Fig Almond Cake

There is no better way to celebrate fig season than whipping up a jewel-studded fresh fig and almond cake. With their sweet flavor and beautiful interior, all these figs need is a sprinkle of sugar before baking into this fall dessert. Plus, any recipe that starts with browning butter is bound to be a good time! The wonderful texture from almond flour, the tantalizing tang of sour cream, and the subtle floral note from ground cardamom creates the perfect complimentary cake for those fresh, syrupy figs.

How do you make fig almond cake?

No need to fuss with a stand mixer or worry about creaming your butter just right—this fall cake is easily stirred together and baked in a cast-iron skillet, just like your favorite cornbread. While using a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet is ideal, this fig recipe gives you a chance to coat the pan in butter for good measure. When browning butter in a dark pan, make sure to time it, watch it closely, and use your nose! It can go from nutty-smelling and deeply golden to burnt in seconds. Once that's done, all that's left to do is whisk all the ingredients together. Much like cornbread, this batter will be thick! It needs to have enough structure to support those juicy sliced figs. Don’t worry, it will still be super tender and moist once it's done baking.

Do you peel figs before baking?

There is no need to peel figs or cook them before nestling them into the batter. The peels are tender like grape skins, perfectly safe to eat, and contribute to the delightful texture of figs. While the stems are beautiful, they can be removed, if you like.