Persimmon Cake!

A few years ago at this time, I posted my adaptable cake recipe, something I’d memorized from a long ago summer in France. Here I am again, cake temptress, with a lovely persimmon cake variation of the recipe, after being given a generous amount of Fuyu persimmons from a friend’s tree in November. Please read the basic recipe blog entry, to get a sense of the importance of good ingredients. At the moment, I can’t link that blog post, due to some technical change requiring my site person, but it’s from November, 2021. If you are vegan, gluten or dairy free, you’ll need to get creative with substituting ingredients, below.

You’ll need:

4-5 ripe ( squishy) persimmons

3 eggs

1 stick unsalted butter

1/2 cup coconut sugar

2 cups spelt flour (I prefer whole, rather than refined)

pinch sea salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp each baking soda & baking powder

1/4 c yogurt

1 teaspoon powdered ginger

1- 2 tablespoons cinnamon ( I favor the larger portion, blending both Ceylon & Vietnamese cinnamon )

3/4 – 1 c walnuts which need to be prepared ahead, by soaking overnight in salted water, drained, and gently toasted at 170-200F for 3-4 hours. This renders the nuts more digestible, and draws out the oils, delicately.

Prepare your cake pan with a tablespoon of the butter, and preheat oven at 350F

Cut the tops around leaves & stem from persimmons, then scoop out the flesh and reserve.

Using one large bowl, cream butter and sugar, then add eggs one at a time, blending well after each.

Add flour and other dry ingredients; then add persimmons followed by yogurt and vanilla. Fold in nuts and bake!

For this post, and photos, I added something special at the end, making a little confectioner’s sugar (organic of course!) glaze, adding freshly ground cardamom from 4 whole green ( unbleached) pods.

The Mr. likes this cake with vanilla ice cream.