Persimmon Spice Sheet Cake with Maple Frosting
Move over pumpkin! Persimmon is the new pumpkin!
Servings: 15 servings
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter softened
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups ripe persimmon pulp about 4 large Hachiya or Fuyu (or pumpkin puree)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup milk
Maple Frosting
- ½ cup butter 1 stick
- 1 16-oz box powdered sugar (4 cups)
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup or ½ teaspoon maple flavoring
- 2 to 3 tablespoons milk
- ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans toasted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Beat butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add eggs on medium-low speed, one at a time, beating just until combined. Stir in persimmon pulp and vanilla.
- Combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl or large paper plate. Gradually add flour mixture to mixing bowl, alternately with milk, beating on low speed.
- Spoon batter into a greased 13x9-inch baking pan. Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack.
Maple Frosting:
- To soften butter: Microwave butter in wrapper on HIGH 10 seconds; flip it over and microwave 8 more seconds. This is the perfect softness for this recipe. Place butter in a large mixing bowl and add powdered sugar. Beat on low speed until the butter is in little pieces. Add maple syrup, beating well. Add milk, one tablespoon at a time until frosting spreads easily in the bowl when tested with a table knife.
- Spread maple frosting over cake and sprinkle with walnuts, if desired.
Notes
Fuyu vs Hiyacha persimmons: Fuyu persimmons can be eaten like an apple when firm, but Hachiya and wild persimmons need to be soft or they will make you pucker up! Make sure to use soft, RIPE Hiyacha persimmons.
The soft pulp from ripe persimmons can be used in breads, pies, and cakes interchangeably with pumpkin puree.
