Neighbors and fruit trees – An over-the-fence fig cake recipe

Lately, I’ve been braving mosquitoes and rotten afternoon weather to harvest the plump figs emerging on our fig tree before the birds beat me to it. Fortunately, my office overlooks it, so I’ve had pretty good luck keeping watch. Some days we eat every last fig over the sink within minutes of giving them a rinse. Other days, I manage to set some aside and share them with my friends.

Sunday, I brought a couple of cups to my next-door neighbor, Martha, who paid me back with her famed fig cake recipe. I made it later that day, and found it to be a great use of figs—super moist with a light, but sturdy texture and pleasant, subtle fig flavor. The recipe, Martha tells me, is modified from the Junior League of Monroe’s popular 1972 cookbook, The Cotton Country Collection. Tone down the sugar, and it makes a super breakfast cake.

Fresh Fig Cake

3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup canola oil
1 cup buttermilk*
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped fresh figs (between 15-20 small to medium figs)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pinch nutmeg
Confectioner’s sugar and fig leaves for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a standing mixer or bowl, whisk eggs briefly. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about one minute. Add oil, and beat until just combined. In a separate medium bowl, add buttermilk and stir in baking soda. Beginning with flour, add flour and buttermilk mixture alternately and mix until combined. Add chopped figs, cinnamon, cloves, salt and nutmeg, and mix until thoroughly incorporated.

Pour batter into a greased and floured tube pan, or into 2 loaf pans (8x4x2˝) and bake until done, 60-70 minutes for tube pan, and 50-55 minutes for loaf pans.

Cool in baking rack for 5-10 minutes, then remove from pan. Allow to cool another 5-10 minutes. Arrange on plate, and garnish with confectioner’s sugar.

*Substitution. Add 1 tablespoon white vinegar to milk to make 1 cup.

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