Here I am in the land of pineapples (though, fun fact: they are not native to Hawaii) when I am, famously, allergic to them.
Lucky to catch the tail end of the local persimmon season though, even visiting a local persimmon farm (Hashimoto family farm) so, I thought about creating a twist on a pineapple upside down cake, but made with persimmons! Ripe ones can carry that same jammy quality that pineapples have, and they are so sweet and delicious when baked.
You want to use persimmons that are ripe, but have not reached that syrupy stage quite yet – the slices of persimmon still need to hold their structure and shape in the cake.
Persimmons can be a bit divisive, at times – either you love them or you don’t – but good ones that are allowed to ripen naturally are truly a gift from nature and are much more versatile than you think. I hope that this upside down cake recipe highlights that particular quality!
- 3 tablespoons maple sugar (or light brown sugar)
- 0.5 cup maple syrup
- 3 cups AP flour
- 1.5 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1.5 teaspoon nutmeg
- 0.5 teaspoons baking soda
- 0.5 teaspoons baking powder
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
- 3 eggs
- 0.5 cup macadamia nut oil
- 0.5 cup melted butter + more for bundt pan
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1.5 cups ripe persimmons sliced into rounds
- Preheat oven to 325F and grease and lightly flour your bundt pan (you could also use a cake pan). Sprinkle the maple sugar on the bottom of the pan.
- In a large bowl, stir together the remaining dry ingredients. Whisk in the maple syrup, oil, melted butter, buttermilk and eggs until well incorporated.
- Layer the persimmon slices all around the bottom of your bundt or cake pan and on the sides, fitting them snugly.
- Pour the batter over the persimmons, smoothing the top slightly.
- Bake for about 45-55 minutes until a tester inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before turning the cake over onto a platter and serving.
I love using maple syrup and sugar here – it really adds a depth of flavor and highlights the spiced persimmon flavor.
You can find more of my favorite persimmon recipes here: Cooking with persimmons Persimmon salad Healthy snacks + cozy evenings
Ha! Let’s give it a try!