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Loading...Feijoas are an iconic New Zealand fruit with a sweet-tart, almost tropical flavor that shines in this simple butter cake. The soft, gritty pulp melts into the batter as it bakes, perfuming the kitchen with a fragrance somewhere between pineapple and guava. Serve it warm with whipped cream for an easy Kiwi afternoon tea.
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time50 mins
Total Time70 mins
Servings8
Yield8 servings
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (estimated)
- 480 kcalCalories
- 22 gFat
- 13 gSaturated Fat
- 65 gCarbs
- 3 gFiber
- 38 gSugar
- 6 gProtein
- 280 mgSodium
- 220 mgPotassium
- 95 mgCalcium
- 2 mgIron
- 18 mgVitamin C
- 480 mcgVitamin A
Ingredients
For the cake batter
- 225 g (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200 g) caster sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups (260 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) whole milk
For the feijoa filling and topping
- 8 ripe feijoas (about 500 g), peeled and pulp scooped
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease and line a 22 cm (9-inch) round cake tin with baking paper.
- Prepare the feijoas by slicing each fruit in half, scooping the soft pulp into a bowl, and discarding the skin. Toss the pulp with the lemon juice to keep the color bright.
- In a large bowl, cream the butter and caster sugar together with an electric mixer for 4-5 minutes until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together. Add the dry mixture to the butter mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix just until combined.
- Gently fold the prepared feijoa pulp through the batter using a spatula, keeping some small chunks intact. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the top.
- Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together, then sprinkle evenly over the surface of the batter.
- Bake on the middle rack for 45-50 minutes, until the top is golden brown, springs back lightly when touched, and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean with only moist crumbs.
- Cool the cake in the tin for 15 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature, ideally with lightly whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Cook’s Notes
- Choose ripe feijoas that feel slightly heavy for their size and yield to gentle pressure; under-ripe fruit will be too tart and firm.
- Do not overmix the batter once the feijoa pulp is added, as the gritty seed content can make the crumb dense if worked too hard.
- For a moister cake, let the batter rest for 10 minutes before baking so the flour can fully absorb the milk.
- This cake keeps well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days and actually tastes better on day two.
- If feijoas are out of season, substitute with a mix of mashed ripe pear and a splash of pineapple juice for a similar tropical note.
