Fig Cake with Orange and Brown Sugar Glaze
This fig cake with a beautiful orange flavor and topped with an orange and brown sugar glaze is going to knock your socks off! The cake looks unassuming, but just wait until you take a bite!
If you know me, or have followed me for some time, there’s no hiding that I dislike fresh figs. So you may be wondering about this fig cake.
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To my mother, the fact that I don’t like figs is practiaclly a cardinal sin because fresh figs are her favorite fruit. I can put them into a smoothie, and I do love orange fig jam with brie and crackers, but she still sees this as a crime, just to a lesser degree.
So when my friend, Julie, asked if I wanted some figs from her tree, I accepted, but wanted to try to make something different this time; something Mum may actually approve of!
I sort of fused two of my recipes together to create this fig cake. Now, if you love figs, please feel free to add the chopped fresh figs into the cake batter as you’ll see them in the recipe, to make this a true “fig cake”. I just made it with the figs on top because, well, you know. 😬 I think I’m probably the only food/recipe writer who will admit to something like that! At least I’m honest, and you can find out more in my kitchen basics.
Whether you make this cake exactly as I did, or you add chopped fresh figs, or omit the glaze, it’s going to be a lovely cake! I have made the base recipe so many times; it has the most beautiful texture, and is so light, everyone will love it!
When pears are in season, try this honey pear cake, too!
Just don’t skip the orange peel as it’s vital to this recipe tasting as it should.
For those of you who have made my Sicilian whole orange cake, you’ll recognize the orange flavor from the peel, as it’s very reminiscent of this cake, but with a much lighter texture. The orange and brown sugar glaze adds a lovely caramel flavor–it’s a wonderful combination!
Can I Bake this Fig Cake into Muffins Instead?
Yes! Make either 8 jumbo muffins or 12 regular muffins. However, you will have to cut the baking time down considerably. Check them after about 20 minutes. You can bake this cake in a loaf tin, too (baking time is the same). Speaking of fruit muffins, please try one of my muffin recipes; they are truly one of my top recipes!
Now let’s get to this fig cake recipe!
Fig Cake with Orange and Brown Sugar Glaze
recipe by Christina Conte makes one 8″ or 9″ cake
FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (100g) sugar
- peel from one scrubbed, organic orange, chopped into pieces (don’t worry about how you do this as it will go into a blender) NOTE: you will need the juice from this orange for the glaze, below
- 2 cups (275g) good quality flour (like King Arthur)
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup (100ml) light-flavored olive oil
- 1 cup (250ml) yogurt (if using Greek yogurt, add 1 Tbsp milk or buttermilk)
- 3 to 4 drops of orange oil
- (4-6 fresh figs, chopped, to add into the batter, if desired)
- 7 or more fresh figs to decorate the top
Glaze:
- juice of one orange
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- pat of butter
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350ºF (175ºC)
Grease and flour an 8″ to 9″ (20-23 cm) springform pan or loaf tin. You can put a liner in the bottom if you like, but it’s not necessary.
Prepare the Orange Flavored Sugar
Place the sugar and chopped orange peel into a blender or food processor and blend until the the orange peel is fine.
Prepare the Dry Ingredients
Pour the orange sugar into a large bowl and add the flour, baking powder and baking soda.
Prepare the Liquid Ingredients
In a large measuring jug, combine the eggs, oil, yogurt, (buttermilk, if using) and orange oil and whisk to combine.
Make the Fig Cake Batter
Pour the yogurt mixture in the jug into the dry ingredients in the bowl.
Stir the yogurt mixture into the dry ingredients, just until barely combined (do not mix until the flour is completely cleared).
If you are adding the chopped fresh figs, add them now. Just don’t overstir when mixing them in. Put the mixure into the prepared pan.
Decorate with Figs
Split the remaining figs in half and decorate as desired. I cut the center fig into 6 pieces (keeping the bottom intact) and used six other fig halves around the perimeter.
However, you can decorate the top as you like.
Pop this beauty into the oven for about 50 to 55 minutes. While the cake is baking,
Make the Orange and Brown Sugar Glaze
Put the orange juice, butter and brown sugar into a small pot and simmer for about 7 or 8 minutes for a sticky glaze.
Glaze the Cake
Just use a tester to make sure the cake is ready before taking it out of the oven. It should come out clean when inserted into the cake.
While the cake is still hot, pour the glaze onto the cake.
Then brush the top to distribute the glaze evenly.
Allow to cool before serving.
Which may be easier said than done!
Enjoy your fig cake!
Fig Cake with Orange and Brown Sugar Glaze
Ingredients
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 peel of an organic orange (scrubbed and cut into pieces)
- 2 cups flour (good quality, like King Arthur)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup light olive oil
- 1 cup yogurt
- 3 drops orange oil (4 drops for stronger taste)
- 5 fresh figs (chopped, to add into the batter, optional)
Decorate before baking:
- 7 fresh figs (to decorate the top)
Glaze:
- juice of one orange (use the same one you peeled earlier)
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ Tbsp butter
Instructions
Fig Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (175ºC).
- Grease and flour an 8" (20 cm) springform pan or loaf tin. You can put a liner in the bottom if you like, but it's not necessary.
- Place the sugar and chopped orange peel into a blender or food processor and blend until the orange peel is fine.
- Pour the orange sugar into a large bowl and add the flour, baking powder and baking soda.
- In a large measuring jug, combine the eggs, oil, yogurt, (buttermilk, if using) and orange oil and whisk to combine.
- Pour the yogurt mixture in the jug into the dry ingredients in the bowl.
- Stir the yogurt mixture into the dry ingredients, just until barely combined (do not mix until the flour is completely cleared).
- If you are adding the chopped fresh figs, add them now. Just don't overstir the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Split the remaining figs in half and decorate as desired. I cut the center fig into 6 pieces (keeping the bottom intact) and used six other fig halves around the perimeter. However, you can decorate the top as you like.
- Pop this beauty into the oven for about 50 to 55 minutes. While the cake is baking,
Orange and Brown Sugar Glaze:
- Put the orange juice, butter and brown sugar into a small pot and simmer for about 7 or 8 minutes for a sticky glaze.
- Just use a tester to make sure the cake is ready before taking it out of the oven. It should come out clean when inserted into the cake.
- While the cake is still hot, pour the glaze onto the cake. Then brush the top to distribute the glaze evenly.
- Allow to cool before serving.
Notes
- Use organic, quality ingredients for best results.
- You can omit figs from the batter if you prefer.
Nutrition
My friend, Cynthia, has a grain free fig and walnut tart recipe.
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I would definitely serve coffee made from a D&G Bialetti Moka Coffee Pot with this cake to my Gardner’s club.
What if orange oil is not available to you?
You’ll have to omit it, Toni. Won’t have the same flavor. You should be able to order it online.
Love this recipe! I improvised and added dried lavender into the orange peel sugar plus added vanilla, lime juice and honey into the wet mix. What a delicious cake and so easy to make.
We only had dried figs and although the cake is a bit chewy, it’s still a great Saturday afternoon kind of dessert. Bonus: The whole house smells wonderful, now.
Wonderful to hear, Nancy! Thank you for letting me know, I do agree, it’s such an easy cake and if you get fresh figs, even better!