Best Ever Persimmon Cake

an old family recipe from Patti Hanson Thomson

serves 16 (2 nine-inch cakes)

1/2 cup melted sweet butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 cups ripe persimmon pulp (use food processor to blend)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups chopped walnuts
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup chopped pitted dates
2 cups flour
whole almonds
whole pecans
maraschino cherry

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9-inch cake pans.

Mix the butter, sugars and eggs until sugar is absorbed. Add the persimmon pulp, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, vanilla and salt. Stir to combine.

Mix together the walnuts, golden raisins, dates and flour. Add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients and mix together. Pour half into each cake pan. Bake for 55 minutes or until cake is done. Test with a toothpick.

Decorate the cake tops with almonds, pecans and a cherry in the middle.

Great ingredients yield pleasant tasting cakes.

The cakes freeze well, so take advantage of your ripe persimmons!