Bake this sweet, rich persimmon pudding cake with hachiya persimmon pulp, eggs, butter, milk, vanilla, flour, sugar, spices, and nuts. It’s a very special, old-fashioned fall dessert that you’ll love!
Hachiya persimmons can be baked into a delicious, moist cake that’s almost pudding-like.
Due to the natural sweetness of the flesh of ripe Hachiya persimmons, this recipe only uses 1/2 cup of added sugar!
What are persimmons?
A fruit of fall, persimmons show off their bright orange balls just when a cold sets in and trees are beginning to shed their leaves.
It comes in two varieties – Fuyu and Hachiya – with very different properties. Fuyu persimmons are short and squat and look a bit like tomatoes; They are to be peeled, sliced and eaten like apples.
Hachiya (like those pictured) are larger than the fuyu and are shaped like an acorn. They must fully mature before you eat them. An immature Hachiya? Eating one is an experience you will never forget or do again, they are so astringent that your mouth curls.
If a Hachiya persimmon is behaving like a seriously overripe tomato (it feels soft all over) and its inside is a mush, then it can be opened and the sweet flesh scooped out.
Baked goods are made using the pulp of Hachiya persimmons. For convenience, the pulp can be frozen in batches of one or two cups.
How do persimmons taste?
Persimmons have a sweet, mild and rich taste. Fuyu are firm with a thick skin that should be peeled. They’re a little slippery but cute. They should be eaten when still firm but ripe.
Hachiyas must be tender to be edible. Their flesh has been compared to the taste of honey, although their taste is not quite like honey but just as sweet.
Both types of persimmons must be ripe to be eaten, otherwise you will get a very uncomfortable, dry feeling in your mouth.
Do American persimmons work in this cake?
Yes! American persimmons (Diospyros virginiana) are smaller than Hachiya persimmons (Diospyros kaki “Hachiya”). However, like their Hachiya cousins, they are only edible when very soft.
These persimmons are native to North America and grow throughout the eastern and central United States. Persimmon puddings like this one are particularly popular in the Midwestern states.
Why does persimmon pudding turn dark?
Persimmon flesh is bright orange. But after baking, this pudding turns dark brown. Don’t worry! This is perfectly normal.
It’s the reaction between the pigments in the persimmon and the alkaline baking soda in the batter that creates this browning. If you want a more golden persimmon pudding cake, remove the baking soda and use 1 1/2 teaspoons total of baking soda.
How to store persimmon pudding cake
This pudding cake will keep for about 3 days at cool room temperature. For longer storage, refrigerate, up to 5 days. For best flavor, bring cake to room temperature before serving.
You can freeze the pudding cake for up to 1 month.
More fall desserts to make!
- Cranberry Apple Crostada
- apple cobbler
- Spice cake with applesauce
- Persimmon Cookies
- Pumpkin Chiffon Cake
From the editors of Simply Recipes
Persimmon Pudding Cake
ingredients
-
2 cups ripe Hachiya Persimmon cellulose
-
1/2 Cup sugar
-
4 big eggs
-
1/2 cup (1 floor ) buttermelted
-
3/4 Cup milk
-
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
-
1 teaspoon baking powder
-
1 teaspoon baking soda
-
1/2 teaspoon Salt
-
2 teaspoon Cinammon
-
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
-
1 teaspoon ground ginger
-
1 teaspoon ground allspice
-
1 Cup chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts)
-
whipped creamTo serve
method
-
Preheat the oven:
Preheat oven to 400°F.
-
Mix persimmon, sugar, eggs, butter, milk and vanilla:
In a large bowl, combine persimmon pulp, sugar, eggs, butter, milk, and vanilla extract.
-
Whisk together the dry ingredients:
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices.
-
Combine the dry and wet ingredients:
Add one-third of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, incorporating fully after each addition. Add the chopped nuts and mix.
-
Bake at 400°F:
Butter an 8-inch square glass pan. Pour in the batter and finish baking (about 50 minutes).
-
Cut and serve:
Serve warm or at room temperature, garnished with a dollop of whipped cream.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 427 | calories |
| 24g | Fat |
| 47g | carbohydrates |
| 10g | protein |
