Persimmon Pudding Cake

Circle B Kitchen

Adapted from the Santa Cruz Sentinel

I made lots of changes to this recipe, which I’ve had for years and can no longer find online. The original recipe was good, but I wanted to taste more persimmon. So I doubled the persimmon and cut back on the sugar, added a few more spices and a little more butter and flour, added the icing, and, well, basically changed the whole thing. We loved this new version, and if you like persimmons, I think you will too. I baked it in a standard-sized bundt pan and it took exactly 40 minutes. You can also use a small bundt pan (5-6 cups) or cake pan, which will take an hour to an hour and a half, depending on your pan and oven temperatures.

2 cups persimmon puree (from 4 hachiya persimmons)

1 ¼ cups flour

½ cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon baking soda

2 eggs

¼ cup butter, melted

3 tablespoons brandy

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup raisins

Butter for pan (or nonstick cooking spray)

For the Glaze:

1 ½ cups powdered sugar (confectioners sugar)

1 ½ tablespoons of milk or cream

1 tablespoon brandy

Preheat oven to 325 F.

Lightly butter or spray a bundt pan, or 9" cake pan. Sift flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, baking soda and salt into large bowl.

In a separate bowl, mix together the persimmon puree along with the brandy, eggs, melted butter and vanilla until blended. Stir this into the dry ingredients and then add the raisins and walnuts.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake at 325 F for about 40 minutes if using a standard-sized bundt pan (10-12 cup), or longer (an hour to an hour and a half) if using a smaller (5-6 cup) pan. I haven't used a cake pan or baking dish, but depending on the size, it will probably need an hour or so in the oven. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center. If it comes out clean, it’s done. Do not overcook.

Let the cake cool for a couple of minutes before turning it out on a rack to finish cooling. When cooled, place on a serving platter and drizzle with the glaze.