3-Tiered Spiced Persimmon Cake

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Don’t toss out those overripe fuyu persimmons! Use them to make this delicious spiced persimmon cake recipe loaded with rich persimmon jam and a creamy layer of cheesecake in the middle. If you like it, bookmark this jasmine-infused pineapple cake with cream cheese frosting for next time.

This spiced persimmon cake recipe is the kind of dessert that brightens up the dinner table on holidays and special occasions, but also feels comforting and simple enough to be enjoyed on a cozy day paired with coffee or chai. Sweet but not too rich, spiced but not overbearing, this cake is as balanced as it is beautiful.

Persimmon cake is one of my favorite fuyu persimmon recipes, especially because it works best with persimmons that are too ripe to eat fresh – a problem I encounter frequently when buying fuyu persimmons in bulk from H Mart. That being said, it’ll taste just as good with ripe hachiya persimmons if that’s what you have on hand.

🛒 What You Need To Make This Persimmon Cake Recipe

Persimmon Jam Ingredients

• Persimmons: Though this is a fuyu persimmon recipe, you can use hachiya persimmons instead, so long as they’re ripe. It’s important to note that fuyu persimmons work best if they’re overripe, but if they’re on the firm side, you can blend them into a persimmon puree before step 1. This won’t work with firm hachiya persimmons, as they’ll be too astringent.
• Sugar: Granulated white sugar or cane sugar works best.
• Lemon

Cake Ingredients

• Spices: Cloves and cinnamon are a must, but I like to add mahleb as well, which is made from the ground pits of the St. Lucie cherry and is used in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine, but this is optional. You could also add a small amount of cardamom or ginger.
• Oil: Vegetable oil or canola oil.
• Butter: Salted or unsalted is fine.
• Pistachios: Walnuts would be a good alternative.

🍰 How To Make Persimmon Cake

Persimmon Jam Instructions

Step 1: Peel persimmons and add pulp to a 5-quart pot. Top with sugar and lemon juice and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes or until thickened. Set aside.

Cheesecake Instructions

Step 1: Add cheesecake ingredients to a food processor or mixer and blend until smooth.

Step 2: Add cheesecake batter to a 9-inch springform pan and bake on the middle rack of a 325°F oven for 50 minutes or until set and slightly jiggly in the center. Remove cheesecake from the oven and leave on the counter to cool for 1 hour or until room temperature before transferring to the fridge to set.

Persimmon Cake Instructions

Step 1: While cheesecake is cooling, add dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and stir until thoroughly combined. Whisk wet ingredients together in a separate bowl.

Step 2: Pour wet ingredients into the large mixing bowl and mix into dry mixture until combined, being careful not to overmix. Fold in pistachios and 3/4 cup persimmon jam.

Step 3: Lightly grease cake pan with oil and place parchment paper over the bottom, then carefully pour in the cake batter. Bake at 350°F for 40 minutes. If the center is still wet or if a toothpick stuck into the middle doesn’t come out clean, lower the temperature to 325° and bake an additional 10 minutes.

Step 4: Remove cake from the oven and allow it to cool for 1 hour or until room temperature. Once fully cooled, carefully slice cake into two equally-sized rounds.

Step 5: Blend cream cheese, butter, and vanilla extract until smooth. Mix in half of the powdered sugar, then the other half once it’s consistent. Keep in the fridge until cake is assembled.

Assembly & Garnishing Instructions

Step 1: To assemble, set the bottom cake on a lazy Susan, layer with half the persimmon jam, the cheesecake layer, and the remaining jam, then cap with the final cake layer.

Step 2: Apply frosting in a thick layer over the top of the cake, and a thin, semi-naked layer around the sides so cake layers remain faintly visible. You may choose to finish the cake with a textured top as I did, spreading a bit of additional frosting in gentle, sweeping motions from the center outward to create soft, swirling ridges. This works best while rotating the lazy Susan.

Step 3: Place a handful of fresh sage leaves over the center of the cake, then top with thinly sliced fuyu persimmons and sprinkle with chopped pistachios.

How To Make Fuyu Persimmon “Roses”

These delicate fuyu persimmon flowers look complicated, but are actually super simple to make and can be used to garnish a variety of fuyu persimmon recipes.

All you need to do is cut a firm fuyu persimmon into thin slices with a mandolin (each flower is made up of 3 slices). To make the rose, you just fold one slice in half, then skewer it onto a toothpick. Then you’ll add a slice folded into fourths to the skewer, and then one more halved slice on the end. If the slices don’t want to hold their shape, you can use two toothpicks.

🍅 Fuyu vs. Hachiya Persimmons

Ahh, the age-old question: which is better, Fuyu or Hachiya persimmons? These varieties differ mainly in texture and sweetness.

Hachiya persimmons are acorn-shaped and extremely astringent when firm, but soft and jelly-like when fully ripe.

Fuyu persimmons are squat and tomato-shaped, and sweet even when firm. These are often sliced like apples and eaten fresh, but when overripe, they mimic the texture of ripe hachiya persimmons.

So what are the best persimmons for baking?

When ripe, hachiya persimmons are ideal for baking due to their puree-like texture. The downside is that if they aren’t fully ripe, they’re basically inedible. I personally prefer to work with fuyu persimmons, which are sweet and delicious even when they’re firm, and can be blended into a puree for baking, if necessary.

Fun fact about persimmons: According to an old folk tradition, the shape inside a split persimmon seed is said to predict the coming winter. A spoon shape (or shovel) fortells heavy snow, a fork signals a mild season, and a knife warns of harsh, frigid winds.

Want more fuyu persimmon recipes? Try this fresh fuyu persimmon salad or roasted persimmon chicken thighs.

For more sweet tooth-satisfying goodness, check out these chocolate covered strawberry cake balls or butterscotch brownies.

🤷🏻‍♀️ Recipe FAQs

👩🏻‍🍳 Pro Tips

• If you want, you can strain or puree the persimmon jam to achieve a smoother texture.
• Don’t overmix the batter. Persimmon pulp adds moisture, and overmixing can make the cake dense rather than soft.
• Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5-7 days.
• You can freeze individual slices of persimmon cake to enjoy at a later date. I suggest wrapping them in foil.

🎂 More Sweet Treats You’ll Love

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