Almond fig cake

Sweet, ripe fresh figs baked into a delicate almond cake. This almond fig cake is wonderfully simple to make – all you need to do is whisk the ingredients together, so there’s no need to use a mixer. Rustic, moist and full of almond flavour, it’s perfect served with a cup of tea or coffee, or as an elegant seasonal dessert.

Ingredients for the almond fig cake:

• 60 g butter
• 1 cup ground almonds
• ¼ cup caster sugar
• ¼ cup plain flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• a pinch of salt
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons honey
• ½ teaspoon almond extract
• 8–14 ripe fresh figs (depending on their size)

All the ingredients should be at room temperature.

Melt the butter, remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, cooled melted butter, honey (if crystallised, warm it gently until runny, then allow it to cool) and almond extract until just combined. Do not whisk until fluffy. Add the ground almonds. Sift in the plain flour, baking powder and salt, then whisk gently until just combined.

Grease and lightly flour a 23 cm tart tin. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and level the surface. Trim the stalks from the figs and cut them in half. Arrange them cut-side up over the cake batter.

Bake at 175°C for about 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean and the cake is nicely golden. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

Enjoy!

Recipe source: NYT Cooking.