Up until a few weeks ago, I had never tried Persimmons. When I finally tasted one, I knew I had to use it to make a dessert. I imagined that Persimmons would be delicious if nicely caramelised so I decided to make an Upside-Down Cake with Persimmons.
[ReviewDisclaimer]
Persimmon Fruit
I am going to be honest, I had to do some research for this! I had never really heard of this fruit, let alone tried it. Persimmons are commonly grown in Asia, mainly in Japan. Fun Fact: just like Tomatoes, Persimmons are technically berries (hello, wikipedia research)!
I had seen Persimmons in the supermarket before but had no idea what it was! I found the taste to be surprisingly sweet; perfect for an upside-down cake!
Some people like them firm and unripe, others like to eat them very soft and ripe. For this cake, I used unripe Persimmons because they are easier to slice very thinly.
Vegan Persimmon Upside-Down Cake
The Batter for the Upside-Down Cake is very easy to make. For this recipe, I used Coconut Oil instead of Butter. On top of being great in cakes and desserts, you can also use Coconut Oil to make homemade skincare; how cool!?
I used some Extra Virgin Coconut Oil that I simply melted in the microwave. Since I didn't add any Eggs and used a Plant-Based Milk, this Upside-Down Cake is Vegan. You can easily replace the Coconut Oil with Butter if you don't need/want to make a Vegan Cake.
The cake itself is super light. Along with Plain Flour, I used Almond Meal which made the cake super moist. I love to use Almond Meal in addition to Plain Flour. Or even better, as a replacement for Flour.
Almond Meal not only make cake batter light and moist, it is also a great Gluten-Free alternative to Wheat Flour! If you do not use it, I highly recommend getting some; for me, Almond Meal is a Pantry Essential. Almond Meal is not as thin as a flour, but that brings a nice texture to cakes. You can also find Almond Flour that is much thiner if you prefer.
Here are a few other ideas of cakes baked with Almond Meal:
Baking an Upside-Down Cake
Upside-Down Cakes are really easy to make and work with any fruit. I love this recipe because with this batter, you can make so many different cake versions! Simply use whichever fruit is in season for your upside-down cake and it will be a guaranteed success!
The most famous version of this cake is the Pineapple one, but I also love to make upside-down cakes with Berries or even Peaches. And don't get me started with the classic French Apple Tarte Tatin!
There aren't any specific techniques or skills required to make an upside down cake. The only rule is: since you are going to flip the cake, use the right pan. Making a delicious looking cake an not being able to get it out of the pan is a baker's worst nightmare.
Pretty much every baking tin I use are Springform ones or have a removable bottom part. For this cake, I used a simple Deep Round Springform Pan like this Hiware one you can find on Amazon, or this Nordic one from Target.
Also remember that lining your pan with baking paper will make it easier for your cake not to stick to the bottom when you flip it.
Persimmon Upside-Down Cake
Ingredients
Vegan Cake Batter
- 1/4 cup (60 gr) Coconut Oil
- 1 cup (250 ml) Plant-Based Milk
- 1/2 Lemon - Juice + Zest
- 1/4 cup (50 gr) Brown Sugar
- 3/4 cup (120gr) All Purpose Plain Flour
- 1/2 cup (100 gr) Almond Meal
- 2 tbsp Cornflour
- 1 1/2 tbsp Baking Powder
- 1/4 teasp. Bicarb Soda
- 1 teasp. Cinnamon Powder
- 1 pinch Salt
Persimmon Topping
- 2 Persimmons
- 1/2 Lemon, Juiced
- 2 tbsp. Brown Sugar
- 1/2 teasp. Cinnamon Powder
Instructions
- Cut the Persimmons in thin slices. Warm up the Lemon Juice and mix in the Brown Sugar until melted. Add the Cinnamon Powder.Place the Sliced Persimmons in the Syrup and set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix the Melted Coconut Oil and Brown Sugar. Add the Lemon Juice and Zest.
- Mix in the Almond Meal, Plain Flour, Cornstarch, Baking Powder, Bicarb Soda, Cinnamon Powder and Salt. Mix well, then add the Milk. Work the batter until all lumps have disappeared.
- Preheat the oven on 180'C.
- Line a Springform Pan with Baking Paper. Place the Sliced Persimmons on the bottom of the Pan with the rest of the Syrup.Pour the batter over the Persimmons and bake for 20 to 25 min.
- When baked, let the cake cool down for 15 minutes then flip it on a large plate.Optional: Sprinkle Lime Zest over the cake.
Notes
