Spiced persimmon cake from Dessert Person: Recipes and Guidance for Baking with Confidence (page 45) by Claire Saffitz

Ingredients

Chinese five-spice powder
This classic Chinese five spice mix unites the five flavors: sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and savory. Based on the traditional philosophy of balancing yin and yang, Chinese five spice complements fatty meats like pork belly, goose, and duck. (The Spice House) Buy Now
- Burlap & Barrel - USA & Canada
- The Spice House - United States
all-purpose flour
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- King Arthur Baking - United States
- Hayden Flour Mills - United States
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EYB Comments

Can substitute a blend of ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and ground cloves for Chinese five-spice powder.

Where’s the full recipe - why can I only see the ingredients?

Always check the publication for a full list of ingredients. An Eat Your Books index lists the main ingredients and does not include 'store-cupboard ingredients' (salt, pepper, oil, flour, etc.) - unless called for in significant quantity.

Notes about this recipe

Eat Your Books

Can substitute a blend of ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and ground cloves for Chinese five-spice powder.
janichkokov on December 29, 2025

So beautiful! Tasty like a sophisticated zucchini bread. Served with passion fruit curd.
Astrid5555 on November 06, 2025

Used the suggested substitute spice blend and it was fantastic. A very delicious fall bake I would make again!
aschacht on November 11, 2024

Delicious - I've made this twice now, once with very ripe hachiya and once with very ripe fuyu persimmons. I used pecans instead of walnuts both times, and the second time left off the persimmon topping and baked in a pullman pan for a slightly narrower and taller slice. Such a treat any time of day!
Apollonia on November 27, 2022

Made this with the substitute spice blend and thought it was fantastic--- felt very special for a loaf cake. I had to use three decent-sized persimmons to get the called for amount of puree (rather than the two called for), so note that you may need extra. I left the persimmon off the top because, though lovely looking I'm sure, I'd rather have more crunchy sugar top.
tarae1204 on December 28, 2021

Three hachiya persimmons produced two cups purée, so I doubled this recipe to excellent results. As the persimmon flavor is mild, the flavor and texture from each listed ingredient makes an important contribution to the elevated end result.