Persimmon cake will be reminding you of a Christmas pudding. It’s a scrumptious cake that’s soft and a bit moist on the inside with a chewy outer crust. Flavored with spices, orange, and brandy and loaded with walnuts and almonds.
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It’s a very flavorful cake that can be turned into an amazing dessert to serve during the holidays. When you serve it topped with fresh whipped cream and a bit of ground cinnamon on top it’s truly heavenly. Personally, I couldn’t stop eating it. That indulgently delicious it is.
Which Type Of Persimmons To Use
To make this cake you need Hichaya persimmons. This variety turns really mushy when ripe while Fuyu still hold their shape even when they’re very ripe.
How Ripe Should The Persimmons Be?
The ripest the better. And I’m talking ripe to the point they get really mushy. Seriously! When it comes to persimmons being ripe is very important for two reasons mainly. The one is that when persimmons are really ripe they stop producing this weird sensation on your tongue that feels like numbness. Which is caused by….
Second, ripeness brings with it real sweetness and it’s at this point that you can fully enjoy all of the persimmon flavor.
Do I Skin Persimmons?
Persimmon skin is edible. Though there is some belief it may cause intestinal obstruction if consumed in large amounts for a period of time. In this recipe, persimmons get skinned and then blended. Mainly for texture purposes. The moist and liquid flesh is what gives this cake a moist texture.
How To Ripen Persimmons Quicker
Now you may be wondering how long do I have to wait in order to make this cake? Since persimmons are usually sold very firm. There is an old trick to cut down the ripening time of persimmons in half. By placing them in a paper bag, along with a banana or apple. These fruits will release ethylene gas and will help persimmons ripe faster.
Cake Flavorings
With every bite of this cake, a bunch of flavors kicks in. From warming spices, to sweet flavors of orange, persimmon, honey, and brandy. But also earthy hints from the olive oil, walnuts, and almonds. That’s why it has a similar taste to that of a Christmas pudding. Where many different flavors combine together to yield one strong flavor.
What Persimmons Taste Like In A Cake?
Persimmons (the very ripe ones) when baked inside a cake have a sweet flavor similar to that of raw honey or fruity caramel. And when combined with other flavors in this recipe the final flavor of the cake is like raw honey or fruity caramel with a hint of cocoa. Even though this cake contains non!
SERVE WITH
This cake is simply divine when served topped with a spoonful of fresh whipped cream. If you want to skip the cream you can simply dust some icing sugar on top. Or you can make a white chocolate glaze which is really good also. But I am not exchanging the whipped cream topping even for that! Just giving you some ideas 😉.
Recipe
Persimmon Cake (moist and spiced)
Ingredients
For The Cake:
- 550 grams (2 cups + 3 tbsp) persimmon pulp from very ripe persimmons
- 3 medium-sized eggs
- 250 grams (1 ¼ cup) sugar
- 50 ml olive oil
- 100 grams (5 tbsp) honey
- 3 tablespoons brandy or almond liqueur
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon cardamom (green)
- 1 orange zested
- 125 grams (1 ¼ cups) coarsely ground almonds
- 80 grams (½ cup + 1 tbsp) coarsely ground walnuts
- 350 grams (2 ¾ cup) all-purpose flour sifted
For The Whipped Cream:
- 450 ml heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- a pinch of nutmeg
- ground cinnamon to serve with
Instructions
To Make The Cake:
- Preheat oven to 170°C / 338°F or (160°C / 320°F on gas).
- Add the eggs to the bowl of your electric mixer and with the whisk attachment on, beat over medium-high speed. Add the sugar in gradually and keep beating until the mixture turns whitish in color and foamy.
- Then add the olive oil in, threadlike.
- Turn off the mixer and set the mixture aside.
- Add the persimmon pulp to a blender or small food processor and pulse until smooth.
- Transfer the persimmon pulp to a mixing bowl and add the spices, orange zest, and salt. Dissolve the baking soda with the brandy (or liqueur) and add to the bowl as well.
- Stir well with a whisk for 2-3 minutes for the ingredients to combine thoroughly.
- Then add the eggs in and mix gently with the whisk.
- Gradually add the flour to the mixture while whisking gently with the whisk.
- Finally, mix in the ground nuts.
- Grease a bundt cake pan with butter and dust with some flour.
- Transfer the cake batter to the pan and bake for about 40-45 minutes.
- Then drop the temperature to 150°C / 302°F (140°C / 284°F on gas) and bake for 15-20 minutes more. Prick the cake with a knife to see if it's cooked through. NOTE: This is a slightly moist cake so the knife is not supposed to come out completely clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for at least 2 hours at room temperature before flipping it over a plate.
To Make The Cream:
- Add the cream to the bowl of your electric mixer. Start beating over medium-high speed and gradually add the sugar. Add also the pinch of nutmeg and the vanilla extract. Beat until stiff picks form.
Serving And Storing:
- Slice the cake and serve it topped with fresh whipped cream and some cinnamon on top.
- You can store the cake in an airtight food container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to a week.
- NOTE: As this whipped cream is made with a small amount of granulated sugar (not icing sugar) it will turn a bit runnier after a while. If you wish to use it again the next day, remove from the fridge and beat it for 2-3 minutes. And it will thicken again.
Nutrition
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