Recipe: Fig and Almond Cake

This fig cake is almost more like a moist sponge than anything else. It is a take on a Spanish orange and almond cake. I used frozen figs from last year’s bounty – making space for this year’s figs. There is no butter or added fat, it is full of figs, and it is flourless so a reasonably guilt-free treat to enjoy with some added crème fraiche if you wish.

Ingredients

280g fig puree - made from roughly 250gr chopped figs and 50gr sugar, cooked until soft and pureed – weigh as needed.

30ml brandy

5 free-range eggs, separated

200g caster sugar

225g ground almonds

2 tbsp flaked almonds

Sifted icing sugar to decorate

Method:

• Put the chopped figs and sugar in a small saucepan.
• Add 1 tbsp of water, then cover and cook gently until it has thickened a bit and is soft and tender.
• Puree to smooth and then stir in the brandy and leave to cool.
• Pre-heat the oven to 180C.
• Line the bottom and sides of a rectangular cake tin with baking parchment.
• Put the egg whites in a large bowl and whisk until they form stiff peaks. Gradually whisk in half the caster sugar, then whisk again for 1 minute until stiff and shiny.
• In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the remaining 100gr caster sugar. Whisk for 2–3 minutes or until pale and quite thick.
• Whisk in the pureed figs, and then carefully fold in the ground almonds.
• Stir in about a quarter of the whisked egg white to loosen the mixture, and then gently fold in the remaining whites with a large metal spoon.
• Transfer the mixture to the prepared tin and level the top.
• Sprinkle with the flaked almonds.
• Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the cake is golden and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
• Leave the cake to cool in the tin, and then turn it out, peel away the lining paper, and transfer to a serving plate.
• You can simply dust with icing sugar and serve or cut in half.
• Spread one half with crème fraiche, the top with the other half and dust with icing sugar.
• I have decorated mine with some sliced dried figs.
• Dust with icing sugar before serving. The cake can be kept in an airtight tin for up to two days.