Durian flesh can be separated into chunks and eaten raw, used in juices and smoothies, and desserts. Predominantly used in recipes for cakes and other sweet desserts, durian is delicious in treats like ice cream. Durian is also enjoyed in many Southeast Asian cuisines in savory dishes.

Durian is most often used in sweet applications, making it a great fruit for baking, pastry and candy making. In many Southeast Asian cuisines, durian is also used in savory dishes for its pungent, savoury-sweet flavour. Pastry: Durian can be baked into cakes, pastries, creams and custards, sticky rice and more.

Durians are a divisive fruit that some love and others loathe. They are notorious for giving off a pungent odour that stops most in their tracks. But don’t let the aroma deter you from attempting this durian cake. It’s moist and bursting with sweet, buttery durian flavour – but not overwhelmingly so.

This cake is a perfect example of East meets west. If you're looking for something new that you've probably never tasted, then this is the recipe for you.

INGREDIENTS

Cake

1 cup butter

¾ cup caster sugar

3 eggs

1 cup durian meat

2 tbsp milk

1 cup self-raising flour

⅛ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda

Frosting

3 ½ cups powdered sugar

½ cup butter softened

1 tsp vanilla

1 tbsp milk

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 340°F. Grease and line a 9” baking tin.

Add butter and caster sugar to a large bowl. Beat until creamed. The mixture should have turned pale in color.

Continue beating the mixture, adding one egg at a time until they are all well combined.

Use a spoon to stir in the durian and milk.

Sift in the flour, baking powder, and bicarb soda. Fold the dry ingredients until fully incorporated into the mixture.

Scoop batter into a 9” baking tin and bake for 40-50 minutes until cooked or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.

Allow the cake to cool for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Slice the cake into thirds and ice the top of each layer.

To make the icing

Beat the sugar and butter with an electric mixer until combined. Start the mixer on a low speed to avoid a mess.

Add vanilla and milk and continue beating until smooth and well combined. If the frosting is a little dry, keep adding a small amount of milk at a time until it reaches a spreadable texture.

Durians come in different varieties, all of which have varying flavor. If you have the choice at a market, choose a durian with the darker yellow-colored flesh. Durians with pale flesh are usually a combination of sweet and bitter, which isn’t ideal for cake making.

If you enjoy cake then be sure to check out our genoise sponge which doesn't use baking powder to get its lift. Check out how we do it now! Prefer something a little easier to make? Find out how to bake banana bread.

Tips to improve your durian cake are

Cream sufficiently, add the eggs slowly, double sift dry ingredients, Go easy on the flour mixing, Divide the mixture before baking.