Almond Cake Recipe with Figs

When you think about what to make for brunch, bake a California Fig and Almond Cake. We like to serve it with orange crème fraiche.

Course Dessert

Keyword Almond Cake, Almond Cake Recipe

Servings people

Calories 412kcal

Ingredients

1 5/6 cup sliced almonds blanched, toasted
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
4 eggs large
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 tbsp lemon zest grated
3/4 tsp almond extract
5 tbsp unsalted butter melted
1 1/2 cups Orchard Choice or Sun-Maid California Figs stemmed and finely chopped
1/3 cup vegetable oil

Orange Crème Fraiche:

2 oranges
2 tbsp sugar
1/8 tsp salt
8 ounces creme fraiche

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Grease 9-inch round cake pan and line with parchment paper. Pulse 1½ cups almonds, flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in food processor until almonds are finely ground, 5 to 10 pulses. Transfer almond mixture to bowl.
Process eggs, 1 1/4 cups sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, and almond extract in now-empty processor until very pale yellow, about 2 minutes. With processor running, add melted butter and oil in steady stream, until incorporated. Add almond mixture and pulse to combine, 4 to 5 pulses. Add figs and pulse to combine, 2 to 3 pulses. Transfer batter to prepared pan. 
Using your fingers, combine remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and remaining 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest in small bowl until fragrant, 5 to 10 seconds. Sprinkle top of cake evenly with remaining 1/3 cup almonds followed by sugar-zest mixture.
Bake until center of cake is set and bounces back when gently pressed and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 55 to 65 minutes, rotating pan after 40 minutes. Let cake cool in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes. Run paring knife around sides of pan. Invert cake onto greased wire rack, discard parchment, and reinvert cake onto second wire rack. Let cake cool, about 2 hours. Cut into wedges and serve. (Store cake in plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 3 days.)
For Crème Fraiche: Remove 1 teaspoon zest from 1 orange. Cut away peel and pith from oranges. Slice between membranes to release segments and cut segments into ¼-inch pieces. Combine orange segments and zest, crème fraiche, sugar, and salt in bowl and mix well. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Makes about 2 cups.

Notes

Valley Fig Growers is a proud sponsor of Cook’s Country TV.

Nutrition