Serves 12.
Ingredients
250g unsalted butter, room temperature, chopped
2 cups caster sugar
100ml strained passionfruit juice
6 eggs
⅔ cup sour cream
½ cup milk
2 cups self-raising flour, sifted
1½ cups almond meal
Fresh, pesticide-free, edible flowers, for garnishing
White chocolate frosting
300g white chocolate, broken
250g unsalted butter, room temperature, chopped
2 cups icing sugar mixture, sifted
1 tbsp strained passionfruit juice
Method
1. Preheat oven to 160°C. Grease, then line bases and sides of two 20cm round springform cake tins with baking paper. Put butter and sugar in the large bowl of an electric mixer and beat until combined and beginning to turn pale. Add passionfruit juice and beat for about 8 minutes until light and fluffy.
2. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating between each addition. Whisk sour cream and milk together in a jug until just combined. Add milk mixture, flour and almond meal, in 2 batches, to butter mixture, stirring until combined.
3. Spoon batter evenly into prepared tins and smooth the tops. Tap tins on bench a few times to settle mixture. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a skewer inserted in centres comes out clean. Stand cakes, in tins, on a wire rack for 1 hour. Remove from tins and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
4. To make frosting for your naked cake, melt chocolate in a large, heatproof glass bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water, being careful that the bowl does not touch the water. Stir occasionally until most pieces of chocolate have melted. Remove from heat and stir until completely melted. Set aside for 20 minutes to cool.
5. Meanwhile, beat butter in the small bowl of an electric mixer until pale and creamy. With motor running, add icing sugar, 1 large spoonful at a time, until smooth and all sugar has been incorporated. Drizzle cooled chocolate into butter mixture while beating. Mixture may look separated for a second, but continue to beat until smooth. Add passionfruit juice. Beat until combined.
6. To assemble, cut cakes horizontally through centre to make 4 layers. Place 1 layer on a cake stand or serving plate. Spread with just under 1 cup of the frosting. Top with another layer of cake and frosting. Repeat twice more. Spread remaining frosting on sides of cake, using a long flat spatula to expose layers, and smooth the top. Garnish with flowers. Serve.
Dressed up or down, this classic naked cake suits any occasion – from a tea party to a formal wedding.
