Persimmon Pudding Cake. A softly set, spice-scented pudding cake using the pulp of fully ripe Hachiya persimmons. The formula and timing below are working estimates for a future kitchen trial, not a claim that a batch has been made.
Jump to ingredients · Jump to method
A cake meant to stay soft
Persimmon pudding cake is closer to a moist, gently set spice cake than an airy layer cake. This version puts fully ripe Hachiya pulp into an eight-inch square pan so nine slices show a tender, somewhat pudding-like center and lightly browned edges.
The formula is a working draft. Persimmon sweetness and water content change from fruit to fruit, so the initial bake must establish whether the center sets at the stated pan depth. The two-hour estimate begins when ripe pulp is ready; it does not include days of fruit ripening.
Only fully ripe fruit belongs here
Hachiya persimmons must be completely soft before use. Firm fruit can be unpleasantly astringent. Scoop the flesh, remove seeds and measure one and a half cups; do not assume that a fixed number of fruit yields the needed volume. The referenced persimmon cake similarly centers ripe fruit, but this square-pan ratio is proposed separately.
Baking soda goes into the pulp, while flour, a little baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and salt form the dry mix. Eggs, brown sugar, melted cooled butter, milk and vanilla form the wet base. Cooling the butter helps avoid warming the eggs prematurely.
This recipe contains wheat, egg and milk. A substitution of Fuyu slices or purée is not guaranteed to have the same consistency or sweetness; develop and measure it separately rather than silently swapping fruit types.
Ingredients for 9 slices
| Ingredient | Amount | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Very ripe Hachiya persimmon pulp | 1 1/2 cups | Fruit must be fully soft and non-astringent before scooping. |
| Baking soda | 1 teaspoon | Stir into pulp. |
| All-purpose flour | 1 1/2 cups | Spoon and level. |
| Baking powder | 1/2 teaspoon | Dry mix. |
| Ground cinnamon | 1 teaspoon | Dry mix. |
| Ground ginger | 1/2 teaspoon | Dry mix. |
| Fine salt | 1/4 teaspoon | Dry mix. |
| Large eggs | 2 eggs | Wet mix. |
| Light brown sugar, packed | 3/4 cup | Wet mix. |
| Unsalted butter, melted and cooled | 1/2 cup | Wet mix. |
| Whole milk | 1/4 cup | Wet mix. |
| Vanilla extract | 1 teaspoon | Wet mix. |
Step-by-step method
- Wait until Hachiya persimmons are very soft and their scooped flesh tastes free of astringency. Measure 1 1/2 cups pulp and stir in 1 tsp baking soda. Heat oven to 350°F and grease an 8-inch square pan; line with parchment for lifting.
- Whisk 1 1/2 cups flour, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ginger and 1/4 tsp salt. Separately whisk 2 eggs with 3/4 cup packed brown sugar, 1/2 cup cooled melted butter, 1/4 cup milk and 1 tsp vanilla; mix in the treated pulp.
- Fold dry mixture into wet just until no dry flour remains. Transfer to the pan and bake at 350°F approximately 45–55 minutes, until the center is set and a skewer has moist crumbs rather than raw batter. The center may be softer than a standard sponge.
- Cool on a rack approximately 45 minutes before cutting nine squares. Note actual pan fill, set, sweetness and fruit variety in the first bake; do not describe the interior as tested.
Mix gently and watch the middle
Grease and line the square pan, then bring the oven to 350°F. Stir soda into the measured pulp and whisk the other wet ingredients until combined. Fold the dry bowl in only until flour disappears; prolonged mixing can make a compact cake tougher.
Spread into the pan and bake approximately forty-five to fifty-five minutes. Look for a set top and a skewer that pulls out moist crumbs, not liquid batter. A dark edge alone does not establish the center. If the top colors before the middle sets, record a foil-tent adjustment for the tested version.
Allow a forty-five-minute rack cool before cutting. A still-hot pudding center can look underdone when sliced immediately, and the planned presentation depends on squares that hold together.
Moist is not raw
If the skewer carries wet batter, continue baking in small increments and document the true cook time. If it comes out bone dry and edges pull hard from the pan, the cake may have gone beyond its intended soft texture. In either case, record fruit pulp weight and pan dimensions along with the result.
If the batter seems unusually thin because the fruit is very watery, do not improvise an unmeasured spoonful of flour and still call it the same recipe. Document the batch, then revise the measured formula after comparing outcomes.
Spice is restrained here: cinnamon and ginger should frame the persimmon rather than hide it. A whiskey sauce, ice cream or whipped cream may be a serving choice but is not part of the base ingredients, nutrition or image.
Serving and keeping
Cut nine squares once cooled. The plain cake can be offered warm or at room temperature, but the proposed holding and reheating qualities need an actual trial before a precise storage promise is published. Cool completely before covering to reduce condensation.
Because ripe fruit can be hard to source on a fixed publishing schedule, plan the kitchen trial ahead of the occasion. This long-tail recipe has not been assigned another topic's Pinterest growth percentage.
Persimmon questions
Can I use a firm Hachiya?
No. Wait until it is fully soft and no longer astringent before measuring the pulp.
Is this a steamed pudding?
No. The draft is a pan-baked, moist pudding-style cake.
Can I use Fuyu instead?
That is a different fruit texture in this application; test a measured variation before promising the same set.
Further reading and related Chefly recipes: Mom's Kitchen Handbook's persimmon pudding cake. These are relevant references and other dishes, not evidence that this proposed formula was tested.
Recipe-card handoff — preview, not a native plugin card
Persimmon Pudding Cake. Category: Desserts. 9 slices. Prep approximately 20 minutes; cooking approximately 55 minutes; additional cooling/chilling approximately 45 minutes; total approximately 120 minutes excluding preheat. Not kitchen-tested; nutrition not calculated.
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups Very ripe Hachiya persimmon pulp; 1 teaspoon Baking soda; 1 1/2 cups All-purpose flour; 1/2 teaspoon Baking powder; 1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon Ground ginger; 1/4 teaspoon Fine salt; 2 eggs Large eggs; 3/4 cup Light brown sugar, packed; 1/2 cup Unsalted butter, melted and cooled; 1/4 cup Whole milk; 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract.
Instructions: Wait until Hachiya persimmons are very soft and their scooped flesh tastes free of astringency. Measure 1 1/2 cups pulp and stir in 1 tsp baking soda. Heat oven to 350°F and grease an 8-inch square pan; line with parchment for lifting. Whisk 1 1/2 cups flour, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ginger and 1/4 tsp salt. Separately whisk 2 eggs with 3/4 cup packed brown sugar, 1/2 cup cooled melted butter, 1/4 cup milk and 1 tsp vanilla; mix in the treated pulp. Fold dry mixture into wet just until no dry flour remains. Transfer to the pan and bake at 350°F approximately 45–55 minutes, until the center is set and a skewer has moist crumbs rather than raw batter. The center may be softer than a standard sponge. Cool on a rack approximately 45 minutes before cutting nine squares. Note actual pan fill, set, sweetness and fruit variety in the first bake; do not describe the interior as tested.
Allergens: Wheat; Egg; Milk. Review packaged ingredients and cross-contact before serving.
Print
Persimmon Pudding Cake
- Total Time: 120 minutes
- Yield: 9 servings 1x
Description
An eight-inch square, moist spiced persimmon pudding cake.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups Very ripe Hachiya persimmon pulp
- 1 teaspoon Baking soda
- 1 1/2 cups All-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon Baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon Fine salt
- 2 eggs Large eggs
- 3/4 cup Light brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup Unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1/4 cup Whole milk
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
Instructions
- Wait until Hachiya persimmons are very soft and their scooped flesh tastes free of astringency. Measure 1 1/2 cups pulp and stir in 1 tsp baking soda. Heat oven to 350°F and grease an 8-inch square pan; line with parchment for lifting.
- Whisk 1 1/2 cups flour, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ginger and 1/4 tsp salt. Separately whisk 2 eggs with 3/4 cup packed brown sugar, 1/2 cup cooled melted butter, 1/4 cup milk and 1 tsp vanilla; mix in the treated pulp.
- Fold dry mixture into wet just until no dry flour remains. Transfer to the pan and bake at 350°F approximately 45–55 minutes, until the center is set and a skewer has moist crumbs rather than raw batter. The center may be softer than a standard sponge.
- Cool on a rack approximately 45 minutes before cutting nine squares. Note actual pan fill, set, sweetness and fruit variety in the first bake; do not describe the interior as tested.
Notes
Recipe-development draft; not kitchen-tested. Timing and yield are estimates. Nutrition has not been calculated.
Additional chilling, resting or cooling time: 45 minutes, included in the total.
Untested estimate: up to 55 minutes baking and 45 minutes cooling; ripening fruit can take days and is excluded.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Chilling, resting or cooling: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Desserts
Nutrition
- Serving Size: One ninth of an 8-inch square pan