With December here, holiday baking is in full swing. Many people have a favorite cookie or cake recipe they look forward to making every year. I love the idea of traditional holiday recipes but it’s always so tempting to try something new, especially when it features an exotic ingredient. Â I brought this festive persimmon cake to a holiday party last year and it really stood out from the crowd in both taste and originality.
Depending on where you grew up, you may not be familiar with persimmons. Â With today’s global market, they are now becoming widely available. Â Persimmons were introduced in the United States in the 1880’s when a U.S. Commander brought back a native variety from Japan. Â The “hachiya” variety featured here should be consumed when fully ripe and soft. Preferably not covered in snow, but perhaps with a little cream cheese frosting on a luscious slice of persimmon cake.
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Festive Persimmon Cake
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 10-12
Description
This decadent cake is chock full of walnuts, apricot chunks and raisins. The seasonal tastes of nutmeg and brandy make it a real treat to serve at a holiday party along with egg nog, mulled cider or a glass of sparkling wine. I recommend serving this cake un-iced for breakfast or brunch, or with icing for afternoon tea a holiday party.
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups (350 grams0) sifted all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 2 cups (380 grams) sugar
- 1 cup (230 grams) melted butter, cooled
- 4 eggs, lightly beaten
- 2/3 cup (160 ml) Cognac or bourbon (I used brandy)
- 2 cups (450 grams) persimmon puree (Between 2 and 4 persimmons. It is not necessary to peel them)
- 2 cups (230 grams) coarsely chopped walnuts
- 2 cups (300 grams) raisins (I used one cup raisins and one cup of chopped dried apricots)
Instructions
- Sift all five dry ingredients into a mixing bowl.
- Make a well in the center and add the cooled, melted butter, eggs, Cognac, persimmon puree, nuts and raisins.
- Mix the dough until it is quite smooth.
- Fill a ring mold or four smaller molds to make individual cakes.
- Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour, or until a tester comes out clean.
Notes
- Optional Cream Cheese frosting (adapted from Martha Stewart) 8 ounces (226 grams) cream cheese, room temperature 8 ounces (226 grams) butter, room temperature and cut up into pieces 1 cup (130 grams) confectioners’ sugar 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract Place cream cheese and butter in a mixing bowl and beat together with a spatula until smooth.
- Sift in the sugar little by little until combined.
- Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Ice cake once well cooled, and store in refrigerator.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 440
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Frequently Asked Questions
What variety of persimmon does this recipe use, and how ripe should it be?
I use the hachiya variety, which must be fully ripe and soft before using. Hachiya persimmons are astringent when under-ripe; once they’re very soft and almost jelly-like, the flesh purees easily into the 2 cups (450 g) needed here — between 2 and 4 persimmons depending on size.
Can I substitute the Cognac or bourbon, and does the alcohol choice affect the flavor?
Yes — Cognac, bourbon, or brandy all work well; I actually used brandy and it gave a warm, fruity depth alongside the nutmeg. The 2/3 cup (160 ml) is a substantial amount that contributes both moisture and flavor, so don’t omit it entirely.
Does the recipe include a frosting option?
Yes — I include a cream cheese frosting adapted from Martha Stewart: beat together 8 oz (226 g) each of room-temperature cream cheese and butter, sift in 1 cup (130 g) confectioners’ sugar, and stir in 1 tsp vanilla extract. Ice the cake once fully cooled and store it in the refrigerator.
Your recipe was not detailed enough! How should one go about pureeing a persimmon if one has never used or even eaten one?
I made this for Thanksgiving dinner after finding some persimmons at my local produce market. The flavor is amazing! I should have baked it a few more minutes as it was still a little mushy in the center after an hour, but it was a hit anyway. (I cheated and used canned cream cheese frosting.) Your recipe sounded so good, I just had to try it, and I wanted to say thanks!! The family asked if I would make it again for Christmas. I pureed several extra persimmons and put them in the freezer in one cup portions so I can make at least one more :)
I live in Tennessee, and make a persimmon cake from the wild persimmons that grow throughout our region. It’s really good, put the persimmons are really small, and it takes a lot of them to get 2 cups. I’ve never seen persimmons at our local grocery stores (Kroger, Food Lion, or Super Walmarts) so gathering them from nature is a welcomed pleasure in October – that is if you can beat the animals to them. The cake is well worth all the pain staking pleasure I get from making it, and everyone loves it. I’m sure your’s is as wonderful as well.
Persimmon jam or jelly can it be made