Persimmon Upside Down Cake
Isn’t Autumn when things are supposed to calm and slow down? Lies. This month is going by way too fast. It’s going to be Thanksgiving next week and we have ZERO plans. This what will most likely happen: Reuben and I will make a Thanksgiving feast for two, catch up on sleep, and work on some long overdue apartment improvement projects. It makes me sort of sad when I think about how I haven’t been home for Thanksgiving in like 4 years... : ( ... but that just makes being home for Christmas that much sweeter! This will be our first year in SF for Thanksgiving in a while, so it will be nice to stay put. Last year we were on the road to Portland and had leftovers at the Airbnb. The year before that, we were driving through Spain and stopped at a gas station between Madrid and Granada for some ham sandwiches, LOL, but this was our view, and Spanish gas station food is actually pretty awesome.
What are your plans? Are you going to make a pie? Or are you more of a cake person, like me?
I had ambitions of trying my hand at my first full blown pie this weekend. I was going to do braids, intricate weaving, and maybe even cut out letters! But plans changed and I made pork buns instead. No regrets. Because they were incredible and I am going to post the recipe soon! I’ll save my Asian pear and caramel pie experiments for next year.
I do have this Persimmon Upside Down Cake for ya though! It’s so delicious. You don’t need pie.
Some people ask me what I do with all the baked goods I make for the blog. When I say “some people” I really mean 3 people have ever asked me that question. My baking experiments are typically brought in to my office or to Reuben’s office to be gobbled up. Or, I plan ahead and bake something to bring to a dinner party or picnic. I try not to leave us alone with too much butter and sugar. However, every once in a while there are the baking experiments that I do not share. Not because they were complete failures, but maybe because they were too freaking delicious to share.
I didn’t share this cake. I had it hidden in our apartment and we continued to cut really tiny wedges of cake for days. Sorry, coworkers, for not sharing. I made this while I had a cold so you didn’t want my germs anyways. When I took my first bite, I was like “GODDAMN”. The persimmons, Autumn spices, and the cake soaked in caramel all together created the most harmonious and addicting cake you’ll have all holiday season. Seriously though. The area around the rim of the cake where all the caramel has soaked in is the most incredible bite of cake you’ll ever have. I had to stop Reuben from only cutting wedges of the edge bits. He only got away with it once...
There is no doubt that I am mildly obsessed with persimmons. It's my favorite fruit for sure. I had only ever just eaten them straight up until now. My mom is a wiz at the paring knife and would effortlessly peel and slice them up for us growing up. It’s hard to really explain the flavor. There are hints of vanilla and cinnamon. But it just tastes like… a persimmon. Can anyone else wordier help me out here? Persimmons are phenomenal sliced on up toast or plopped on some yogurt when super ripe. It makes my heart burst with so much joy when I see friends incorporate persimmons into their diets. You gotta give them a try! I hope to see some on your Thanksgiving tables : )
Persimmon Upside Down Cake
makes 1 - 9" cake
For the caramel:
1 cup dark brown sugar
8 tbsp unsalted butter - cubed
1 tsp salt
For the cake:
2 cups flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger powder
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup buttermilk
8 tbsp melted butter
2-3 fuyu persimmons
Steps:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of a 9" round cake pan with a piece of parchment paper and grease the sides of the pan. Set aside. Cook brown sugar, butter and salt in a small sauce pan over medium high heat. Whisk until butter is melted and all the sugar is dissolved. Gently boil for 3-4 minutes until deeply brown. Pour the caramel into the cake pan and swirl so that the pan is completely and evenly covered. The caramel will harden quickly.
2. Slice the persimmons into 1/8" thick slices. Place a slice in the very center of the caramel and continue adding slices in a circular direction until the bottom is covered.
3. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices in a large bowl. Whisk together eggs, buttermilk, and butter in a separate bowl. Add wet ingredients into the dry and mix until evenly incorporated and you have a smooth batter. Pour the batter into the cake pan. Use an small offset spatula or the back of a spoon to spread and level the batter.
4. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Test for doneness with a toothpick. Allow to cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Invert the pan onto a wire rack set on top of a baking tray and allow to completely cool. Watch out for some caramel dripping when you invert!
5. Serve up and enjoy!