Tropical Layer Cake

Tropical Layer Cake

Recipes from: Life Love and Sugar

168 grams unsalted butter, room temperature

1/4 cup vegetable oil

310 grams sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

325 grams all-purpose flour

2½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon kosher salt

4 large eggs, room temperature

300 millimeters milk

Preheat your oven to 350˚F. Spray 3, 9-inch cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Line the bottom of the pans with a round of parchment paper and spray the parchment. If you want slightly taller cake layers, you can also use 3, 8-inch cake pans instead.

Combine the butter, oil, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer. Cream for a few minutes until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, sift together dry ingredients. Add 1 egg at a time to the mixer, beating after each addition to incorporate the egg. After adding the eggs, add ½ of the dry ingredients and mix on low to incorporate. Add the milk, then the rest of the dry ingredients. Stir just until combined. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out mostly clean with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Let cool for 5-10 minutes in the pan then carefully turn out of the pans and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting:

2 pounds butter, room temperature but still cool

1 can sweetened condensed milk

5 tablespoon passion fruit puree (see note below)

a pinch kosher salt, if desired

Your butter should be room temperature but still cool to the touch. The butter is the right temperature if your finger leaves a slight indention when you touch it but it should still be slightly firm and not give way too easily. If the butter if too soft or too hard, the sweetened condensed milk will not incorporate into it properly.

Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and whip until light and creamy. Incorporate the sweetened condensed milk slowly in about 3 batches. Once the sweetened condensed milk is fully incorporated, add the passion fruit puree and the salt (if using). Frost your cake as desired. Store any uneaten cake in the refrigerator. We recommend letting a slice come up to room temperature before enjoying as the butter will harden in the refrigerator.

Note: A thick passion fruit puree that can be purchased in a specialty shop will yield the best results. If using a frozen juice or puree (like we used on the show) we recommend pureeing it then straining it through a fine mesh sieve to make sure it’s very smooth.