rustic fig and hazelnut cake
Figs seem terribly decadent to me. It must be all those luscious red filaments when you cut one open, eating the soft sweet inner flesh directly off the skin. Such a short season for this heady delight that nature has created with such perfection.
This cake or variations using different fruit or a different nut flour are often on my table in the warmer months (apricots, peaches, plums and almond meal/flour), but it is very special when figs are in season.
The cake does not have many steps and apart from beating the butter, sugar and eggs with an electric mixer, it is mixed by hand. So it is hard to get wrong. Fresh figs are arranged in a pattern on top of the uncooked cake making the cake look festive. By pushing the figs down a little with your finger, the cake cooks around them and they keep the cake really moist. You can splash a bit of brandy on top of the cake once it is cooked (for that real Italian flavour!).
rustic fig and hazelnut cake
140g plain flour
120g unsalted butter at room temperature
160g caster sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsps baking powder
60ml milk
125g hazelnut meal
5 or 6 fresh figs, depending on size
a splash of brandy to serve (optional)
Preheat oven to 170 degrees. Grease and line a 20cm diameter cake tin. Beat the butter and sugar in a food processor until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Place the mixture in a bowl and add half the flour, mixing well with a wooden spoon. Add the milk. Mix until incorporated, then add the rest of the flour, the baking powder and a good pinch of salt. Make sure it is all evenly mixed and finally add the hazelnuts.
Place the mixture in the prepared cake tin. Press the fig halves a few centimetres into the cake to any pattern you like, cut surface of the fig side up. As the cake rises in the oven, the figs will sink a bit into the cake, so don’t push them all the way down. Bake for around 60 minutes. The cake is ready when a skewer placed in the centre comes out clean. Rest for 15 minutes before turning put of the tin. Serve the cake with a dollop of mascarpone, whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. You can also splash some brandy on the cake if you like.