Serves 10-12 slices

Preparation time:
1 hour – 1 hour 15 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 120g butter, softened
• 250g caster sugar
• 4 persimons, peeled and chopped into chunks
• 250g plain flour
• 50g ground almonds
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
• Pinch of salt
• 100g chopped pecans
• Zest of 1 lemon, finely grated

For the sauce:

• 50g butter
• 250g light brown sugar
• 142ml double cream
• 4 tbsp. water

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas mark 4 and grease a 9-inch round cake tin.
2. Beat the butter and sugar with an electric hand whisk in a large bowl until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, adding a little flour with each addition to keep the mixture smooth.
3. In a separate bowl, blend the persimons with a hand blender and stir into the butter and sugar mixture.
4. Sift in the remaining flour and the baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves into the bowl and fold in with the ground almonds. Stir in the pecans and lemon zest.
5. Spoon the cake mixture evenly into the cake tin and place in the preheated oven.
6. Bake for around 30-40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
7. While the cake is in the oven, make the caramel sauce. Add the sugar into a pan, stir in the water, then place over a medium heat until the sugar has dissolved.
8. Turn up the heat and bubble for 4-5 minutes until the liquid has darkened to a caramel colour. Take off the heat and carefully stir in the cream and butter.
9. When the cake is cooked, remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes. Then turn it out onto a platter and arrange the persimon slices on top.
10. Serve warm with the caramel sauce drizzled on top and a dollop of crème fraîche.