A warmly-spiced gluten free persimmon cake that relies on a trio of gluten-free flours and tucks in plenty of yogurt and brown sugar.
This cozy gluten free persimmon cake is full of warming holiday spices and makes the most of the persimmon season.
I probably should be ashamed to admit that I ate most of this cake myself but actually, I'm not. It is just so good! This lovely persimmon cake graced my Thanksgiving dessert table, a nice complement to the ubiquitous pumpkin pie, and since my brain, addled by too much cooking and the presence of a tiny child, forgot to send home extra slices with my guests I was left with rather a large amount. And let me tell you, I made it last.
[The last slice, December 2014.]
The recipe, as many of the best do, came by way of epicurious.com plus a lot of tweaks by me. I immediately swapped out the all-purpose flour for a simple gluten-free blend, added yogurt because I didn't quite have enough persimmon puree, and used brown sugar to give it that lovely caramelly note I crave (I also reduced the amount of sugar called for because persimmons are quite sweet on their own.).
The result is a persimmon-laced, spice-kissed, walnut-flecked cake that needs nothing to go along with it save a cup of strong tea or coffee. The yogurt helps keep things balanced and keeps leftovers from drying out; I was able to nibble pieces for mid-morning snack/elevenses for quite a few days afterward and kept the remaining bits of cake well-wrapped in the fridge.
If you don’t have access to persimmons – or if they aren’t your thing – try a cup of pumpkin puree or even applesauce though of course apples will certainly change the flavor profile. If you don’t drink whiskey or keep any in the house, sub ¼ cup strong-brewed tea. I think this cake tastes best the day after it’s baked and keeps getting better.
Gluten Free Persimmon Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup oat flour , 120 grams
- ½ cup sweet rice flour , 60 grams
- ½ cup millet flour , 60 grams
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 ½ cups packed dark brown sugar
- ¾ cup unsalted butter , melted and slightly cooled
- 1 cup persimmon purée
- ½ cup plain whole fat yogurt
- ¼ cup brandy or whiskey
- 3 large eggs , at room temperature, slightly whisked
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup cup walnuts or pecans , toasted and finely chopped
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 10-cup (2.5-liter) Bundt cake or tube pan with butter or nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. Stir in the brown sugar. In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, persimmon purée, yogurt, eggs, whiskey, and vanilla.
- Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, add the persimmon mixture, and gently stir. Fold in and the nuts if using. Mix just until everything is moistened; don’t overmix.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Once cool, invert the cake onto a serving plate.
- Leftovers will keep, well-wrapped, in the fridge for up to one week.
Leslie says
As with everything you post, this looks fantastic! Good persimmons are hard to come by here in the nation's capital, and I think that I really only had a good one or two in Texas years ago when I picked them straight from the tree. It was then that I knew what I'd been missing. So, enjoy your fresh-plucked persimmons and your holiday catching up with your beautiful coast and I'll look forward to more of your yummy words and pictures. Bon voyage, Dear Girl!
helen says
Lovely post....mouthwatering description of the cake....can't wait to sample!