Persimmon bundt cake with spices
Delicious and moist persimmon bundt cake with a perfect combination of spices to make you come back for more. It’s the perfect autumn favorite!
Persimmon bundt cake
Do you have that issue as well? The issue of buying way too much of any one fruit because it looks so good? And than you’re left with a mountain of produce that needs to be eaten.. That was roughly what happened with me and a pile of persimmon fruits I bought at the supermarket as they were cheap and ripe.
Delicious really but how many fruits can you eat in a day? And because they were so ripe I had to take action. Thankfully Meeta from Whats for lunch honey came to the rescue with her recipe for this delicious persimmon cake.
What is a persimmon?
A persimmon is a bright orange fruit that is related to the berries. It has different names but the one most widely used is either persimmon or kaki. So you could call this a kaki cake recipe if you prefer, but I tend to use the name persimmon. It has different varieties and can be eaten with or without the skin on.
What is the taste of a persimmon?
The ripe fruit of the persimmon is very very sweet. It is said to resemble the taste of apricots but I find that it has quite a unique taste. I tend to eat mine without the skin but that is a personal preference. The good thing is that you can simply scoop it out of the skin with a spoon if it is really ripe.
How to use the persimmon in this bundt cake?
I have chosen to puree the kaki without the skin. So I peeled all of them and pureed them with a stick blender. I used roughly 6 persimmons for a total of 400 gram of persimmon pulp. Make sure they are ripe and sweet for this persimmon bundt cake to have the best flavor.
How to prepare the bundt tin for baking?
I used a regular non stick bundt pan for this recipe. But I love my Nordic Ware bundt tins which do require a bit more thought. For best results I first brush every nook and cranny of the bundt tin with oil or melted butter. Make sure to not miss any part of the inside. I then dust it with a bit of flour and tap out the excess flour.
As soon as you have pureed the persimmons you add a teaspoon of baking soda to it. That will firm up the persimmon puree. It might look a little weird but no worries. That is what you want.
Making the cake batter is simple. You just add sugar and butter to the food processor or use a large bowl with an electric mixer. I’ve used brown sugar for this recipe as I find the flavor slightly different from regular caster sugar, but both should work fine.
I whisk it until it becomes fluffy. I add the persimmon mixture to the bowl and mix it in well. At that point you mix all the dry ingredients together and fold it in. The batter itself is quite firm but that should all work out in the end. Place the bundt cake pan in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes to an hour. Check if the cake is cooked by inserting a wooden skewer. If it comes out clean it should be cooked through.
Once the bundt cake is baked I leave it out of the oven in the tin for about 10 minutes. This is crucial! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been too impatient and ended up with a broked bundt cake. Once slightly cooked down I then place a wooden board on top and turn it around while holding it firmly with two hands. If all goes well it should come out perfectly every time. Let it cool completely on a wire rack. Serve it at room temperature.
Due to the persimmon it is quite a moist cake and you can keep it for a few days without it becoming too dry. It’s perfect to serve a slice with your afternoon tea or just as a snack in between meals. It’s delicious as it is but you could add a bit of whipping cream or sweetened cream cheese
What spices to use?
For this persimmon bundt cake I used a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. You can add a bit of cardamom to it as well. It’s basically the classic pumpkin spice. The persimmon bundt cake is the perfect autumn cake and due to the amount of persimmon in it, it will stay moist for quite a few days.
How to keep the persimmon bundt cake?
Once baked and completely cooled you can keep the bundt cake for around 4-5 days outside of the fridge. Or you can freeze for later use.
Can I substitute the persimmon for other fruit?
While the persimmons give it a unique flavor, you can substitute the fruit for the following options:
- apricots
- peaches
- mango
So depending on the season you can choose to substitute the fruit. Persimmons are usually available from autumn to winter.
Persimmon bundt cake with spices
Equipment
- Bundt tin 2,5 liter or 10 cups
Ingredients
- 400 gr persimmons puree about 6-8 persimmons
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 115 grams butter
- 200 g brown sugar
- 350 g all-purpose flour
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp pumpkin spice
- 60 g roasted pistachio – coarsely chopped optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180˚ C. (350˚F)
- Add the baking soda to the puréed persimmon. You will notice that the persimmon will set and become more solid. No cause for alarm. Although this might look strange it is perfectly normal.
- In a mixing bowl whisk the butter and sugar with and electric mixer, until creamy and fluffy. Stir in the persimmon and egg, beating until well combined. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the dry ingredients to the persimmon mixture. Blend in well and stir in the nuts.
- Spoon the batter into a round greased cake pan and bake for 40-50 minutes or until the knife comes out clean.
- Take out and allow to cool on a rack. Sprinkle generously with icing sugar. If you would like to freeze this cake then skip this part and freeze in an airtight container.
Nutrition Information
Disclaimer
The nutritional values above are calculated per portion. The details are based on standard nutritional tables and do not constitute a professional nutritional advice.
Fan of bundt cakes?
Yeah, I’m always buying too much of something and then need to figure out what to do with it. Baking something always seems to work, doesn’t it? We don’t use persimmons much — but we should. Such a nice flavor. This bundt looks wonderful — thanks.
Yup, I am always buying too much if I see something fresh. Figuring out what to do with it is a separate issue 🙂
Gorgeous bundt.
I do buy a lot of fruit but I’ve never bought too many persimmons as they’re always really expensive. I would really enjoy this cake!