Spiced Persimmon Olive Oil Cake

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Author Notes: When I recently found myself with an abundance of Fuyu persimmons, I figured the best way to make my way through the mother lode would be to find ways to bake them into something sweet. My first thought was of one of my very favorite recipes ever, the Zucchini Olive Oil Cake from Gina DePalma at Babbo Ristorante in New York City. Her cake is pretty much flawless, so I was a little hesitant to mess with the recipe, but I held my breath and tinkered and came up with this cake, which gets more of its sweetness from the fruit and is great with just a dusting of powdered sugar. (Okay, and maybe a little whipped cream wouldn't hurt either.) I like the whole wheat flour because it adds nice texture, but you can go with 100% all-purpose flour if you prefer. Fuyu persimmons are essential, though, as they have the right texture for grating. - vvvanessa

Food52 Review: This cake is a delightful choice to ring in the cold weather when persimmons are at their peak. I loved everything about this cake; all of the tiny touches -- the brightly colored grated fruit, the bit of whole-wheat flour, the freshly grated ginger, and roasted ground pecans combined with a bright, bold olive oil –- add up to one delicious cake with an enchanting melody of flavors. A note to cooks: the fruit does add a lot of sweetness –- experiment with cutting the sugar down if you want the fruit sugars to shine through. I used half the recommended amount and it came out wonderfully. - thebreukelenlife

Serves 10 to 12

• This recipe is a Community Pick!
• This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Persimmons
• This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Non-Pie Thanksgiving Dessert

Tags: bundt cake, cake, Desserts, fall, fall, fall, olive oil, persimmon