Persimmon Walnut Cake

Persimmon Walnut Cake – Topped with cream and persimmon jam, this delicious cake is spiced with cinnamon and ginger and is ideal for the holiday season.

Since I came back from Ballard Walnut Grove farm last week, I have been contemplating how to incorporate persimmons with walnuts in one recipe! At the farm my kids and I gathered a bag of fresh walnuts and saw all the beautiful persimmons they have.

Fortunately, I have my own persimmon tree right in my backyard and for sometime now I have been in the mood to try something new—something with persimmons. I like the fruit but I have never tried it in baking. Thus, the idea of banana bread hit me. Why not try something similar?

The idea developed and the result was not a bread but rather a wholesome, delicious cake that has the warm taste of winter and the festive season written all over it. I went a little bit overboard with my bread to cake journey, and I topped it with a layer of cream and covered that layer with fantastic homemade persimmon jam. After that, I added some more chopped walnuts over, so the whole family celebrated the burst of flavors this cake offers.

Ingredients:

To make this delicious persimmon walnut cake, you need the following ingredients:

For the Cake

Eggs: Make sure they are at room temperature.
Sugar: granulated white sugar will do the job.
Avocado Oil: 1/2 cup, I like avocado oil because it is healthy and ideal for baking.
Cinnamon: adds flavor and sweetness to any desert, and it complements the persimmons nicely.
Pumpkin Spice: What could be better than pumpkin spice for this time of the year? You can buy them ready or make your own.
Ginger Powder: 1/4 teaspoon that makes a huge difference in this recipe.
Walnuts: key ingredient to add texture and crunch. You need them toasted and chopped.
Persimmon: I am using Fuyu persimmons. The fruit is sweet and a bit firm when ripe. Ideal for baking.

For the Cream

Cream: one cup of heavy whipping cream.
Maple Syrup: to sweeten the cream with. I love its fruity and earthy flavor.

For the Persimmon Jam

You will need persimmons, maple syrup and pumpkin spice.

How to Make the Perfect Persimmon Walnut Cake

Step 1:

Preheat oven to 350F and line a 8 x 3 inch round cake pan with parchment paper, or spray with some oil. Then, in a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat eggs and sugar until double in volume. Afterwards, add oil and mix for another minute.

Step 2:

In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin spice and ginger powder. Next, add to wet ingredients in 2 batches and mix by hand using a rubber or wooden spatula. Fold in persimmons and chopped walnuts.

If you are using fresh walnuts make sure to toast them first. Simply place them on a baking sheet in a 400F oven and toast for 10 minutes before using them.

Step 3:

Pour in prepared tin and bake for 50–60 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes before you transfer to wire rack.

To make the whipped cream, beat together the heavy cream and maple syrup on high speed until soft peaks form. Chill in the fridge until you are ready to use it.

For the persimmon jam, I simply cut four or five persimmons into quarters and placed them in a food processor with some maple syrup and pumpkin spice and blended everything until I got the consistency I wanted—smooth and silky jam that I actually could not resist but eat with some butter on a toast before decorating the cake.

Assembling the Cake

Assembling this cake is so easy compared with the great end result. Let the cake cool completely and then top with a layer of cream and a layer of persimmon jam over. Decorate with some persimmon slices and some chopped walnuts and enjoy it to the last slice.

You may also enjoy my other similar fruit based cakes:

• Pumpkin Maple Cake
• Pumpkin Spice Cake with Cinnamon Cream Frosting
• Epic Carrot Cake
• Date and Pecan Cake
• Fig Pistachio Honey Cake

what are the main two types of persimmons

In my previous posts, I spoke about my backyard persimmon tree. I am fortunate to have the main two types, hachiya and fuyu persimmons. While I am not an expert in the field, with a little bit of research I found that both types come from Asia and are widely grown here in the US.

Hachiya persimmons look like big acorns; they are sweet and super soft and juicy when they are fully ripe.

Fuyu are shaped like a doughnut; they remain firm after being fully ripe, and I find them ideal for baking as they are easier to cut and handle in general.