Fig, Pistachio and Honey Plum Cake

You already know we’re totally in favor of always making the most of the foods each season offers us. Rosa, author of Pemberley Cup&Cakes, also makes the most of them. This time, they don’t let the delicious figs slip by, using them to make a recipe that smells like autumn: here’s this delicious fig and pistachio loaf cake!

When a story starts with ingredients and tools like those used in this recipe, there is no doubt that the result is going to be memorable. Even before getting there, to that desired culmination, another certainty also follows: the course of that story will be no less enjoyable. To begin with, the Emile Henry rectangular ceramic baking dish, as well as the rest of its collection, not only strikes me as a piece of incomparable beauty, but it’s perfect for making the kind of sponge cake or pound cake we so enjoy baking at home and sharing with family and friends.

Its vitrified ceramic, in addition to being highly resistant to minor bumps and cutting tools, ensures a gradual, even distribution of heat throughout the entire baking process, providing healthy and delicious cooking, since the food does not undergo sudden changes in temperature and maintains an optimal level of moisture. Each piece is handcrafted with precise dimensions and depth to ensure the perfect cooking of every recipe. Emile Henry thus brings together tradition, quality, and respect for the craft of cooking. And with that impeccable presentation, we can also take our cake straight from the oven to the table in the same pan. Isn’t it simply irresistible?

And as could hardly be otherwise at this time of year, the star ingredient of today’s recipe had to be a good handful of fabulous figs. Although native to the Mediterranean, it’s a fruit that has been highly valued since ancient times by many different cultures around the globe. Besides being high in fiber and water, it is the fruit richest in calcium. But that’s not all, it also provides a significant amount of magnesium, iron, selenium, potassium, vitamins A, C, B vitamins (especially folic acid B9) and E, and flavonoids, which helps eliminate toxins from our bodies. Even so, figs have a fairly high calorie content as they are a considerable source of carbohydrates, so, despite all this, moderate consumption is recommended.

All the same, the season for this longed-for fruit is drawing to a close, so this juicy, exquisite fig loaf cake struck me as the perfect final flourish to bid it farewell. So don’t hesitate for a moment or you’ll have to wait a whole year. Or at the very least until next June, when you can start enjoying the next breba harvest—although, even if they look very similar to figs, they aren’t really the same fruit. In fact, both are actually the “false” fruit of the same species, and both come from so-called bifera fig trees (which have two harvests a year), with brebas being those “fruits” from the previous season (figs in potential) that didn’t ripen at the time and remain in a sort of dormant state until the start of the next season.

So, are you in? With the extra energy it takes to get back into the routine—the early starts, the rush, and the daily hustle—it won’t hurt to have one of these on hand…

INGREDIENTS (for 10-12 servings)

(All ingredients must be at room temperature, unless otherwise indicated)

300gr of all-purpose wheat flour
2 ¼ teaspoons of baking powder
½ teaspoon ground Ceylon cinnamon
½ teaspoon of salt
Zest of ½ large orange
170 g of whole cane brown sugar
3 eggs (L)
120 ml of sunflower oil or mild olive oil (according to personal preference)
120 ml of whole or semi-skimmed milk
1 tablespoon of orange juice, freshly squeezed
60gr of pistachios, peeled
325gr approx. of fresh figs (green or black)
Orange blossom honey and 2-3 fresh figs for garnish

*1 tablespoon equals 15 ml; 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml*

PRODUCTION

1. Preheat the oven (without fan) to 180°C with top and bottom heat, and place the rack in the center position.
2. With the help of a pastry brush, we lightly grease the inside of a rectangular cake tin about 25,5 - 7,5 cm (base), like this lovely Emile Henry ceramic loaf pan for plum cakes. Next, dust with a thin layer of flour and remove the excess by tapping the pan with the palm of your hand. Set aside.
3. On one hand, we wash, peel, and chop the figs. On the other, we roughly chop the pistachios. Set both aside.
4. In a large bowl, We sift the flour together, the baking powder, the cinnamon and the salt with the help of a sifter (or a large strainer, failing that) and we finish by mixing with some rods to combine all the ingredients well. Set aside.
5. In another large bowl, we rub the orange zest together with the brown sugar between our fingertips, which helps release all the oils contained in the fruit's peel and lets us make the most of its aroma.
6. Add the eggs to the flavored sugar and beat vigorously with some rods (by hand or with the help of a mixer/kneader) for about 3-5 minutes until you get a fluffy, visibly paler mixture.
7. Next, we gradually add the oil to the previous mixture in a thin stream without stopping stirring, now mixing more gently until fully incorporated.
8. Next, add the milk, orange juice, and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
9. Add the dry ingredients we had set aside (step 4) in 2 batches, gently mixing after each addition just until moistened (it doesn’t matter if a few visible streaks of flour remain, as there are still ingredients to add).
10. Now add the crushed pistachios and mix just enough until they are evenly distributed throughout the batter.
11. Finally, we add the chopped figs and spread them evenly, but without overdoing it so they don't fall apart too much.
12. We pour the mixture into the mold that we had prepared, we gently move it in all directions so the batter settles well into every corner and any possible air bubbles inside break up, and, if necessary, we smooth the surface with a spatula. We bake for about 60-65 minutes or until, when inserting a skewer or similar into the center, it comes out perfectly clean.
13. Take it out of the oven and let it cool in the mold. There’s no need to unmold it; the mold is perfect for serving our plum cake in it, straight from the oven to the table. Plus, thanks to the quality and craftsmanship of the piece, it will easily withstand slicing the cake inside it.
14. As an accompaniment, a couple of figs, or three, halved, and a little orange blossom honey will pair perfectly.

It keeps for about 3 days, well covered, at room temperature.

NOTES:

- Unfortunately, fig season is short—far too short. Still, you’ll be glad to know that this plum cake turns out just as perfect if you swap in dried figs, so you can enjoy it anytime. In this case, what you should pay attention to is the amount of sugar used in the recipe; dried figs are much sweeter than fresh ones, so 125 g of sugar will be more than enough.
- Instead of pistachios, you can use any type of nut of your choice; with walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds… it's equally delicious.
- Don't hesitate to freeze this type of cake. Wrap it in plastic wrap first and then in aluminum foil to prevent the cold from damaging it. It keeps perfectly frozen for about 2-3 months (depending on the freezer).

Have a nice weekend and regards.
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