Chinese Five-Spice Caramel Persimmon Upside-Down Cake
Course: Cakes
Cuisine: Asian American
Prep Time: 30 minutesminutes
Cook Time: 50 minutesminutes
Total Time: 1 hourhour20 minutesminutes
Servings: 10servings
Calories: 441kcal
Author: Marvellina
Moist, aromatic, and gooey cake infused with Chinese five-spice powder and caramelized Fuyu persimmon is truly a treat you will enjoy when persimmon is in season.
Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C) for conventional oven. For a convection oven, reduce the temperature by 20 F or 15 C. Lightly grease a 9" round cake pan with at least 2" deep. Line the bottom with a parchment paper
Prepare the topping:
Slice the top, including the stem, off one of the persimmon and set it aside before peeling and slicing the rest of the persimmon into 1/4" thick wedges. This is for presentation
Place the persimmon top upside down in the middle of the pan and then arrange the persimmon slices around it
Place butter, brown sugar, and spice in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until sugar melts
Pour the syrup over the persimmon and spread evenly. Place this inside the fridge while you prepare the cake batter
Prepare the cake batter:
Combine oil, sugar, milk, and eggs in a mixing bowl. Beat over medium speed with a mixer for about 2 minutes
Combine the flour, baking powder, and five-spice powder. Whisk to mix. Sift this into the wet ingredients followed by the finely chopped persimmons and walnuts. Fold the ingredients just until you no longer see pockets of dry flour. Do not overmix
Remove the topping from the fridge. Spread the cake batter evenly over the surface of the topping
Baking:
Bake in the preheated oven, middle rack, for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out with a bit of moist crumbs. As long as it's not wet, it's done baking. I use a regular round cake pan. If you use a glass or ceramic dish, expect to bake a bit longer, another 5-10 minutes extra. Test with a toothpick or cake tester if you aren't sure
Cooling:
Let the cake cool down in the pan for 15 minutes. Then carefully turn out the cake onto a serving plate. Some of the sauce may be stuck on the pan. Simply scrape it down and spread on the cake
Serving:
The cake can be served warm or at room temperature. You can store the leftovers in an air-tight container in the fridge for about 3 days max for the best result