Amazing Double Persimmon Persimmon Cake

This is the story of how double persimmon cake showed me that 2025 is the year of now, of no excuses, the year of “go.”

It was New Year’s Eve and I was a little short on time but decided — no better day to just go for it. So we started strong with the fuyu persimmon caramel layer on the bottom which would get flipped to reveal a fuyu persimmon caramel top. Great. So far, so good.

It was when I started making the persimmon batter with the sweetest, squishiest hachiya persimmons with nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger that things started to go off the rails.

I had already poured in the batter into the cake pan and it had already started gelling with the caramel by the time I realized — I had forgotten the bourbon.

Fast forward another 30 minutes of scooping, adding, mixing, re-adding when I was finally able to get it in the oven and head to our NYE party. Great. My friends and I counted down the clock to midnight, the fireworks went off, and we poured champagne. To celebrate, I inverted my double persimmon cake onto a plate, peeled off the parchment to reveal the stunning persimmon pattern encrusted in caramel, and cut into the cake only to discover that it was half baked.

Oh goodness. I couldn’t catch a break! My friends were good sports, reassuring me that it was delicious. But more than any of their words (which I was super grateful for), the pinnacle of this whole experience was the morning after, trying to make sense of where I misstepped. Where did I veer off the rails? Why did I lose focus? How could I have forgotten? What was I thinking? So many questions when suddenly — I stopped myself cold and said out loud that this would not be the year of would’ve should’ve could’ve. This year, I’m leaning into failing forward and failing fast (even if it means a half baked cake to ring in the new year), surrounding myself with the right people, and getting back up to do it again.

So here I present to you: double persimmon cake (or bread if you want to bake it loaf style in a rectangular pan!) with crystal clear instructions that — barring any distractions — will almost assuredly produce a delicious cake for you and yours. Happy 2025!

Double Persimmon Persimmon Cake (4-6 servings):

For the caramel topping:

• 1-2 fuyu persimmon, sliced 1/2 to 1/4” thick
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 TBSP water

For the persimmon batter:

• 1 3/4 cups sifted flour (210 grams)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ginger (ground or fresh)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature (113 grams)
• 3/4 cup sugar (150 grams)
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
• 1/8 cup (80ml) cognac or bourbon whiskey
• 1 cup persimmon puree from about 2-3 squishy-soft Hachiya persimmons (250 ml)
• 1 cup walnuts or pecans, toasted and chopped

Step 1. Grease a 9” cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Then, arrange sliced fuyu persimmons in a layered fashion on top of the parchment paper. If they’re firm, slice 1/4” thick but if ripe, slice 1/2” thick.

Step 2. Make caramel sauce. In a small saucepan, add sugar and water over medium heat until sugar melts and starts to bubble. Try not to disturb too much or the sugars will crystalize but if necessary, you can shake the saucepan by the handle. As soon as it turns a medium brown color and the sugars have completely melted, pour the caramel over the sliced fuyu as evenly as possible. Set aside.

Step 3. Pre-heat the oven to 350°F. In a large mixing bowl, measure out the flour, salt, baking soda, and spices. Mix to combine and set aside. In another large bowl, mix butter and sugar until well incorporated. Then add egg, liquor and hachiya persimmon. Add the dry ingredients and nuts, mixing just until combined. Do not overmix.

Step 4. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick or chopstick comes out clean. Let cool slightly, invert onto a plate, and remove the parchment paper to reveal the caramel topping. Enjoy!