Persimmon rum bundt cake with brown butter glaze. This autumn dessert is perfect for Thanksgiving and holiday gatherings.
It’s that time of the year again. Persimmons have taken over my kitchen!
My parents’ persimmon trees are bearing more fruit than ever this year. They has been asking neighbors, family, and friends to come over and take as much persimmon as they can.
I’ve been documenting the tubs full of persimmon we’ve been harvesting each week on Snapchat.
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Persimmon Rum Bundt Cake
What do to with all that persimmon? Make a cake, of course!
I used a combination of hachiya and fuyu persimmon to make this super moist persimmon rum bundt cake.
(Read up about the differences between hachiya and fuyu in the persimmon tarts with maple cinnamon cream cheese post.)
Have you seen the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding? I can’t say bundt cake without thinking of that movie.
There is this one scene where the America mother brings the Greek mother a bundt cake. The Greek mother says, “There’s a hole in this cake…“
She’s confused by the hole and precedes to fill the open space in the cake with a potted plant. It cracks me up every time.
In honor of the movie, I’ve filled the hole of this bundt cake with a persimmon!
Unmolding Bundt Cake:
I’ve made quite a few bundt cakes over the years, but I still hold my breathe whenever it comes time to unmolding the cake.
No matter how well you grease the pan, you never know if the cake will come out of the pan in one clean sweep.
I’ve learned to let the cake cool in the pan for about 15 minutes to allow the cake to slightly shrink away from the edges. The cool time also lets the cake set up and stiffen a little bit.
NEVER unmold a cake directly out of the oven. It will only end in disaster.
New to persimmon? This bundt cake is the perfect introduction!
This persimmon bundt cake is a perfect introduction to this autumn fruit. The flavor of persimmon puree is not very strong. I can best describe it as a lightly flavored maple pear.
It simply lends moisture to baked goods the same way zucchini does.
For added texture, I mixed in some toasted walnuts and chopped dried dates.
The rich, decadent, and nutty brown butter glaze is the finishing touch that complements the light flavors of the persimmon rum bundt cake.
Enjoy this for breakfast, afternoon tea, or for an anytime snack. It’s a comforting slice of autumn that I look forward to each year!
Persimmon Rum Bundt Cake
Ingredients
- 455 grams (3 ½ cup) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 226 grams (1 cup) unsalted butter,, melted and cooled
- 160 grams (3/4 cup) dark brown sugar,, packed
- 150 grams (3/4 cup) granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs,, room temp
- 3 Tablespoons dark rum, (optional)
- 2 cups persimmon puree*
- 120 grams (2 cups) toasted walnuts,, roughly chopped
- 150 grams (1 cup) dried dates,, roughly chopped
Brown Butter Glaze:
- 113 grams (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
- 285 grams (2 ½ cup) confectioners' sugar,, sifted
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 Tablespoon milk, , or more depending on desired thickness
Instructions
Bundt Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 12-cup bundt pan. Tap out excess flour. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), mix together butter, brown sugar, and sugar. Add eggs and mix until combined.
- Add about 1/3 of dry flour mixture. Mix on low speed. Add rum and half of persimmon puree. Mix and add another 1/3 of flour mixture. Add remaining puree. Toss dried dates in remaining flour. Add flour and dates to batter. Stir together until there are no longer and dry streaks of flour.
- Add walnuts and fold until thoroughly distributed.
- Pour batter into prepared bundt pan. Bake for 55-60 minutes until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Let cake cool in pan for 10-15 minutes. Invert cake onto a wire rack and cool to room temperature.
Brown Butter Glaze:
- In sauce pot, melt butter over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, continue to cook. Swirl pot occasionally. Mixture will bubble and foam as it cooks. Continue to cook until butter smells fragrant and nutty. The milk solids in the melted butter will turn rich brown in color. Remove from heat and pour into a heat-safe bowl. All brown butter to cool for 20-30 minutes before use.
- Add cooled butter, powdered sugar, salt, vanilla and milk in a medium bowl. Stir until mixture is smooth. Glaze should be slightly thick but pourable in consistency. If desired, add additional milk 1/2 Tbsp at a time until desired consistency is achieved. Pour glaze over cooled bundt cake.
Notes
- For both fuyu and hachiya persimmon, wait for the fruit to be very ripe and soft. Peel skin, discard seeds, and scoop out soft insides. When persimmons are super soft, there is no need to process the fruit.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!Want More Persimmon Recipes
- Try this persimmon cranberry pie! It is topped with a sweet and crunchy pecan crumble.
- These persimmon tarts are a fun autumn dessert. It’s full of texture and different flavors to keep your palate entertained.
- A new spin on the classic shortcake! This coconut persimmon shortcake is stacked with ripe Fuyu persimmon, coconut whipped cream, and maple syrup.
Do I need to add baking soda to the persimmon pulp before using it in the recipe?
No, add the baking soda with the flour and other dry ingredients as written in step 2 of instructions.
One of my all time favorite winter cakes. Followed to a T. Do not leave out the rum! The glaze is everything.
A keeper! Fuyu persimmons and toasted walnuts come together so well. Loved the texture and rustic look. I omitted the dates to keep the cake not too sweet but did the icing :). I topped with more roasted walnuts, toasted coconut and candied ginger. The cake was a hit with all the guests at a New Year’s Eve party! Thank you !
Note: I processed the fruits just a little in the food processor, keeping some pieces so that we could see small pieces in the dough and gave a pleasant texture.
I made this cake for an annual family reunion especially because persimmons are a favorite in the family. It didn’t disappoint and was rich, flavorful, and extremely moist with almost fudgy texture. At first I thought the cake wasn’t done but I think the dates and persimmon pulp really made it moist. I wouldn’t have wanted to bake it any longer as the outside was perfect. The brown butter glaze was excellent and paired so well with the cake. This is definitely a cake that I would describe as one our grandmothers would have proudly served for any special occasion.