Persimmon Chocolate Loaf Cake is a rich and moist dessert with naturally sweet ripe persimmons with rich dark chocolate. This seasonal cake is a lightly sweet chocolatey treat for cozy autumn afternoons or holiday gatherings. Whether you're a fan of persimmons or simply love baking with fresh, seasonal produce, this cake is a must-try!
When fall and winter rolls around, the Garg household is guilty of buying POUNDS of persimmons! They're so addicting. I believe my mother once described them as jewel fruits. Persimmons are in season between September and December, making them a gorgeous colorful addition to fall and winter treats.
Persimmon is one of my absolute favorite fruits! It's 100% underrated even though they're so deliciously sweet. They're also really fun to experiment with in the kitchen!! They can be roasted, added to salads and salsas, or made into ice cream.
But my favorite way to use them is paired with rich dark chocolate. In this recipe, their subtle sweetness enhances the deep, rich notes of chocolate, resulting in a loaf cake that's both comforting and sophisticated. This cake is easy to make, visually stunning, and perfect for dessert, snack time, or even a decadent breakfast treat.
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Why You'll Love this Recipe
- If you lose your mind just like me when persimmons are in season and buy way too much that are ripe at the same time, this is a GREAT recipe for using multiple persimmons! This recipe uses 2 persimmons for the batter and a really pretty topping!
- The cake is very rich yet not too sweet, making this a fan favorite for people that don't have a sweet tooth.
- It's great for holiday gatherings paired with cardamom chai or an espresso martini.
The Best Persimmon Variety to use for Baking
A fuyu persimmon is the best variety to use for this recipe. They look like a tomato but the skin is a firmer and pumpkin orange in color. It's crisp on the outside but can easily be bitten into.
Other varieties include cinnamon persimmons, hachiya persimmons, and sweet pumpkin persimmons. Any of these varieties will be acceptable to make this recipe, although a ripened hachiya is generally better for baking and is sweeter.
An unripe hachiya persimmon is extremely astringent so do not use it unless you're sure that it's ripe. When it is ripe, it's almost translucent and tends to be more jelly-like. Readers have reported success using a persimmon puree instead of chopped persimmon.
Using Dutch-Process Cocoa Powder
Dutch-process cocoa powder and unsweetened cocoa powder is not the same thing! In simple terms, Dutch-process cocoa powder is alkalized, meaning it has been neutralized of its acidity.
Baking soda requires an acidic ingredient to react with to work as a leavening agent. Because Dutch-process cocoa is neutral, this recipe requires baking powder! If you substitute with natural cocoa powder, use the same amount but swap out 1 teaspoon of baking powder for 1 teaspoon of baking soda.
The recipe may not taste the same, but will still be just as delicious! In general, always check the leavening in the recipe before making substitutions otherwise the chemical reaction won't be as expected and can result in soapy or deflated baked goods.
Dutch-process cocoa powder is much darker in color (this is how Oreos are so dark!) and not as concentrated as natural cocoa powder. It's less acidic and less bitter. The dutched cocoa gives it a deep chocolate flavor in addition to the espresso powder which accentuates it. It's perfect for a loaf cake!
How to Make a Chocolate Loaf Cake
I wanted to include general instructions on how to make a chocolate loaf cake! The recipe card specifically instructs you on how to stir in persimmons, but this recipe can be used with any fruit or without any at all.
All ingredients should be at room temperature for a moist cake. Spoon measure and level all of your ingredients to begin.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9 x 5 nonstick loaf pan with parchment paper so that excess paper is hanging off the side to allow for easy removal.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the dry ingredients - all purpose flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
- If you're including persimmon, take a second to prep it here. Remove any skin, deseed the fruit, and finely dice it. Take 2 tablespoons of the dry ingredients and toss it with the fruits. This prevents it from sinking to the bottom.
- In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in one egg at a time, beating well after addition. Pour in the vanilla extract and whisk until fully combined. At this point, add in about a third of the dry ingredients and combine, and then a third of the milk and stir. Continue adding the dry and milk in thirds and mix just until it comes together. Gently fold in the diced persimmon The batter will be thick, almost like a pound cake.
- Pour the batter into the loaf pan and tap it against a hard surface a few times. If you plan on including any crumbles or chocolate chunks, sprinkle them on top of the loaf at this point. Bake at 350°F for 60 minutes on the middle rack. If you're topping with chocolate ganache, make it while the loaf is baking.
- The cake is done if you touch it and it springs back and you insert a toothpick into the center and it comes out clean. Allow the cake to set in the pan for 15 minutes, and then use the parchment paper to lift it out of the pan and cool completely on a rack.
How to make Chocolate Ganache
Chocolate ganache is my favorite part of any dessert! It's easier than most people think and requires only two ingredients, heavy cream and dark chocolate, in equal amounts. Some people add butter and vanilla extract as well.
The darker the chocolate, the richer the ganache will be! I recommend using a high quality chocolate that is around 70% for the best results.
- Heat the heavy cream. Bring heavy cream to a slow boil in a small pot. Remove it from heat just as it begins to boil.
- Melt the chocolate. Put about ⅘ of the chocolate into a heat safe bowl. Pour the hot heavy cream over the chocolate and stir continuously until the chocolate is completely melted. Add in the rest of the chocolate and stir until you have a smooth, shiny chocolate.
- Decorate your baked good. You can pour the chocolate ganache over your baked good to allow for a hard encasing of ganache. You can also allow it to cool and set so that it thickens. At this point it can be whipped or simply piped for frosting!
This cake pairs wonderfully with with a warm cup of masala chai, cardamom coffee, or chai hot cocoa for a cozy treat.
Expert tips and Tricks
- Perfect Persimmons: Use 1 cup of fully ripe Hachiya persimmons instead of diced Fuyu persimmon for the sweetest flavor and smoothest puree.
- Don't Overmix: Mix the batter until just combined to avoid a dense cake.
- Test for Doneness: Insert a toothpick in multiple spots to ensure even baking.
Storage Instructions
Keep it in the loaf pan it was baked in. Cover it with aluminum foil or tightly wrapped plastic wrap in the fridge for up to five days.
You can also freeze the chocolate loaf cake without the ganache and pistachios for up to two months. Allow it to unthaw at room temperature. Then top it with chocolate ganache, pistachios, and fresh persimmon.
Frequently Asked Questions
Loaf cakes generally refer to cakes baked in a loaf pan. They are denser versions of cakes and a wonderful dessert to share with family. They're rich, soft, and moist and so easy to make! You've probably seen a ton of versions of loaf cake, such as banana bread loafs. They're incredibly similar in texture and density as pound cake.
The texture may come out a little different but you will be fine baking this in a cake pan instead of a loaf pan.
It's far too easy to have an end product that is incredibly dry with a loaf cake. My #1 recommendation to prevent this is to ensure that all the ingredients are at room temperature, so keep this in mind before you begin to bake. Another recommendation is to just mix the batter until it comes together.
Lastly, you can make a simple syrup with a 1:1 ratio of sugar to water and brush that into the cake to add moisture.
More Cake Recipes to try
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Persimmon Chocolate Loaf Cake
Ingredients
- 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
- 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅔ cup dutch process cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons butter
- 1.5 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1.5 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup milk
- 1 cup fuyu persimmon, diced
Chocolate Ganache
- 4 oz 60-70% chocolate
- 4 oz heavy cream
- 2-3 tablespoons crushed pistachio, roasted and unsalted
- 1 fuyu persimmon, sliced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9 x 5 nonstick loaf pan with parchment paper so that excess paper is hanging off the side to allow for easy removal.
- In a medium bowl, sift the all purpose flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, salt, baking soda, and baking powder together.
- Peel the skin off of one ripened fuyu persimmon and dice it, it should be about 1 cup. Take 2 tablespoons of the dry ingredients and toss it with the diced persimmons.
- In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in one egg at a time, beating well after addition. Pour the vanilla extract and whisk until fully combined. At this point, add in about a third of the dry ingredients and combine, and then a third of the milk and stir. Continue adding the dry and milk in thirds and mix just until combined. Gently fold in the coated diced persimmons.
- Pour the batter into the loaf pan and tap it against a hard surface a few times. Bake at 350°F for 60 minutes, or until inserting a toothpick into the center comes out clean. While the loaf bakes, make the chocolate ganache. Allow the loaf to set in the pan for 15 minutes. Gently lift the loaf out of the pan and leave it to cool on a rack.
Chocolate Ganache
- In a small pot, bring the heavy cream to boil and remove it from heat just as it does.
- Add the chocolate into a large heatproof bowl. Pour the heated cream over the chocolate and gently stir to combine until all the chocolate has melted. The chocolate should be completely smooth and emulsified with the heavy cream.
- Allow the ganache to cool and set for a minimum of an hour. When the loaf cake is ready to frost, whip the ganache until it's a thick and fluffy frosting. Spread it on the top of the fully cooled loaf cake.
- Thinly slice a persimmon and crush a few pistachios to decorate the ganache.
Notes
- Ensure all the ingredients are at room temperature before making this recipe.
- A carbon steel 9" x 5" nonstick loaf pan was used to test this recipe. The type of loaf pan used may affect bake times, so look for the specified cues to ensure the cake loaf is done baking.
- Dutch process cocoa powder isn't acidic, so it requires baking powder. If subbing the dutch process for regular cocoa powder, use the same amount but swap out the baking powder for 1 teaspoon of baking soda.
Cee Germaine says
I made the basic recipe without any of the extra toppings, with only the persimmon puree, and no persimmon chunks. I put chopped pistachios in the batter. The texture of the loaf is fine, like a layer cake, and the chocolate flavor is deep! It's a great way to use persimmons, but mainly it is an excellent, moist chocolate cake.
Shweta Garg says
Hi Cee, I appreciate your positive review so much! I’m glad you like the deep chocolately goodness.
- Shweta
Tomas says
Can I make this using Hachiya persimmons? What adjustments are necessary when using Hachiya persimmons?
Shweta Garg says
No, I wouldn’t recommend it. Hachiya is astringent until it’s ripe, and when it’s ripe the texture is jelly-like.
sanj says
so it’s taken me MONTHS to write this review while it took me minutes to devour this loaf cake.
a beautifully rich, deep chocolate flavored fluffy loaf with the hint of permission bits inside, i mean.....to die for.
and the creamy smooth addition of the ganache on top with thinly sliced persimmon. actually drooling.
excuse me while i make this again.
Shweta says
I appreciate you coming back to say you love it <3
Melissa S says
Made this for my family and we loved it so much, it was done in no time!! I should have given more time to let the ganache set and the cake to cool because it melted a bit but overall a beautiful, moist cake!
Shweta says
I'm so bad at waiting too! Glad you and the fam loved the recipe 🙂