Persimmon Cheesecake
You’ll love this classic New York cheesecake, nestled in a spicy gingersnap crust, and topped with a sweet and seasonal persimmon topping!
Good morning my friends! It’s Tuesday and we are coming off of a long weekend. I hope you had a good one!
Ours was full of fun and family. My brother- and sister-in-law came to stay with us for a few days, along with their whole crew. They’ve got two sweet little girls and it was great to spend time with them. I’m so used to lots of noise and jumping around and commotion all the time with my crazy boys; it’s always refreshing to snuggle up and whisper secrets with my little niece. And so cute to see her little baby sister toddling around and trying to twist her mouth around the words “Aunt Allie!”
Before they arrived, I took an afternoon to bake up this simple cheesecake and try a new-to-me ingredient!
Have you ever tried a persimmon before? Every year right around this time, I see them at my local market, but I’ve never really known much about them. So, last time, I picked up a few and gave them a taste. They’re really good! Nothing at all like I expected, lol. They look like a tomato, and for some reason I exected them to be really slippery textured and and tart/spicy, but I couldn’t have been more wrong! They are extremely mild and sweet, and the texture is more like a pear or a very firm plum.
I just cooked them down and pureed them, adding a little lemon to bring out the flavor. The topping works really well with the creamy cheesecake and spicy gingersnap crust.
This cheesecake can serve a crowd! Which is exactly what we are “virtually” doing for my friend Meggan from Culinary Hill. She just had a little baby girl and so a few of us have gotten together to give her a little baby shower. There are lots of delicious recipes here, so please be sure to click around and have a look! And don’t forget to drop by Culinary Hill to congratulate Meggan. Tell her Allie sent ya!
Helen of Scrummy Lane: Strawberry Angel Cake Skewers with Chocolate Dipping Sauce
Janette of Culinary Ginger: White Vanilla Cupcakes with Orange
Nagi of Recipe Tin Eats: Classic Lamingtons
Maggie of Omnivore’s Cookbook: Healthy Green Curry Mac & Cheese
Mira of Cooking LSL: Condensed Milk Cookies
Kathleen of Hapa Nom Nom: Fortune Cookies
Allie of Baking a Moment: Persimmon Cheesecake
Special thank you’s go out to Nagi of Recipe Tin Eats for inviting me to be a part of this fun event! Nagi, your Lamingtons look amazing girl!
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Persimmon Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the Cheesecake
- 18 gingersnap cookies
- 3 tablespoons (44.36 g) melted butter
- 24 ounces (680.39 g) cream cheese, (3 blocks), softened
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons (44.36 g) all-purpose flour
- 4 eggs,, large
- 1 egg yolk,, large
- 1/4 cup (59.15 ml) heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
For the Topping
- 2 persimmons
- 3 tablespoons (44.36 g) granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup (78.86 ml) water
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, (the juice of 1 lemon)
- 1/3 cup (78.86 ml) heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
Instructions
To Make the Cheesecake:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly mist an 8-inch (straight-sided) cake pan with nonstick spray, and line with a circle cut from parchment.
- Process the gingersnaps finely in a food processor. Stir in the melted butter, and press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar, and flour on medium speed until well combined.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula after each addition.
- Stir in the egg yolk, cream, vanilla, and salt, and pour the mixture over the gingersnap crust.
- Place the cheesecake pan into a larger pan, and fill the larger pan with about an inch or two of hot water. Bake for 20 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 200 degrees F and bake for an additional 75-90 minutes, or until the cheesecake is set around the edges but still slightly jiggly towards the center.
- Turn the oven off and prop the door open with a wooden spoon. Allow the cheesecake to come to room temperature. Chill completely in the refrigerator before inverting onto a serving platter. Top with persimmon and whipped cream.
To Make the Topping:
- Core the persimmons and chop them roughly. Place them in a small pot along with the sugar and water. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until they are very soft.
- Puree the mixture in a blender or food processor, until smooth. Stir in the lemon juice. Spread the mixture in an even layer over the cheesecake.
- Whip the cream and powdered sugar until soft peaks form. Pipe rosettes around the edge of the cheesecake.
Would love to try this recipe since we have about 150 Hachiyas – would it work? You show fuyus, which have a drier, firmer texture.
Hi there! I’ve only ever tried it with the kind of persimmons you see pictured, but I would think it would still work. Good luck!
The first time I ate Persimmon, it seemed strange taste but now whenever I get the chance I do not hesitate to buy it. This cake is excellence, had to have a great taste
Thanks Magdalena! I really enjoyed it and persimmons are definitely a new favorite for me 😉
Um this is GORGEOUS. Cheesecake is my favorite dessert in all of life, and I love persimmons too! I always try to grab them at the farmer’s market.
Thank you Shikha! And now I will too!
I love persimmons! They’re one of my favorite underappreciated fruits. I can imagine how perfectly they go with this cheesecake–genius idea!
They are so totally underappreciated, right? Why is that??? We need to change this asap. Thank you so much Elizabeth!
I adore that you surprise me with your new recipes. Persimmon? NEVER would have expected that! And thanks for the shout of Allie! Very honoured to get a mention on one of my all time favourite blogs!! 🙂
Lol same here Nagi! It was such an honor to be a part of this shower for Meggan. Thank you so much for organizing it, and for allowing me to be a part!
Wow! So pretty. I only bought a persimmon once and I had no idea how to eat it. Haha. As a cheesecake…that sounds delightful!
I felt the same way when I first got home with the persimmons, lol! “…how do I…?” Now that I’ve finally figured it out, persimmons are going to be making a regular appearance around here. I’ll be cutting them into wedges and putting them in my kids’ lunches! Thanks Melanie!
What a gorgeous cheesecake! I am excited to hear about trying persimmons as a new ingredients! I always get excited when I tried something new that works out!
Oh ya, same here! Persimmons are great; definitely a new favorite around here. Thanks Julianne!
Oh my gosh, this cheesecake is GORGEOUS! I haven’t baked a lot with persimmons and have only tried them once or twice, but I just know I would love this!
Yay! I’m so glad you like the idea, Aimee! I never knew quite what to do with a persimmon before, but this definitely worked out I thought! 😀
I’ve never tried persimmons before either! This cheesecake makes me want to add them to my grocery list now!
Oh yeah, definitely pick some up next time! I feel like the fruit options are so limited at this time of year- it’s worth trying something new!
Wow! This looks so delicious. I’ve never tried persimmon, but I’ve been hearing so much about it lately! Love the sound of that ginger biscuit crust too! Yummy recipe, Allie! x
Thanks Jess! I thought the persimmons were surprisingly mild and sweet. They really seem like more of a summer fruit to me- so it’s nice to have a taste like that at this time of year. Hope you had a fun weekend, sweetie!
Yeah for Meggan! I love her! This cheesecake is gorgeous. The color is stunning. I have only had persimmons a few times. I never know really what to do with the. But I think this is my project next weekend now!
I never knew what to do with them before either, lol! But this worked out pretty well I thought. Thanks Liz!
I’ve never tried persimmons either, but what a great way to use them. This cheesecake looks delicious!
Thanks Tori! I’ve never really had them before, so I don’t know if this was right or wrong, but I thought it tasted really nice!
I need to try this! I’ve been eating persimmons raw for years, but never baked with them because I couldn’t figure out what dish to use them in. I never thought about putting them in a cheesecake– it’s perfect!
Also, that gif is magic. I wish I had your piping skills!
Thanks Bhiravi! Years of practice, lol! I thought the persimmons worked really well with the cheesecake, and especially with the gingersnap crust. Thanks for the sweet comment!