I’ve mentioned before that persimmons are one of my favorite fruits. They’re in season during the fall and early winter months, and I want to make the most of them while they’re around. I’ve tried various ways to bake with persimmons, but not all of my attempts have been successful.

Last month, I tried baking a fuyu persimmon upside-down cake, which ended disastrously (see photo above). The top wouldn’t set despite 40+ minutes of baking and turned into an unappealing mush. I can’t exactly pinpoint what went wrong. However, I suspect the culprit was an enzyme in persimmons that breaks down proteins and can also prevent some desserts from setting. (This might be a similar issue to how certain fruits prevent gelatin desserts from setting.)

Fortunately, I’ve been able to figure out a way to cook with blended hachiya persimmons to make a mochi cake. This ginger persimmon mochi tastes like gingerbread and has a chewy and slightly fudgy texture. Baking the mochi for an hour gives it a nice crust on the top and bottom, creating nice textural contrast throughout the mochi. 

While you won’t be able to taste distinct persimmon flavors in the mochi, the persimmon purée adds natural sweetness to the mochi. As a result, you won’t need to add as much sugar to bake the mochi! Hope you enjoy this delicious treat that’s not too sweet.

I recommend using ripe hachiya persimmons for this recipe. . Unripe hachiya persimmons have an astringency that will leave an unpleasant feeling in your mouth. For a tutorial on how to ripen hachiya persimmons, refer to this post here.

You can also use fuyu persimmons that have turned very soft (you can use ripen fuyu persimmons the same way as hachiya persimmons. Soft fuyu persimmons are more sweet and flavorful than firm ones. 

This persimmon mochi uses a spice blend of ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, and cayenne powder. I love how the cayenne enhances the zing of the ground ginger. You can add 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne powder to give the mochi a subtle boost of spice. For more spice, feel free to bump up the amount to 1/4 teaspoon! If you are spice averse, simply leave out the cayenne.

This persimmon mochi reheats beautifully. As a matter of fact, I think the mochi tastes even better the next day because the flavors of the spices intensify. If you are planning to eat the mochi any time after the day it’s baked, . That’s because the crust softens after the first day. 

You can store the mochi at for 1 to 2 days. Reheat the mochi pieces on a baking sheet at 350ºF (175ºC) for 7 to 9 minutes. If you gently tap the tops of the mochi with your fingernails, the top crust should feel firm. Let the mochi cool for 10 to 15 minutes before eating. That way, the top and bottom crusts and edges have more time to harden. 

You can also the mochi for up to 4 days. Reheat the mochi on a baking sheet at 350ºF (175ºC) for 10 to 12 minutes. Then, let the mochi cool for 10 to 15 minutes before eating. 

When it comes to , I like to slice the mochi into pieces first before freezing. This speeds up the reheating process later. Arrange the mochi pieces on a pan or large plate lined with parchment paper. Once the mochi hardens (in about 1 to 2 hours), transfer the frozen mochi to a container. To reheat the frozen mochi, place the frozen pieces on a baking pan at 350ºF (175ºC) for 17 to 20 minutes. You do not need to thaw the mochi before baking. Let the mochi cool for at least 10 to 15 minutes before eating. 

The powdered sugar topping will absorb into the mochi the next day, as the mochi softens and moistens at the top. If you are planning to serve the mochi the next day, reheat the mochi and wait for it to cool. Then, add the powdered sugar topping. 

LOOKING FOR MORE?

If you like this persimmon mochi recipe, you may also like my Baked Nian Gao! This is a baked version of the Chinese-style new year’s cake, nian gao. You might also like my friend Sarah’s Black Sesame Pumpkin Mochi Cake! I loosely adapted this persimmon mochi from her mochi cake recipe. 

For something savory, try my savory corn mochi!