Fig And Almond Cake Recipe

Say 'Yes' to this fig cake recipe and make fresh fig and almond cake - 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 a hit for a fig lover!

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I am a huge fig fan who looks forward to getting them to make incredibly delicious fig desserts in the short season.

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 - Fig Tart With Hazelnut Praline - also has figs as the primary focus.

The cutest Fig Mini Tiramisu Cups are the most adorable summer treat, in my opinion.

But if sweets do not bring you joy, you might want to try Savoury Breakfast Muffins loaded with ham and figs.

Fresh fig cake recipe

This fig cake with almonds includes everything I love about a fresh fig dessert.

It is loaded with seasonal figs flavored with star anise and arranged to give a rustic look to the dessert.

The cake is moist due to almond flour and the figgy sauce's warm touch that combines a beautiful red wine aroma and caramel taste.

The heavenly delicious figgy sauce is a creation of the Israeli-British chef Yotam Ottolenghi.

Yes, this sweet touch and a decadent addition are optional, but the first bite of the cake-Greek yogurt-figgy sauce combo will taste beyond delicious. After that, you will want another piece of cake!

Don't you have time to make a figgy sauce? No problem. Just dust the cake with icing sugar or finish with a drizzle of honey or maple syrup.

If you look for a fig cake recipe, do not look any further. Just make it and enjoy it with your afternoon tea.

Why you shoud try this recipe

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

Ingredients

Here is a quick overview of what ingredients you will need. Follow the full recipe below for exact amounts and instructions. I recommend making this recipe as written for the best results. 

Butter: use softened unsalted butter (not melted butter) to make the dessert. Take it out of the fridge one to two hours before you start.

Brown sugar: use golden brown or dark brown sugar. You can replace it with light brown muscovado sugar.

Honey: your favorite brand will perfectly work for the recipe.

Almond flour: use any almond flour or almond meal to make the cake; they all will yield the same tasteful result. My favorite one is Anthony's Almond Flour.

Also, you can make ground almonds yourself. Just process natural raw almonds, for example, Marcona almonds, in a food processor.

Vanilla extract: the best is Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract since it is the most full-flavored, among other vanilla extracts.

Use alcohol-free vanilla flavor instead or replace with ½ teaspoon almond extract if desired.

Ground star anise: use a store-bought ground star anise or make it yourself.

Just grind the whole star anise (both seed and pod) in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle.

Replace ground star anise with ground cinnamon if you prefer.

Baking powder: aluminum-free baking powder is preferable to use. The baking powder loses its effectiveness after about half of the year; so, use it fresh.

Fresh figs: the seasonal ripe figs are the best. Use Black Mission figs or combine them with other varieties of figs. 

If you are out of fig season, replace them with stone fruit such as plums, peaches, apricots. Even pears or apples work in this recipe.

Red wine: use your favorite brand of red wine.

Greek yogurt: use plain Greek yogurt to accompany the dessert. What brand is the best? Read A Definitive Ranking of the Best 8 Greek Yogurts.

Also, you can substitute plain Greek yogurt for sour cream while serving the dessert.

Eggs: use large eggs at room temperature to make the recipe.

Flour: the recipe calls for all-purpose flour.

How to make fig and almond cake

Heat oven to 350 degrees F/175 degrees 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 on medium speed until smooth (photo 1).

Low speed of the mixer and gradually add eggs, mixing the egg mixture until homogeneous (photo 2).

In a separate mixing bowl, weigh and mix almond flour, all-purpose flour, salt, baking powder, and ground anise.

With the mixer on low speed, slowly add almond flour mixture to the batter, mixing until combined.

Add vanilla extract and slightly mix (photo 3). Pour batter into the prepared pan and level the top with a spoon or a rubber spatula (photo 4).

Cut each fig vertically into four long wedges. Arrange figs on top of the cake, cut sides up, going in concentric circles.

Make sure to slightly immerse figs into the almond batter but not to overlap (photo 5).

Bake for about 40 to 50 minutes. Check the cake's readiness 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 it out of the cake tin. Place on a wire rack, then transfer to a cake stand.

While the cake bakes, make the figgy sauce. Place white 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 the fig cake, spoon a generous dollop of Greek yogurt over or aside from every cake slice and pour the figgy sauce on top (photo 8). Or dust the cake with powdered (icing) sugar.

Expert tips

Beat the cake batter with an electric mixer or a hand whisk if you do not have a stand mixer.

Use a regular can pan instead of a springform pan and precut circle cake pan liners to facilitate the removal of the cake.

While making the figgy sauce, do not use a wooden spoon or spatula. Instead, just swirl the saucepan over the stove.

The cake is best eaten on the day it is made. Store leftover cake covered in plastic wrap in the refrigerator to enjoy the next morning.

Frequently asked questions

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The nutritional information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator such as Verywellfit.com and is intended for informational purposes only. These figures should be used as a general guideline and not be construed as a guarantee. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should independently verify it using your preferred tool. Under no circumstances will Baking Like a Chef be responsible for any loss or damage resulting from your reliance on the nutritional information. You are solely responsible for all decisions about your health and ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate. Please, read the disclaimers in our Privacy Policy.

The figgy sauce recipe was adapted from https://ottolenghi.co.uk/. The cake recipe was originally published on September 01, 2018. It has been updated with new photos, content, and changes to the recipe to make it even better. All posted pictures are mine.