Fresh figs are one of the fruit that epitomise summer here. The smaller green variety splits open to reveal a deep honey coloured centre, while the larger dark varieties are beautiful deep crimson red inside.
On the farmers markets they are often sold in small wooden baskets, a careful precaution to protect their fragile skins. Once home they are carefully laid out on a plate and kept somewhere cool until ready to eat.
I love to eat them as they are, at the end of a summer lunch, or for breakfast. As a delicious first course we may split them in two and cook them in a skillet with a little butter … a great accompaniment to foie gras.
And sometimes, if they are extremely ripe, I cut up a couple to make these delicious little fig cakes. Wonderful on a picnic, or afternoon tea. To find out how to make them, read on!
To bake these cakes I use little bottomless baking rings, lined on the base and sides with baking paper.
To make about eight cakes, you will need about 4 figs; 300 grams of flour; 200 grams of butter; 75 grams of sugar; 15 grams of vanilla sugar; 4 eggs; 2 teaspoons of baking powder; 5 table spoons of honey and a pinch of salt.
Cut up the figs into smallish pieces, say, each fig into 10 bits. In a mixer soften the butter, then add the dry ingredients, the eggs and the honey. With a spoon, blend the pieces of fig evenly into the mix.
Spoon the mix into the prepared moulds, sprinkle the top of each cake with brown sugar, and bake for about 25 minutes in a medium hot oven.
I like to serve them warm with the paper still wrapped around. I hope you enjoy!
19 comments
I have a few figs ripening on my tree, planted 4 years ago. I’m eyeing them carefully so as not to miss their perfection. This recipe sounds delicious and looks wonderful.
Sharon, thanks for sharing this fig cake recipe. I love your take on using the baking rings and hope I can find some to recreate that look. 🙂
Sue,
I found the egg fry rings at a Williams-Sonoma store. They’re available on their website too: https://www.williams-sonoma.com/search/results.html?words=egg%20fry%20rings&cm_sp=OnsiteSearch-_-GlobalNav-_-Button&cm_type=OnsiteSearch
They look amazing, I am definitely going to give them a try x
do you eat the skin?
yum !
I am so looking forward to trying these!
Heaven.
In the unlikely event that you and yours don’t eat all the fig cakes immediately, can they be refrigerated or even frozen for later? Or would that not be good for them.
Hi Sharon,
it’s Winter here in Australia, so no figs for me! In fact, we had a bit of lovely snow this morning.
Could you tell me what are the most delicious figs to eat fresh? I would like to plant some fig trees in the Spring, and can get some French varieties. The ones we buy at the supermarket are usually a bit unripe and tasteless, so I’ve no idea which to choose.
Have a great day,
Madeleine.x
This sounds wonderful & can’t wait to try it; however, I’ll have to find a chart that converts grams to cups or ounces. I’ll do it, but am not sure about the baking rings. Love your blog & look forward to trying the recipe. Thank you.
This is an all-purpose metric converter site. There are likely cooking-specific sites, as well. https://www.sciencemadesimple.com/conversions.html
Unfortunately the birds keep attacking the best figs on my tree before I can get to them. I don’t mind if they eat the ones at the top where I can’t reach, but not fair to take a taste from all of them. I like mine baked with a little blue cheese and wrapped in jambon sec. or just with my breakfast yoghurt. One of the best summer fruits. Love your recipe. Bon appétit.
These look scrumptious! I’ve never eaten a fresh fig, but I absolutely love fig jam so I would love to try this recipe. But…..no one else in our home would eat these, so I’ll have to find some friends to assist me.
Oh I love figs! Especially, fresh and warm from the tree….
Lately, I have been splitting them a touch of goat cheese in the center and a light drizzle of honey over them….makes a great dessert!
Since, I have gone gluten free…that will have to be it for me. Love the recipe though, yummmmmm
Nancy
Figs are my favorite! + will try this recipe.xxpeggybraswelldesign.com
So delicious… and so much of a temptation, Sharon… 🙂
Enjoy the weekend… xv
These look DELICIOUS!I will try although I cannot eat!GLUTEN FREE!
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I absolutely love figs. I live in a zone that is borderline appropriate for figs. Some winters it just gets too cold for them here. What variety is that? I have one in a pot, and hope to plant it next to my house on the south side where it is protected from the wind and the residual heat from the brown stucco will keep it warmer. Mine is Violette de Bordeaux. Our favorite way to eat them is wrapped in prosciutto. My 6 young kids go crazy for them.