Sometimes you just crave a cake, not one laced with frosting, but one simple and studded with plump, juicy in-season fruit. This fig cake is not super sweet which makes it sociably acceptable to eat any time of the day. We, in fact, had it for breakfast and I did serve it with fresh brown sugar whip cream!
The top of this cake develops a wonderful craggy crust and the texture inside is light and has a slight soft chew, like the inside of a macaron. Not a fan of figs, don’t let that keep you from making this cake. Swap the figs for your favorite fruit, or whatever is in season. You will make this again and again because the base of this cake is delicious on its own. One thing to note is that a springform is needed for this cake. If you don’t have one, I promise you it’s worth the investment, because-hello cheesecakes!
- 4 Tbsp. melted unsalted butter, cooled, plus more room-temperature for pan
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
- ¾ tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. kosher salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1¼ cups sugar, plus more for sprinkling
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 2 Tbsp. dark rum, optional
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 12 oz. or about 8 figs, halved lengthwise
- fresh whip cream, for serving
- Special equipment- 8"-diameter springform pan
- Preheat oven to 350°. Butter and flour the springform pan. Whisk 1 cup all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk eggs, egg yolk, and 1¼ cups sugar in a large bowl until very pale and thick, about 1 minute. Whisk melted butter, sour cream, rum (if using), and vanilla in a small bowl. Whisk butter mixture into egg mixture until just combined. Add dry ingredients and fold in until batter is smooth; scrape into prepared pan. Chill 10 minutes to let batter set.
- Arrange sliced figs over batter. Don’t press fruit into the batter just place over top and let it sit on the surface. Sprinkle with more sugar and bake until cake is golden on top and browned around the sides, 55-60 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool in pan 10 minutes. Slide a knife around sides of cake to loosen. Slide directly onto rack and cool completely. Serve with whip cream, if desired.
This cake looks incredible! The texture looks just perfect! 😉
Awww thanks Sammie! The texture is the best part of the cake! 🙂