Olive Oil Fig Cake - Easy Loaf or Bundt Cake

Olive Oil Fig Cake is one more fresh fig recipe for those of you who, like me, simply love figs. For this easy recipe, you'll want to use a nice fruity extra virgin olive oil. And remember to take the time to add the oil in a slow steady stream, fully incorporating it as you go.

Four more ways I use fresh figs: Fig Upside-Down Cake, Fig Almond Upside-Down Cake (gluten-free), Fig and Frangipane Galette, Fig Clafoutis.

Now that every day is Wednesday, you'd think I'd have more time for
painting; but I don't. Just a few minutes for a quick watercolor sketch.

I like to bake it in my favorite loaf pan, which has the same capacity as a standard 9x5x3-inch loaf pan but has straight sides, giving me nice square slices. Or in my 8.5-inch 10-cup Kugelhopf pan.

Of course, if you are not a fig fan you can use the same amount of apples or pears or whatever you like. But do try it with figs—they are wonderful! Tell me, are you a fig fan? And how are you faring? I hope you and yours are staying safe and sane! 

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Olive Oil Fig Cake

(Makes one 9x5x3- or 9x4x4-inch loaf)

2 dip-and-sweep cups (10 ounces/283 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour1 tablespoon non-GMO baking powder
1 teaspoon cardamom (may substitute mace or nutmeg, if you must)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups (9.33 ounces/265 grams) sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
Finely grated zest of one medium lemon
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3/4 cup (6 fluid ounces/177 ml or 5.625 ounces/160 grams) extra virgin olive oil

1 pound (16 ounces/454 grams) fresh figs (I used Black Mission), stems off and skin on, cut into 1/3-inch dice

1 Butter well and flour a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan or 9x4x4-inch Pullman loaf pan (holds 10 cups). Preheat oven to 350F/180C/Gas4.

Note: I also like to bake it in this 8.5-inch/10-cup Kugelhopf pan (the same one I use for my Babka recipe) or a 10-cup (not 12-cup) Bundt pan. 

2 In 1.5-quart bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cardamom, mace or nutmeg, and salt. With electric hand mixer on low speed, whisk the dry ingredients together for 1 minute to "sift."

3 In 2.5-quart bowl, combine sugar, eggs, lemon zest and extracts. With electric hand mixer on medium speed, beat for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.

4 With mixer running on medium speed, gradually pour the olive oil in a thin stream into the egg mixture, so that it is completely incorporated. This should take 4 to 5 minutes; don't rush it.

5 Remove about 1/4 cup of the flour mixture and fold the remainder into the egg mixture. Toss the figs with the 1/4 cup of flour, then fold them and any loose flour into the batter.

6 Scrape batter into prepared pan, smooth the top, then drop the pan a few times from a height of just a few inches to settle the batter. Bake for about 55 to 60 minutes, until it passes "the toothpick test." Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes, then turn cake out of pan and continue cooling on wire rack for 2 hours. Before serving, you might give it a dusting of powdered sugar. And a little whipped cream is never a bad idea!

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Jean