No Sugar Added Persimmon Spice Cake

A neighbor gave us a whole ton of persimmons a few weeks back. They were not quite ripe yet, so I put them in a paper bag and put them in the garage until I had time and an idea of something to do with them.

The first step to using them was to make persimmon pulp. I left the skins on, removed the leaves, and large seeds, and pureed them in my food processor in small batches.

This recipe super easy to make, and is good for people watching their sugar intake, or people on Weight Watchers. Most of the sugar is from the persimmons, and it is very low in fat. This cake has a wonderful spicy flavor very akin to gingerbread. My kids loved it, and it kept well on the counter for several days, covered with plastic wrap.

On the advice of my friend CG the Foodie, I froze the leftover persimmon pulp in 1/2 cup portions for use in smoothies. Their mild flavor means that they go well with virtually any other fruit (without overpowering it).


No Sugar Added Persimmon Cake
------------------------------------
1 Box Pillsbury Yellow Reduced Sugar Cake Mix
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 cups persimmon pulp
1 tsp. orange zest
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/3 cup fat-free egg substitute, or 3 egg whites

Preheat oven to 350F. Combine Cake mix and spices in a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mix with an electric mixer for 2 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl to ensure everything is fully incorporated. Batter will be very thick.

Spray a 13x9 pan with cooking spray. Spread batter evenly in pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Makes 18 servings (square pieces approx. 2" per side) at 2 WW Points per serving