Passion Fruit Filled Sponge Cake

I love a good sponge cake like the next person, but this sponge cake is a bit different to the normal Victoria Sponge version. You don't feel heavy after eating a slice, and you kind of feel like you're eating something healthy (1 of your 5 fruit a day!) as it's filled with seasonal passion fruit, paired wonderfully with refreshing and silky mascarpone and fromage frais. Honestly, this could be eaten for breakfast.

My husband particularly like this cake, and he's not normally a cake fan! So that's saying something!

Tin size needed: two 8 inch (20cm) x 1.5 inch (4cm) deep sponge tins

Ingredients

For the sponge cake

175g self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

3 large eggs

175g soft butter

175g golden caster sugar

1/2 tsp of vanilla extract

Icing sugar for sifting

For the filling

6 passion fruit

250g mascarpone

200ml fromage frais

1 tbsp golden caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 170c/gas mark 3/fan 160c. Line the two sponge tin bases with greaseproof paper.

2. To make the sponge: sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl, and add the eggs, butter, golden caster sugar and vanilla extract. Mix with a mixer or electric whisk until light and airy and can drop off a spoon easily.

3. Divide mix between two tins (I weigh mine just to be sure) and bake in the centre of the oven for 30 minutes, or until well-risen and will bounce back when pressed with a finger. My oven is really hot and it only took 20 minutes (although I don't think this is normal!)Leave to cool on a wire rack once baked.

4. Whilst baking, prepare the filling: Slice the passion fruits and scoop out the middle into a bowl.

5. In another bowl combine the mascarpone, fromage frais, sugar and vanilla extract. Whisk using a balloon whisk until nice a fluffy. Fold in over half of the passion fruit seeds.

6. Once the sponge has cooled down, spread half of the mixture on one half of the sponge and top with the rest of the passion fruit seeds. Spread the remaining mixture on top and sandwich the other sponge on top.