Recipe: Sticky Fig Cakes with Caramel Sauce

Credit: Flickr / newwavegurly

Bake this recipe as a fig cake or use muffin pans for mini-cakes

The natural sweetness of figs and prunes is enhanced with chocolate and caramel in this sticky sweet fig cake

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups dried Black Mission figs

• 1/2 cup pitted prunes, chopped

• 1-1/4 cups water

• 1 tsp. baking soda

• 2/3 cup unsalted butter, softened

• 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

• 2 large eggs

• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose 
 flour

• 1-1/2 tsp. baking powder

• 1 tsp. lemon zest

• 5 oz. semisweet chocolate (minimum 60% cocoa), chopped

• 1 cup cream cheese (or mascarpone), softened and whipped


Caramel Sauce

• 2 cups sugar

• 2 Tbsp. water

• 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

• 2 cups whipping cream, at room temperature



Instructions

1. Trim the stem of each fig and cut figs into quarters.
2. Place figs and prunes in a stainless-steel saucepan.
3. Pour water over and bring to a boil.
4. Cool slightly, then transfer to a food processor and purée.
5. Add baking soda, pulse, and set aside.
6. Beat butter and sugar in medium bowl until light and creamy in colour.
7. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.
8. Stir together flour, baking powder and zest in small bowl.
9. Pour fig mixture and flour mixture into the bowl with the butter and eggs and stir well.
10. Add chocolate and spoon mixture into 1/2-cup muffin pans.
11. Bake in preheated 325°F oven for 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a cake comes out clean.

To Make Sauce

1. Bring sugar, water and juice to a boil.
2. Continue boiling until sugar turns a light amber colour.
3. Slowly and carefully whisk in cream.
4. Cool to room temperature.
5. To serve, split fig cakes in half, spread with whipped cream cheese and drizzle with caramel sauce.

Serves 8

Originally published in TV Week. For daily updates, subscribe to the free TV Week e-newsletter, or purchase a subscription to the weekly magazine.