Ingredients

• 350g/12oz unsalted butter
• softened
• 350g/12oz caster sugar
• 4 passion fruit
• pulp and seeds scooped out
• 250g/9oz rice flour
• 2 tsp xanthan gum
• available in many large supermarkets or online
• 4 tsp gluten-free baking powder
• 6 large free-range eggs
• 100g/3½oz desiccated coconut
• 150g/5½oz unsalted butter
• softened
• 200g/7oz icing sugar
• 2 unwaxed limes
• zest only
• grated
• 2 tbsp coconut cream
• 2 tsp white coconut-flavoured rum (optional)
• 2 passion fruit
• pulp and seeds scraped out
• 2 limes
• juice only
• 100g/3½oz caster sugar

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 180C/170C (fan)/Gas 4. Lightly butter 2 x 20cm/8in springform cake tins and line with baking parchment.
• Using an electric hand-held whisk
• cream the butter
• sugar and passion fruit in a large mixing bowl.
• In a separate bowl
• sift together the rice flour
• xanthan gum and baking powder.
• Add a spoonful of the flour mixture and one egg to the butter and sugar mixture
• beating in thoroughly. Add the rest of the eggs
• one by one
• adding a spoonful of the flour mixture each time. Fold in the rest of the flour
• and then fold in the desiccated coconut.
• Divide the mixture equally between the two tins and bake for 40-45 minutes
• or until the top is golden-brown and a wooden skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
• While the cakes are in the oven
• make the buttercream by creaming together the butter
• icing sugar and lime zest in a bowl until light and fluffy.
• Add the coconut cream and coconut rum (if using) and beat until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
• Shortly before the cakes are ready
• make the syrup. Combine the passion fruit juice with the lime juice
• then add the sugar
• stirring to dissolve. ( You may need to heat in a small pan or give it a blast in the microwave in a heatproof jug.) Strain the syrup but reserve the passion fruit seeds.
• When the cakes are baked
• remove from the oven and prick them all over with a wooden skewer. Pour over the strained syrup and leave to cool in the tins.
• When the cakes are cool
• turn out one of the layers onto the serving plate and spread or pipe over the coconut buttercream. Place the other cake layer on top.
• Scatter the passion fruit seeds in the middle of the cake
• and cut into slices to serve.