Fresh Fig And Almond Cake

This Fresh Fig and Almond Cake is an amazingly easy one-bowl dessert. It is a decadent summer cake served with a dollop of Greek yogurt and red wine figgy sauce. It is definitely a hit for a fig lover!

I am a huge fig fan who looks forward to fig season to make incredibly delicious fig desserts. One of my favorite cakes is Pavlova, spiced with cinnamon and topped with fresh figs and pistachios – French Fig And Cinnamon Pavlova.

Flavored with hazelnut praline and sprinkled with almonds, another fig dessert – Fresh Fig Tart With Hazelnut Praline – also has figs as the main focus.

If sweets do not bring you joy, you might want to try Savory Breakfast Muffins With Ham And Figs.

This fresh fig and almond cake is another delicious dessert. Loaded with seasonal figs and flavored with star anise, the cake is absolutely tasty. It is also moist due to almond flour.

You might choose to dust the cake with icing sugar and serve it or accompany each piece of cake with a nice spoon of Greek yogurt topped with a warm figgy sauce.

The figgy sauce – a creation of the Israeli-British chef Yotam Ottolenghi – has a beautiful red wine aroma and caramel taste.

Yes, this sweet touch and a decadent addition are optional, but the first bite of the cake-Greek yogurt-figgy sauce combo will taste like heaven. You will want another piece of cake! It is guaranteed!

If you look for a fig dessert recipe, do not look any further. Just make this fresh fig and almond cake.

Jump to:

• Why fresh fig and almond cake recipe works
• How to make fig and almond cake step by step
• Expert tips
• More delicious cake recipes you will love
• Fresh Fig And Almond Cake

Why fresh fig and almond cake recipe works

1. This cake is a one-bowl cake: I do not count the bowl to weigh and mix dry ingredients.
2. Ground star anise * adds a sweet, licorice-like flavor.
3. Brown sugar brings a caramelized flavor that compliments fig sweetness.
4. Thick cake batter prevents figs from sinking to the bottom of the pan.
5. Slightly tangy Greek yogurt served on the side balances sweetness of figs.

How to make fig and almond cake step by step

Preheat oven to 350 F/175 C. Butter and line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch (20 cm) springform round cake pan * with parchment paper *.

To make the cake batter, place butter, honey, and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer * and beat until smooth (photo 1). Low speed of the mixer and gradually add eggs, mixing until homogeneous (photo 2).

In a separate bowl, weigh and mix almond flour *, all-purpose flour, salt, baking powder *, and ground anise. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add dry ingredients to the batter, mixing until combined. Add vanilla extract * and slightly mix (photo 3). Pour the mixture into the lined mold and level the top with a spoon (photo 4).

Cut each fig vertically into four long wedges. Arrange figs on top of the cake, cut sides up, going in a circle. Make sure to slightly immerse figs into the batter, but not to overlap (photo 5).

Bake for about 40 to 50 minutes. Check the readiness of the cake by inserting a toothpick into the cake: it’s done if it comes out clean (photo 6). Remove the cake from the oven, cool down before taking out of the mold. 

To make the figgy sauce, place sugar in a saucepan and heat until sugar starts to caramelize. Remove the pot from heat, carefully add red wine (be careful, since it might splash). Then bring the pan to medium heat again and let the caramel dissolve in wine. Finally, add fig quarters and toss them around just warming up (photo 7).

To serve, spoon a generous dollop of Greek yogurt over or aside of every slice of the cake and pour the figgy sauce on top (photo 8). Or just dust the cake with powdered (icing) sugar.

Expert tips

1. Beat the cake batter with an electric mixer * or a hand whisk * if you do not have a stand mixer *.
2. To make ground star anise *, grind the whole star anise * (both seed and pod) in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle.
3. Replace ground star anise * with ground cinnamon.
4. Use a regular can pan and precut circle cake pan liners * to facilitate the removal of the cake.
5. While making the figgy sauce, do not use a spoon or spatula. Just swirl the saucepan over the stove.

More delicious cake recipes you will love

• Suzy French Chocolate Cake
• Layer Cashew Cake Sans Rival
• Plum Pavlova With Red Wine Sauce
• Browse all the Cake Recipes

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The figgy sauce recipe was taken https://ottolenghi.co.uk/. It was adapted and re-written by me. The cake recipe was originally published in September 2018. It has been updated with new photos, content, and changes to the recipe to make it even better. All posted pictures are mine.