PERSIMMON CAKE WITH MANADARIN SYRUP

This cake was created by looking at the fruit I had at home.  Persimmons and mandarins are fantastic at the moment. Persimmons when cooked, melt down to a soft, juicy pulp which is fantastic folded into cakes. Mandarin juice cooked down to a syrup and drizzled over the cake has made this cake my new favourite.

Serves 10

Ingredients

3-4 persimmons, peeled, roughly diced

1 Tbsp sugar

2 eggs

70g butter, softened

1 ½  cup brown sugar

½  cup caster sugar

250g flour

1 Tbsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ ground cardamom

Syrup

5 mandarins, zested and juiced

2 Tbsp sugar

4 cardamom pods, lightly crushed

Method

Lightly grease 18cm squared in with butter and baking paper.

Preheat the oven 180C

Begin by making the persimmon pulp.  Add the prepared persimmons to a small saucepan with 2 tablespoon water and 1 tablespoon sugar.  Bring to the boil then reduce and cook until the persimmons are very soft and pulpy (12 minutes).  Blend until smooth. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl add the pulp, softened butter, both sugars and mix until well combined.

Sift the dry ingredients together and fold through the batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

While the cake is cooking, make the manadarin syrup by adding the zest and juice with the water, sugar and cardamom pods.  Cook until a syrup starts to form.  This will take about 10 minutes.  If it becomes too thick, add a little water to loosen it up. Set aside.

When the cake is cooked, prick the surface with the skewer and pour over the warm syrup.  Allow it to soak in before cutting into it.