Name: Our Passionfruit Lemon Cupcakes with Frosting start with a genius freezer hack
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 440g packet Golden Butter Cake mix; 3 tsp finely grated lemon rind; 2 eggs; 2/3 cup milk; 60g butter, softened; ½ cup desiccated coconut; 2 tbsp fresh passionfruit pulp; finely shredded lemon rind, to decorate; FROSTING; 150g cream cheese, chopped; 25g butter, softened; 1 ½ cups icing sugar mixture; 2 tbsp passionfruit pulp

You won’t believe these cupcakes started with a packet mix. It’s so easy to add a fresh depth of flavour that’ll jazz up that instant cake mix sitting in your pantry.

As Managing Food Editor, I’ll make these Passionfruit and Lemon Cupcakes on repeat whenever passionfruit is in season to make the most of their uniquely tangy, sweet flavour.

Which is why it’s unfortunate that fresh passionfruit is one of those seasonal fruits that you’ll find isn’t always readily available. And the canned stuff is never the same.

What if I told you there’s a way to store so you have it ready to go?

You can have it ready to brighten up your next wintery passionfruit dessert: a self-saucing pudding, warming cheesecake, cake batter or smoothie.

It’s much simpler to do than you think.

Combine 1 tbsp caster sugar with 1 tbsp boiling water in a heatproof bowl. Add your fresh passionfruit pulp from 2 to 4 passionfruits and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into a small freezer-proof container or snap-lock bag.

Freezing passionfruit as is can cause freezer burn, and this simple concoction also allows the pulp to go further.

You can freeze it up to three months, just make sure you thaw it before you use it.

Another tip from us – you can also swap the lemon rind with orange zest. You will also need about 5-6 passionfruit for this recipe.

Freezing passionfruit — The passionfruit season is limited, so this trick means you can enjoy them year-round. *(Credit: New Idea Food)*

Ingredients

440g packet Golden Butter Cake mix

3 tsp finely grated lemon rind

2 eggs

2/3 cup milk

60g butter, softened

½ cup desiccated coconut

2 tbsp fresh passionfruit pulp

finely shredded lemon rind, to decorate

FROSTING

150g cream cheese, chopped

25g butter, softened

1 ½ cups icing sugar mixture

2 tbsp passionfruit pulp

Method

Step 1

Line a 6-hole Texas muffin pan (¾-cup capacity) with café-style paper cases.

Step 2

Place cake mix, lemon rind, eggs, milk and butter in small bowl of an electric mixer, reserving icing mix for another use. Beat on low speed until combined. Then beat on medium speed for 2 mins. Stir in coconut and passionfruit pulp. Spoon mixture evenly among cases.

Step 3

Cook in a 160°C (fan-forced) preheated oven for 30 mins, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove. Stand 10 mins. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Step 4

FROSTING: Beat cream cheese and butter in same clean bowl of an electric mixer until smooth. Add icing sugar. Beat until combined. (Don’t overbeat.) Stir in passionfruit pulp.

Step 5

Spread frosting over cupcakes. Decorate with shredded lemon rind.

Karen Buckley Managing Food Editor

Growing up, Karen’s formative years were defined by cooking and baking alongside her loved ones. Since then, she’s turned this lifelong passion into a career, with an acquired 30 years of experience in leading test kitchens, developing the recipes you know and love. Across the New Idea, New Idea Food, Woman’s Day, Take 5, and That’s Life digital and print brands, she develops enough recipes in a year to last you 365 days (not that we’re counting). And with a TAFE Home Economics Certification under her belt, her dedication to creating healthy, affordable and delicious food has always been at the centre of the recipes she creates. And for Karen, this also applies to her own meal-planning repertoire at home: she’ll avoid buying processed products, instead incorporating fresh wholefoods where she can.

Lara Carlucci Editorial Assistant

Lara is an Editorial Assistant to Managing Food Editor Karen Buckley for New Idea, New Idea Food, Woman’s Day, Take 5, and That’s Life, and an Assistant and Writer for Diabetic Living. With a Bachelor of Media (Communications & Journalism), a Bachelor of Arts, and a Bachelor of Arts and Social Sciences (Honours), she’s always nurtured a passion and love for writing in whatever form it takes, wanting to share stories that matter. Food is her second love: shaped by her Italian heritage, and the countless large family gatherings that are always comprised of wholesome, generous meals prepared by loved ones. If not around the banquet table, she’ll take every opportunity to sample Sydney’s endless supply of cuisines – having visited over 70 food joints in the last year alone!