Disclaimer: This post is brought to you by Ruby Rise Papaya. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own.

I know what you are thinking. Papaya and Cake? Not a common combination, though I really wonder why? Papayas, especially the Ruby Rise papaya is not only a delicious sweet treat for the tastebuds, it is ridiculously refreshing and that gorgeous orange-red colour is so eye
catching. In case you didn’t know Ruby Rise is Australia’s newest red papaya brand, 100% Australian grown and owned and a perfectly healthy way to bring a taste of the tropics to your homes round the year.

For a lot of people, papayas are that exotic fruit that you use occasionally to elevate your salad or include in your tropical smoothie. However, what they don’t know is that papayas are a powerful superfood. The benefits of eating papayas are tremendous! Papayas a rich source of antioxidants, minerals and fibre. They are known for their natural laxative and immune boosting abilities and enzymes that balance stomach acid for healthy digestion. They’re great for skin, anti-aging, hair and for easing menstrual pain. Papayas lower cholesterol, help in weight loss and they’re good for diabetes too. Truly a fruit with superpowers!

The Red papaya has such a smooth, buttery flesh that it can be consumed in a variety of ways. With Valentine’s day around the corner, I wanted to create a dessert that is special and unique and one that celebrates this beautiful fruit. If you love papayas, this is your cake. If you don’t prepare to be converted. Nothing evokes the senses like luscious, sweet fruit atop a nutty, rich cake sandwiching a creamy layer of mascarpone frosting and the highlight of the cake, the cardamom papaya jelly. Every bite is a textural delight!

As always, this cake is really simple to put together and the flavours work very well. You could dress it up as simple or as over the top as you’d like.

Papaya Lover’s Cake
Makes a 7 inch, two-layered round cake

Almond Cake

250 g unsalted butter, softened
1 cup castor sugar
2 and ½ cups self-raising flour
1 cup almond meal (ground almonds)
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Ruby Rise Papaya, peeled, seeds removed and cubed
Edible flowers, to decorate
Sprinkles, to decorate

Papaya- Cardamom Jelly
1 Ruby Rise Papaya
1/2 cup castor sugar
½ tsp powdered cardamom
1 tsp lemon juice

Mascarpone Frosting
125 g mascarpone cheese
2 tbsp. icing sugar
150 ml thickened cream

Preheat oven to 160 degrees C (140 degrees C for fan forced ovens). Grease the base and sides of two 7 inch pans and line the bases with baking paper.

Using an electric mixer beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour, almond meal, milk and vanilla extract and beat on low speed until just combined. Divide the batter uniformly between the two prepared pans.

Bake for 45-50 minutes or until cooked through and a skewer inserted in the middle of the cakes come out clean. Remove from oven, leave aside for 5 mins. Gently turn onto a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the papaya jelly, peel the papaya and cut it in half. Scrape out the seeds and thinly slice the flesh. In a medium saucepan, place the sliced papaya, sugar, cardamom and ½ cup water. Cook until papaya starts to break down and mixture thickens. Add lemon juice, mix, remove from heat. Allow to cool to room temperature. Store in the refrigerator until needed. 

To make the mascarpone frosting, beat mascarpone and icing sugar until smooth. Add cream. Beat until stiff peaks form. Refrigerated until needed.

To assemble, place a layer of almond cake on a cake plate or stand. Dollop ½ the frosting and spread it with an offset spatula. Spread 4 tablespoon of the papaya chutney. Top with the second layer. Spread with the remaining mascarpone frosting. Top with fresh papaya cubes. Decorate with edible flowers/sugar flowers and sprinkles.