Persimmon Cake

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease an 8-inch cake pan.
2. Scoop out the flesh from the halved persimmons into a large bowl. Beat together with the ricotta and sugar until smooth, then beat in the egg yolks one by one. Stir in the citrus zest.
3. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the almond flour, cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Fold into the persimmon mixture with a spatula until all the flour been absorbed. Set aside.
4. In a separate bowl with a hand or electric whisk, beat the egg whites and the cream of tartar together until soft peaks. Take a spatula. Fold a spoonful of the egg whites into the persimmon batter to break it up, then gently fold in the rest of the egg whites. Don’t over mix. The mixture should have some streaks of egg white in it.
5. Pour into the prepared baking pan, and bake in the center of the oven for 30 minutes. Turn the heat down to 350 and continue to cook for 15 to 20 minutes more, until the top is brown and the cake puffy yet firm. Cool on a rack, the cake will fall as it cools.
6. While the cake is cooling, in a small saucepan boil the lemon juice and sugar until a thick tart syrup coats the back of a spoon. Then immediately drizzle onto the cake.  Eat at room temperature.

Ann's Tips and Tricks

For a creamier texture, bake the cake in a bain-marie filled with hot water

If persimmons aren’t available, you can substitute with a couple of medium size poached pears. Be aware that when cooked the cake will be a pale brown and not the creamy white you’d expect given the ingredients.