Brown Butter Fig And Almond Cake
Preparation time: 60-80 minutes | Serves: 4 people
There's something immensely pleasurable about fresh figs, so when the season comes around in Sydney, I find myself buying punnet upon punnet in the fear that they'll disappear before I have the chance to sink my teeth into them. This brown butter fig cake is the perfect way to enjoy them at their best,
The thing with figs though, they're quite fickle. You'll find two in a batch that are perfectly ripe, one will be mouldy and one will be so green, you'll wonder if it was even meant to be plucked. To beat the figs at their own game - I like to cook them. They're stewed, baked, grilled - you name it. In this way, you can transform the fig into something more versatile, while still enjoying the ripe ones as they're meant to be - torn apart, exclaimed upon with joy, and bitten into in their plump, honeyed perfection.
This moist fig cake is moreish and autumnal with buttermilk for a balanced, soft interior. The almond meal mixed with brown sugar and cinnamon lends an almost frangipane-like flavour to it. While I love this recipe with figs, I've also made it with strawberries and plums in the past, and they're equally good substitutions.
Find some more suggestions and tips in the recipe notes.
Ingredients
100 gms butter (cold will do too)
80 gms + 1 tbsp. brown sugar
2 eggs (room temp)
1 tsp. vanilla essence
100 gms flour
50 gms almond meal
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsps. baking powder
3 tsps. ground cinnamon
180 mls buttermilk
5-6 fresh figs, sliced into thick rounds
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°c and line a 9 inch baking tin with baking paper.
Brown the butter over low heat, swirling occasionally to prevent burning. Set aside to cool briefly.
Mix flour, meal, salt, baking powder and 1 tsp. of cinnamon in a bowl.
Whisk cooled butter with 80g brown sugar, then add eggs and vanilla.
Fold in dry ingredients, alternating with buttermilk. Pour cake mix (it will be quite thick) into the prepared pan.
Arrange sliced figs on top, pressing slightly into batter.
Mix 2 tsps. of cinnamon and 1 tbsp. sugar together and sprinkle evenly on top.
Bake 50-55 minutes until golden. Best served warm with a dollop of thickened cream, or at room temperature within 1-2 days.
What can I use if I don’t have almond meal?
You can increase the amount of flour in the recipe if you don’t have almond meal. Use a total of 130 gms of flour instead.Can I substitute the buttermilk?
You can substitute the buttermilk with 150 gms of yoghurt, thinned with water. Or make your own version of cheats buttermilk, combining 1 tbsp. of vinegar with 180 mls of warm milk.What fruits can I use instead of figs?
Strawberries or any stone fruits - plums, peaches, nectarines will work in this recipe. You can also use red apples - slice them thinly so they cook evenly.What should I serve this cake with?
I love eating this cake warm from the oven with a big dollop of thickened cream. Vanilla ice cream, or warm vanilla custard would also be delicious.How long can I store this cake?
Allow the cake to cool completely and store in an air tight container for up to 5 days.
