GEOFF’s Spiced Fresh Fig Cake with Honey Mascarpone…

There’s a short window each autumn when fresh figs are at their peak, and I was lucky enough to pick these directly from Willabrand Figs – fruit straight off the tree doesn’t get much better. My preference for a cake like this is Spanish figs – their density and sweetness are hard to beat – but they’re not always easy to find, so when Willabrand’s are ready, I use them without hesitation.

Anyone who has made my Chai Spiced Porridge will know cardamom is my favourite spice. In this cake it needs to play a supporting role – 4gm is the sweet spot, warm and present without dominating. The 50:50 mix of blanched and whole almond meal gives the crumb a sticky-date-pudding quality – dense, moist, and fudgy around the figs – with the honey mascarpone tying it all together without competing.

Moisture Plus at 160°C with a single burst of steam on insertion is what delivers that texture. Don’t be tempted to push the temperature.

GEOFF’s Spiced Fresh Fig Cake with Honey Mascarpone…

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Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 55 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Servings: 8 people

Course: Afternoon Tea, Dessert

Cuisine: Australian, Italian

Calories: 385

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 180 gm unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
• 160 gm brown sugar (firmly packed)
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature (55gm)
• 100 gm blanched almond meal
• 100 gm whole almond meal
• 100 gm plain four
• 8 gm baking powder (I use GF version)
• 3 gm sea salt, fine
• 4 gm ground cardamom
• 4 gm ground cinnamon
• 3 gm ground ginger
• 1 gm ground star anise (approximately ¼ tsp)
• 1 gm freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 zest of orange
• 30 ml fresh orange juice
• 5 gm pure vanilla extract
• 450 gm fresh figs, halved vertically (approximately 8-10 figs)
• 20 gm raw or demerara sugar, for topping

Honey Mascarpone

• 250 gm mascarpone, at room temperature
• 40 gm good-quality Australian honey (I use KI or Barossa Valley honey when I can find it)
• 5 gm pure vanilla extract
• 1 zest of ½ orange
• Pinch of ground cardamom

For Serving

• 2-3 fresh figs, quartered
• runny honey for drizzling
• Edible flowers or fresh thyme sprigs (optional)

Equipment

• 1 Combi oven, Moisture Plus oven, Conventional oven

Method

 

1. Brown the butter

   1.      Melt the butter in a light-coloured saucepan over induction setting 6 (medium heat). Continue cooking, swirling regularly, until the butter turns a deep golden colour and smells nutty – about 5-7 minutes. Watch it closely once it starts to foam. Pour into a bowl and allow to cool to room temperature (approximately 15-20minutes). It should be liquid but no longer hot.

   Prepare

   1.      Preheat the oven to 160°C on Moisture Plus (1 burst of steam on insertion). Grease a 22cm springform cake tin and line the base with baking paper. If using a conventional oven, preheat to 165°C fan-forced.

   2.      Combine the almond meal, plain flour, baking powder, salt, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, star anise and black pepper in a bowl. Whisk briefly to distribute the spices evenly through the dry mix.

   Make the batter

   3.      In a large bowl, whisk the cooled brown butter and brown sugar together until combined. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition. The mixture should be smooth and slightly glossy.

   4.      Add the orange zest, orange juice and vanilla extract. Stir to combine.

   5.      Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in two additions, mixing gently until just combined. Do not overmix – the batter will be thick and fragrant.

   Assemble and bake

   6.      Pour the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the surface with a palette knife. Arrange the halved figs cut-side up across the surface, pressing them in very gently. Scatter the raw or demerara sugar evenly over the figs and batter.

   7.      Place on shelf position 2. Bake on Moisture Plus (1 burst of steam on insertion) at 160°C for 55 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out with just a few moist crumbs. For a slightly more yielding, sticky-date-pudding-like centre, check at 50 minutes – the crumb will be closer-set but still fudgy around the figs. Conventional oven alternative: bake at 165°C fan-forced for 55 minutes, checking from 50 minutes.

   8.      Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 20 minutes before releasing the springform. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

   Honey mascarpone

   9.      While the cake cools, beat the mascarpone, honey, vanilla, orange zest and cardamom together with a spoon until smooth and slightly softened. Taste and adjust the honey. Refrigerate until needed.

Notes

Serving Suggestions

1. Serve the cake at room temperature or very slightly warm.
2. Dust lightly with icing sugar if you like, then spoon a generous portion of honey mascarpone alongside each slice.
3. Arrange a few quarters of fresh fig on each plate, drizzle with a little runny honey, and finish with a few fresh thyme sprigs or edible flowers if you have them.
4. A good cup of cardamom tea or a glass of Sauternes would be my drink of choice with this.

Notes

1. Figs: Black Genoa or Brown Turkey figs are ideal. The riper the better – very ripe figs will melt into the batter and create jammy pockets throughout; firmer figs will hold their shape. Avoid figs that are split or leaking.
2. Spice level: The spice blend here is warm and noticeable but not aggressive. Cardamom is kept at 4gm – enough to be present without dominating. For a more subtle result, reduce further to 3gm. For a spicier cake, add an extra 1-2gm of ground ginger and a pinch of cayenne rather than pushing the cardamom higher.
3. Sugar: This recipe uses 160gm brown sugar, which is deliberately restrained – the ripe figs and honey mascarpone carry plenty of natural sweetness. If your figs are on the less-sweet side, nudge it up to 180gm. I wouldn’t go above that; any higher and the spice loses its voice.
4. Brown butter: Don’t skip this step. The nutty depth it adds is significant. If pressed for time, melted butter works but the result won’t be as complex.
5. Gluten-free option: Replace the plain flour with a further 50gm each of blanched and whole almond meal, or with a good GF plain flour blend. The texture will be slightly denser but still very good.
6. Advance prep: The cake keeps well and is actually better the day after baking as the spices deepen. Bake the day before, store at room temperature covered with a clean tea towel, and make the mascarpone fresh on the day.
7. Tin size: A 22cm springform is ideal. A 20cm tin will give a deeper cake with a longer bake time – add 8–10 minutes and check carefully.

Fridge Friendly Instructions:

1. Store the cooled cake (without mascarpone) in an airtight container or covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 4 days.
2. The mascarpone should always be stored separately in the fridge and used within 3 days.

Freezer Friendly Instructions:

1. The cake freezes very well without the mascarpone. Cool completely, slice into individual portions, and wrap each slice tightly in cling film then foil. Freeze for up to 2 months.
2. Thaw at room temperature for 2-3 hours or overnight in the fridge. Reheat as above.
3. The mascarpone is not suitable for freezing – make it fresh when needed.

 

Nutrition Facts – 8 servings recipe (cake only, without mascarpone)

Amount Per Serving | Calories 385 or Kilojoules 1,611 | Total fat 26gm, Saturated fat 10gm, Monounsaturated fat 10gm, Polyunsaturated fat 4gm, Trans fat 0gm | Cholesterol 105mg | Sodium 180mg | Potassium 310mg | Total Carbohydrate 34gm, Dietary Fibre 4gm, Sugars 24gm | Protein 8gm | Vitamin A 6%| Vitamin C 5% | Calcium 8%| Iron 10%.

*The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie / 8370 Kilojoule diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie/kilojoule needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated.