Passion Fruit Carlota Recipe

Prepare curd

In a small saucepan, combine the passion fruit pulp and granulated sugar. Warm gently over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes.

In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks. Temper the yolks by slowly whisking in about 2 tablespoons of the warmed passion fruit mixture, then pour the tempered yolks back into the saucepan while whisking constantly.

Cook the mixture over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula, until it thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon (around 6–8 minutes). Do not boil, or the curd may scramble.

Remove from heat and whisk in the butter and lemon juice until smooth and glossy. Strain the curd through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl to remove any bits and seeds if a smooth curd is desired. Chill while preparing other components, at least 30 minutes.

In a large bowl, beat the room-temperature cream cheese with a hand mixer until smooth and free of lumps (about 1–2 minutes).

Add the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla extract and beat until well combined and smooth, scraping the bowl as needed.

In a separate chilled bowl, whip the heavy cream to soft peaks using a whisk or mixer (about 2–3 minutes).

Fold one-third of the whipped cream into the cream-cheese mixture to lighten it, then gently fold in the remaining whipped cream until fully incorporated and smooth.

Line a 9x5-inch (or similar) loaf pan or an 8-inch square baking pan with plastic wrap, leaving enough overhang to cover the top when assembled.

Quickly dip each cookie (ladyfinger or María) for 1–2 seconds in additional passion fruit pulp or very light simple syrup if desired (optional). Arrange a single layer of cookies to cover the bottom of the prepared pan, breaking cookies to fit snugly.

Spread half of the cream mixture evenly over the cookie layer using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon.

Spoon half of the chilled passion fruit curd in dollops over the cream layer, then gently swirl with a skewer or knife to create a marbled effect. Do not overmix; you want visible streaks of curd.

Add another layer of cookies to cover the curd and cream, pressing lightly to level.

Repeat: spread the remaining cream mixture, then dollop and lightly swirl the remaining passion fruit curd on top.

Cover the assembled carlota with the overhanging plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 6 hours, preferably overnight, to allow the cookies to soften and flavors to meld.

When ready to serve, unmold the carlota by lifting it from the pan using the plastic wrap. Transfer to a serving platter and peel away the wrap.

Top with a spoonful of fresh passion fruit pulp with seeds for texture, sprinkle grated white chocolate if using, and garnish with fresh mint leaves. Slice into 8–10 portions and serve chilled.