Indiana Persimmon Almond Pudding Cake

This Hoosier classic bakes ripe persimmon pulp right into a dense, moist cake with ground unblanched almonds adding nutty depth and a fine, tender crumb. Indiana is persimmon country, and this pudding cake is one of the best ways to use that fall harvest.

The persimmon pulp and buttermilk work as a team here. Buttermilk reacts with the baking soda for lift, while the fruit pulp keeps the interior pudding-soft even after baking. You want fully ripe, almost mushy persimmons. Pass them through a ricer or mash and sieve them until smooth. Unripe persimmons will pucker your mouth and ruin the batter with astringent tannins.

Pro Tips

• Use American persimmons (the small, wild ones) if you can get them. They have a deeper, more caramel-like flavor than the larger Hachiya variety, though Hachiya works too.
• Cream the butter and sugar until genuinely light and fluffy. This step traps air that gives the dense batter its only real lift beyond the leaveners.
• Cool in the pan for a full 15 minutes. This cake is tender and will break apart if you flip it out too early.
• A dusting of powdered sugar is all the garnish this needs. The flavor is rich enough on its own.

Variations

• Add ½ teaspoon each of cinnamon and nutmeg to the dry ingredients for a warmer, spiced version.
• Fold in ½ cup of raisins or chopped dates for extra sweetness and chew.
• Serve slices with a drizzle of warm caramel sauce or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.