Persimmon Streusel Coffee Cake

Get ready for fall with this warm and tender persimmon streusel coffee cake. A tender cake is filled with a cinnamon hachiya persimmon filling and finished off with the best streusel topping. Read all about how I developed this recipe including my take on using fuyu vs hachiya persimmons and how can you tell when your hachiya persimmons are ready to use.

When October comes around, I always look forward to persimmon season. You can find persimmons year round in some places, but they will come out in full force in October. That’s when I start making all my persimmon desserts. This year I started with this persimmon streusel coffee cake. It has all the fall flavors and textures of a coffee cake with the addition of the smoothest persimmon filling.

How I developed my persimmon streusel coffee cake

I adapted this recipe from Dance Around the Kitchen’s Apple Streusel Coffee Cake. I was making this coffee cake for a Rosh Hashanah dinner I was going to and that’s when I got the inspiration for the persimmon coffee cake. Using this recipe as a starting point, I tested and developed my coffee cake recipe.

First off, I thought the recipe had a tad too much sugar, so I reduced the sugar by 20-30% but then found it wasn’t sweet enough, so I eventually went with a happy medium between that recipe and the previous test. I also tested this recipe with both fuyu and hachiya persimmons and found that I preferred the flavor the texture and flavor if hachiya persimmons. The only downside with using hachiya persimmons is the second layer of the coffee cake is a bit hard to spread, but I thought that was a concession I was willing to make because it tastes so much better with that persimmon variation.

The difference between fuyu and hachiya persimmons

There are a few varieties of persimmons but the most common ones you’ll find in most Western grocery stores are fuyu and hachiya persimmons. Fuyu persimmons are short and stout and has a firm texture while hachiya persimmons are taller and have a loose, watery pulp when ripe. I’ve used both before in previous persimmon recipes from fuyu persimmons in my persimmon jam to hachiya persimmons in my persimmon bread and have found they both work well in baked goods. As mentioned, I used hachiya persimmons for this recipe because it creates a smoother persimmon filling. Fuyu persimmons don’t get softer when you bake them; they actually get crispier. That’s why I only use them in desserts that absolutely have to hold their shape. In coffee cake, that’s not a requirement.

How can you tell hachiya persimmons are ready to use?

This is super important if you are using hachiya persimmons because unripe hachiya persimmons are actually quite bitter. You want to use hachiya when they are at their ripest point because that is when they are the sweetest. There are obvious tells when this is happening. The skin will turn from orange to an orange-red color. It will look almost like a tomato. It will also look like a balloon that is ready to pop. When you gently squeeze it, the flesh will feel very soft. A knife should go right through it without any resistance. See the image above for an example.

Some deets about key ingredients

• Hachiya persimmons – As mentioned, I used hachiya persimmons for a smoother filling. However, you can use fuyu persimmons for this recipe. Keep in mind this will make the filling a bit chewier and crispier.
• Light brown sugar– Adds sweetness and a molasses-like flavor to the filling. You can substitute with dark brown sugar but that will make the filling sweeter.
• Ground cinnamon – I personally used Vietnamese cinnamon because it’s my favorite, but feel free to use any kind of cinnamon you want.
• Unsalted butter – Make sure to use room temperature butter for this recipe. If you forget to set out your butter, you can set your microwave to defrost and heat for 10 seconds. That’s what I like to do when I forget.
• Vanilla extract – Adds some flavor to the batter. Substitute with an equal amount of vanilla paste or 1 vanilla bean.
• Buttermilk – Helps make the cake moist. If you don’t have buttermilk, add 1 tbsp of white vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup of whole milk and mix.

How to make my persimmon streusel coffee cake

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