The surprise is inside this brown sugar bundt as fig jam and hazelnut fig swirl threading throughout this moist cake. Then, the fig bundt cake is topped with a rich glaze of rich chocolate ganache. It makes any occasion a celebration.
Figs: the Surprise Inside the Bundt Cake
While fresh figs have a short season, dried figs are year-round which means you can make all kinds of delicious treats with them. Orchard Choice and Sun-Maid California Dried Golden or Mission Figs make a wonderful and tasty jam balancing the sweetness with citrusy tang. The jam is ready in under 30 minutes. Use it as a filling in the cake or try the jam on scones too.
Baking Tips: Why This Bundt Cake Recipe Works
The addition of brown sugar to a traditional bundt cake recipe adds moisture and beautiful caramel notes. Sour cream adds tanginess and tenderness to the crumb of the cake. But the star of the show is the mission fig lemon jam. Orchard Choice Dried Golden and Mission Figs are combined with sugar and lemon juice to create a quick and slightly tangy jam, that offers a nice contrast in taste and texture to the cake.
How To Make This Fig Bundt Cake
This recipe starts with making the Fig Lemon Jam. Once the jam has cooled, chop the hazelnuts and stir them into the jam until well combined.
Follow the directions for making the fig bundt cake. For the best cake make sure the butter, eggs and sour cream are all at room temperature. When the cake batter is done, add half the cake batter to the pan and then bang it against the counter to settle the batter into the pan grooves. Swirl half the fig lemon jam into the batter, being careful not to touch the bottom or sides of the pan. Add the remaining batter and then the remaining jam and repeat the swirl technique from the first time.
Bake the cake for 40-45 minutes until the a cake skewer comes out clean or with just a few crumbs clinging to the skewer. When the cake is done cool it for 15 minutes and then invert it onto a parchment paper-lined cooling rack.
When the cake has cooled add the chocolate ganache glaze and sprinkle the top with chopped nuts or toffee. Store the cake at room temperate for 2 days and in the refrigerator for a week.
Hazelnut Fig Bundt Cake with Chocolate Glaze Ganache
Equipment
- 10-cup bundt pan (I use a Nordic Ware Elegant Bundt pan, but you can use a similar size pan)
Ingredients
Pan Release
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter , melted
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Dried Fig Lemon Jam
- 6 ounces Orchard Choice or Sun-Maid California Mission Figs
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 cup water
- 3 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
Hazelnut Fig Jam Swirl
- 1 cup Dried Fig Lemon Jam
- 1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts , chopped fine
Bundt Cake
- 2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/4 cup (250 grams) packed dark brown sugar
- 6 tablespoons (75 grams) granulated sugar
- 12 tablespoons (170 grams) unsalted butter , room temperature
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 4 (200 grams) large eggs , room temperature
- 2/3 cup (161 grams) sour cream , room temperature
Chocolate Glaze Ganache
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate , chopped (or chocolate chips)
Instructions
Make the Pan Release
- Stir together the melted butter and flour in a small bowl until a paste forms. Using a pastry brush, coat all interior surfaces of the bundt pan. (If the mixture becomes too thick to brush on, microwave it for about 5-10 seconds to warm and soften it.)
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
Dried Fig Lemon Jam
- Combine the figs, sugar, water, lemon juice, and salt in a 3-quart saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 10 minutes to soften the fruit. Remove the pan from the heat and cool it for 5 minutes.
- Puree the mixture in a food processor until it is smooth, but with a few chunky pieces. Transfer the puree to the same saucepan and cook on medium low heat for another 5-8 minutes, stirring constantly. The jam will thicken and sizzle as you drag the spatula across the bottom of the pan. Remove the jam from the heat and scrape it into a pie plate. Cooling the jam in the pie plate will help it cool quicker.
Make the Hazelnut Fig Jam Swirl
- Finely chop the hazelnuts. When the fig jam has cooled, combine 1 cup of jam with the chopped hazelnuts. Set this mixture aside.
Make the Cake
- Crack the eggs into a separate bowl. Put the flour, baking powder, baking, soda, and salt, together in another bowl and whisk for 30 seconds to ensure the ingredients are well combined. (NOTE: If not weighing the flour, measure it by spooning the flour into the measuring cup and use a butter knife to level the flour).
- Place the dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter and ground cinnamon in the bowl of a stand mixer outfitted with a paddle attachment. Mix the ingredients on medium low until they are just combined and then increase the speed to medium-high beat the mixture on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 6 minutes. After the first 3 minutes stop the mixer and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Scrape off any butter that may be on the paddle.
- Scrape down the bowl. Add eggs one at a time on low speed and then increase to medium until each egg is well incorporated. Stop the mixer after adding the first 2 eggs and scrape the bowl from the bottom to ensure the ingredients are well mixed. Add the remaining 2 eggs and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl after mixing in the last egg.
- Add 1/3 of the flour mixture and mix on low speed until well combined, but do not over mix. Add half of the sour cream and mix on medium speed until well combined. Add half the remaining flour mixture, mix on low speed and then add the remaining sour cream. Add the last of the flour and mix on low speed until just combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix on low speed for about 20 seconds to ensure all the ingredients are well mixed.
- Scoop 1/2 the batter into the prepared bundt pan. If using the Elegant Bundt pan, or another bundt pan with similar deep grooves tap the pan against the counter three times to settle the batter into the grooves of the pan. Add about the half of the hazelnut fig jam to the cake batter in dollops across the surface. Use a butter knife to swirl the jam into the batter. Be careful not to touch the sides or bottom of the pan.
- Add the remaining cake batter. Smooth across the top. Add the remaining hazelnut fig jam in dollops across the batter. Use a butter knife to swirl the jam into the batter. Smooth the top of the batter. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. When the cake bakes, a visible ring will form around the center of the cake. This ring is where you want to test the doneness of the cake.
- Remove the cake from the oven and place the pan on a cooling rack. Allow the cake to cool for 15 minutes and then invert it on a cooling rack lined with a piece of parchment paper. Lining it with parchment paper will make it easier to move the cake to a cake plate later without it sticking. If you do not have parchment paper, lightly oil the cooling rack before inverting the cake.
- Allow the cake to come to room temperature before glazing it with the chocolate glaze.
Make the Chocolate Glaze
- Place the chopped chocolate or chocolate chips in a small heat-proof bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until bubbles form around the edges of the cream and steam starts to rise from the surface.
- Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate. Allow it to sit for 30 seconds and then gently stir with a whisk or spatula until the mixture is smooth. Cool the mixture until it has thickened slightly and is about 75F. Pour it over the cake. Allow the glaze to set and then serve the cake.