These Passion Fruit Martini Cupcakes have been inspired by the most popular cocktail in the UK. The Passion Fruit Martini (which also goes by a much more risque name!) is a vanilla vodka cocktail with passion fruit juice, Passoa (a passion fruit liqueur), and lime juice. It’s also commonly served with a shot of prosecco. I've made these cupcakes with a lime and vanilla sponge, then I've filled them with a fruity passion fruit curd. On top is prosecco buttercream, and a drizzle of fresh passion fruit for good measure. They're one of my favourite cupcakes as I just love that zingy citrus hit in a sweet cupcake!
How to make Passion Fruit Martini Cupcakes
To make the sponge, mix together the butter, sugar and lime zest, then whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract.
Then add the self raising flour and whisk until smooth. Divide the mixture between the cupcake cases, and bake them for 25 minutes or until golden.
Once the cupcakes are fully cooled, used a cupcake corer to make a hole in the centre. Fill each hole with passion fruit curd.
Then make a buttercream using butter, icing sugar and prosecco flavouring and pipe it onto the cupcakes. To decorate the Passion Fruit Martini Cupcakes add some fresh passion fruit on top.
Tips for making the Passion Fruit Martini Cupcakes:
- You can use shop bought or homemade passion fruit curd to fill the cupcakes. The one I used was from Waitrose. If you're struggling to find it, lemon curd is also a tasty option!
- If you want to make your own passion fruit curd, there are lots of recipes you can find via Google. Leftovers would be delicious on toast, with meringue and whipped cream, or for a tropical twist on a Victoria Sandwich cake.
- If you can't get hold of prosecco extract or flavouring for the buttercream (I got mine from Sainsburys and you can also get other brands online), then reduce the butter by 50g and add 50ml prosecco.
Recommended equipment & ingredients*
- Mixing bowls
- Cooling rack
- Kitchen scales
- Rose gold cupcake cases
- Prosecco flavouring
- Passion fruit curd
- Cupcake tin
- Cupcake corer
- Zester
- Piping bags
- Wilton 2D nozzle
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More Passion Fruit Martini recipes...
Passion Fruit Martini Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the sponge
- 175 g Butter or baking spread
- 175 g Caster sugar
- 1 Lime zest only
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 3 Eggs large
- 175 g Self raising flour
For the filling
- 180 g Passion fruit curd Shop bought or homemade, I used Waitrose
For the buttercream
- 200 g Butter
- 400 g Icing sugar
- 2 tsp Prosecco extract I used Sainsburys, if you use another brand check the bottle for how much to use or add a little and then taste the buttercream
For decoration
- 2 Passion fruits
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 160C Fan/180C/350F/Gas Mark 4, and line a cupcake tin with cupcake cases
- To make the sponge, mix together the butter, caster sugar, and lime zest, ideally using an electric mixer, until smooth
- Add the eggs and vanilla extract and whisk well
- Then gently whisk in the self raising flour
- Divide the mixture between the 12 cupcake cases
- Bake them for 20-25 minutes or until they are golden brown and a skewer inserted in the centre of the cupcakes comes out clean. Leave to cool completely
- Use a cupcake corer or a knife to make a hole in the middle of each cupcake
- Fill the holes with the passion fruit curd. You can do this using a spoon or put the curd into a small piping bag, snip the end off and pipe it in
- Make the buttercream by mixing together the butter and icing sugar, then add the prosecco flavouring, and mix until smooth. You can do this by hand or for best results use an electric whisk. If the buttercream is too stiff, you can add a little milk to loosen it
- Pipe the buttercream onto each cupcake using a piping bag fitted with your chosen nozzle. Or spread on with a spoon
- Cut the passion fruits in half and scoop out the seeds and pulp, drizzle it over the buttercream
- Store in an airtight container in a cool place, eat leftovers within 3 days
Notes
Nutrition
If you like this, check out more of my Cupcake recipes!
I'm linking this recipe up with Cook Blog Share hosted by A Strong Coffee.
Jhuls | The Not So Creative Cook
I love the name, it’s so cute and catchy! I love the cupcakes, too. Omg!! That filling!!! Thanks for sharing at Fiesta Friday party!
Chloe Edges
I just think this is absolute genius!
Michelle - Lost in Food
They look delicious! Great idea in a cupcake. Thanks for linking up to #CookBlogShare. Michelle
Jacqui – Recipes Made Easy:Only Crumbs Remain
OMG I really want to reach in and take one of these they look amazing!
Louise Fairweather
ooooo passionfruit curd! Sounds amazing. Thanks for sharing #cookblogshare
Cat | Curly's Cooking
Passion fruit Martinis are my favourite cocktail so I can image how delicious these cupcakes are. What a great idea.
Veronica
OMG -I love passion fruit. We used to have a vine growing in the garden when I lived in South Africa which got covered in fresh grenadillas. I've used them in a fridge tart, but never in a cupcake. What a genius idea.
Eb Gargano | Easy Peasy Foodie
What a brilliant idea for a cupcake! I had no idea that was the most popular cocktail. I've never actually had one, but I'm tempted now 😀 Eb x
Kate - Gluten Free Alchemist
Gorgeous! I've never actually had a passion fruit martini, but I'll take a dozen cupcakes please! They sound delicious xx
Isabel
LOVED this recipe and they went down an absolute treat! I made lime buttercream instead as I'm not a huge fan of prosecco and it worked really well. The passionfruit curd middle is just beautiful. Thanks for the recipe!
thebakingexplorer
Thank you so much Isabel! Lime buttercream sounds yummy!!
Ellie
These were so simple to make, and tastes amazing!!
thebakingexplorer
Thank you Ellie!
Noushien Khazeni-Rad
Loved this recipe. Easy to follow and a great way to add your own spin on it based on personal tastes
thebakingexplorer
Thank you Noushein!
Claudia
Love this recipe! How would I need to adapt the ingredient measures to make this into a 2 tier cake? xx
thebakingexplorer
Hi Claudia, thanks so much! What size are each of the tiers going to be?
Claudia
They would be 8 inch tins!! xx
thebakingexplorer
Do you mean two layers? Rather than two tiers? If so, I would recommend doubling the recipe 🙂
Megan Ferguson
Passionfruit martinis are an absolute favourite with my family so I decided to give these a go and they went down a treat! I couldn’t find Passionfruit curd so I made my own which was really easy, will definitely have to make these again 🥰
Debbie
I made these earlier this week for a colleague who was leaving and she loved it! So did the rest of my other colleagues. The cupcakes are light and go so well with the tartness of the curd and the sweetness of the buttercream. I unfortunately didn’t have Prosecco extract so they were just passion fruit cupcakes but still awesome nevertheless. Thanks for the recipe!
Rilla
Hi really wanna try these cupcakes out but I do have one issue.. I don't have any Prosecco extract.. Is there an alternative I can use to substitute instead?
thebakingexplorer
Hi Rilla, check the notes section of the recipe card for details 🙂