Persimmon Rum Bundt Cake

Everyone knows I love to bake so I'm often given food offerings.  This year I seem to be inundated with persimmons.  I have two bags in the garage and have already put pureed portions in the freezer.  I'm scrambling to bake something other than my beloved Grandma's cookies! In my search I found this recipe for a bundt cake, loaded with persimmon puree, walnuts, dates, and dark rum. To make it even more delectable it has a brown butter glaze.  Yum, it was good!

The recipe is a spin-off from a James Beard persimmon bread recipe.  Any type of alcohol can be used, including whiskey and brandy.  I'm not a big fan of either so I chose dark rum. It's definitely noticeable in the cake!

In many parts of the country persimmons are a fall treat. In central California they don't ripen until mid to late-November, so they are perfect for holiday baking. A slice of this cake, a cup of coffee, and Christmas carols playing in the background is the perfect diversion to help get through all the multitude of holiday season chores that await us!

Persimmon Rum Bundt Cake with Brown Butter Glaze

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
3 tablespoons dark rum (whisky or brandy)
2 cups persimmon puree *
2 cups toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 cup dried dates, coarsely chopped

Brown Butter Glaze:

1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 tablespoons milk, or more as needed to get a glaze consistency

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 12-cup bundt pan and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, with a paddle attachment (or use a hand-held mixer), mix together the butter and sugars.  Add eggs and mix until combined.

Add about 1/3  of 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 any dry streaks of flour. Add walnuts and fold until evenly distributed.

Pour batter into prepared bundt pan.  Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Let cake cool in pan for 15 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack and allow to cool to room temperature.

To make the brown butter glaze, melt butter over medium heat in a small saucepan. Once the butter has melted, continue to cook.  Swirl pan 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.  Allow brown butter to cool for 20-30 minutes.

Combine cooled butter, powdered sugar, salt, vanilla, and milk in a medium bowl.  Stir until the mixture is smooth.  Glaze should be slightly thick but pourable in consistency.  If desired, add small amounts of milk until desired consistency is achieved. Pour glaze over cooled bundt cake.

* To get persimmon puree, wait for the fruit to be very ripe and soft.  Peel skin, discard seeds, and scoop out soft insides. Process in food processor until pureed.