Sharon Fruit Cake (aka Persimmon Cake)

We have 3 fantastic looking sharon fruits from last weeks vegbox, which can be cut up and eaten as fruit but I want to do something different. Googling sharon fruit cake didnt return many results apart from Sharon’s fruit cake. But sharon fruit is also know as as persimmon fruit, I found this recipe from AllRecipes.com

Persimmon is a fruit that looks much like a tomato, it can be eaten raw by cutting into quarters and peeling. They can be eaten soft or firm (they should smell ripe).

The cake makes a moist, sweet loaf with a slightly crispy edge, being is perfect for tea time.

Persimmon Cake

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup milk (or soya milk)
• 2 cups persimmon pulp (3 large fruit or 4 small fruits)
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (or 1 tsp Taylor and Colledge Vanilla Bean Paste)

1. Preheat oven to 150 degrees C. Grease and flour a 9×13 inch loaf pan. I’ve used two smaller loaf pans as this larger pan is not standard in UK.

2. Whisk together the flour baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a bowl, set aside

3. Whisk together the eggs, persimmon pulp, milk, and vanilla extract in a separate bowl until smooth. Fold the persimmon mixture into the flour mixture until no dry lumps remain. Pour into the prepared pan.

4. Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan, and allow to cool completely on a wire rack before icing.