Persimmon Cake

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PRESENTATION

Autumn in Italy, you know, brings this amazing persimmon cake. It's like the ultimate dessert that shows off seasonal fruits like cachi. So... Here's the deal, these persimmons—known as "mele d’Oriente"—become a sweet staple when it cools down. Persimmon cake recipe? Oh, it is pretty much a dream, blending moist persimmon filling with a crunchy cacao crumble topping, plus a dash of raw Fleur de sel. And the salt? It really elevates the fruit’s natural sweetness, turning each bite into a super special treat.

Thing is, that soft interior and crumbly exterior bring this exciting texture. Really, really good. And listen, pair it with spiced tea—yeah, you'll totally get those cozy autumn vibes, perfect for when the leaves change outside.

Now, in Northern Italy, some folks even switch out cacao for local chocolate. Honestly, this easy persimmon cake ends up way richer. Also, persimmons inspire other sweets like persimmon and cacao pudding or persimmon cheesecake cups. The fruit's versatility? For real, it's amazing when ripe. That moist persimmon pulp? It's like almost creamy. Then add the cacao and salt for balance. Which is great.

This dessert? Totally stands out among persimmon dessert options. The crumble adds a hint of golden color and a tender bite. Whether you compare it to persimmon bread or a persimmon bundt cake, the unique texture and flavors make it a must-try. For anyone into new holiday baking ideas, this cake—seriously good—captures the season in a cozy, inviting slice. Enjoy it as a great twist on traditional autumn treats, bringing warmth and sweetness to your table. Cannot go wrong with that.

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INGREDIENTS

Ingredients for a 10-inch diameter cake pan
Persimmon 1.25 lbs (550 g) - vanilla ripe
Type 00 flour 1 ¾ cup (210 g)
Brown sugar 0.8 cup (150 g)
Raw cocoa powder ¾ tbsp (10 g)
Fleur de sel 1 tsp (5 g)
Cardamon 1 pinch
Butter 5.3 oz (150 g) - cold
to line the cake pan
Butter to taste
Brown sugar 1 ½ tbsp (20 g)
for dusting
Raw cocoa powder to taste
Preparation

How to prepare Persimmon Cake

To prepare the persimmon cake, wash the fruits, cut off the stem 1 and remove the peel 2, slice them roughly 3 and set aside.

Now take care of the dough: pour the sifted flour into a large bowl, add the brown sugar 4, fleur de sel 5, and ground cardamom 6.

Add also the raw cocoa 7 and stir to mix the powders 8. Cut the cold butter into cubes 9.

Add the butter into the bowl as well 10, work the dough with your fingertips quickly 11 to obtain crumbs 12.

Butter a 10-inch diameter cake pan and sprinkle the bottom and edge with brown sugar. Pour half of the dough and level it on the bottom with a fork 13. Now pour the persimmons 14 and distribute them with the fork or a spoon to create an even filling layer 15.

Now pour the other half of the dough 16 to completely cover the filling 17. Bake the cake in a preheated static oven at 356°F for 40 minutes. Once baked, take the persimmon cake out of the oven, let it cool before serving, dusting the surface with raw cocoa 18.

Storage

The persimmon cake can be kept under a glass dome for up to a couple of days. Freezing is not recommended.

Advice

Raw cocoa has a more aromatic and distinctly floral taste compared to roasted cocoa (the common bitter cocoa powder we are used to using) but if you can't find it, you can use bitter cocoa powder in the same doses. Fleur de sel or flower of salt is a prestigious flaky salt with a delicate flavor; if you can't find it, you can replace it with a pinch of fine salt or coarsely ground salt. The difference will be that fine salt will dissolve uniformly, slightly altering the overall taste of the dessert, unlike the flaky one that doesn't dissolve in the dough and gives a pleasant crumbly texture under the teeth.

For the translation of some texts, artificial intelligence tools may have been used.