooth and cream like texture – no graininess like the regular kind
• A buttercream that is NOT super sweet like the icing / powdered sugar version
• A more stable buttercream
• You can just use regular granulated sugar which most everyone has on hand

Start by cooking flour, coconut milk and some sugar in a pan until it becomes a very thick paste. Tip this onto a flat bowl or plate, cover with plastic wrap and cool to room temperature. You can speed up the cooling in the fridge but make sure it’s room temperature when you use it.

4. Assembly

Now to assemble these passionfruit cupcakes.

Once they’re cool, cut a little hole in the top of each cupcake. I use a special tool called a cupcake corer for this but you can certainly just use a sharp knife or even the end of a metal piping tip. Fill it with some passionfruit curd

Next, pipe a ring of that gorgeous coconut buttercream around the outside of that filling, then just pipe a little dot in the centre – you’re aiming to cover the curd but still have a little dent in the middle of the frosting for more curd to go in.

Scatter some shredded coconut over the frosting around the edge, then add another little dob of curd in the centre. Spoon over a drizzle of passionfruit pulp and they’re ready!

Storage and making ahead

You can actually make the passionfruit curd up to 2 weeks in advance, so long as you store it in a sterilised jar in the fridge and leave it sealed right up until you fill the cupcakes.

The cupcakes (cake base) can be made ahead of time too and stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. They thaw very well.

The buttercream is best made when you are ready to frost the cupcakes.

Store your assembled passionfruit cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Take out of the fridge ½ an hour before serving time.

The finished passionfruit cupcakes are all kinds of Summer and fun and bright flavours. Tangy, creamy, soft and airy and just the perfect treat.

More recipes you’ll love

• Passionfruit Tart
• Pineapple Coconut Cupcakes
• Creamy Lemon Coconut Slice
• Coconut Strawberry Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
• Mango Coconut Cheesecake

For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided

Have you tried this recipe?Don’t forget to leave a rating and comment below and let me know how it was! I love hearing from you. Nutrition information is approximate and derived from an online calculator. The brands you use may cause variations.

Nutrition Facts

Passionfruit Cupcakes with Coconut Buttercream

Amount Per Serving (113 g)

Calories 446Calories from Fat 243

% Daily Value*

Fat 27g42%

Saturated Fat 16g100%

Trans Fat 1g

Polyunsaturated Fat 4g

Monounsaturated Fat 6g

Cholesterol 72mg24%

Sodium 95mg4%

Potassium 152mg4%

Carbohydrates 49g16%

Fiber 0.5g2%

Sugar 36g40%

Protein 4g8%

Vitamin A 555IU11%

Vitamin C 2mg2%

Calcium 38mg4%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.