Fig And Plum Cake Food

FIG-AND-PLUM CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch square cake pan; line with 2 wide pieces of parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides. Butter parchment. Toss fruit with 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt; set aside.
• In a food processor, pulse 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to combine. Add half of butter and pulse until fine crumbs form. Transfer to prepared cake pan and use floured fingers to press dough evenly into bottom of pan. (If too soft to easily press in, refrigerate 10 minutes.)
• Bake until crust is light golden in color, about 20 minutes; transfer to a wire rack and let cool 15 minutes.
• In food processor, pulse remaining half of butter, 1/2 cup sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt with baking powder until combined. Add almond flour, remaining 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, eggs, and almond extract; process until smooth.
• Spread batter evenly over crust. Gently stir fruit to reincorporate sugar mixture and arrange on top of batter (cut-side up). Bake until fruit is bubbling and filling is firm, about 1 hour and 5 minutes. Let cool in pan 15 minutes, then use parchment overhang to lift cake out of pan and transfer to a wire rack. Let cool 1 hour and serve. Cake can be stored in an airtight container up to 2 days.

FIG SPICE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10 inch tube pan. Place the stewed figs into a saucepan, cover with water, and simmer on low heat for about 5 minutes. Drain and cool, reserving 1/2 cup of the liquid.
• Cut the figs into 1/4 inch cubes; set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the reserved fig liquid and buttermilk; set aside. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cloves; set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk mixture. Stir in the chopped figs and walnuts. Pour into prepared 10 inch tube pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in pan 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

PLUM CAKE WITH FIGS

Steps:

• Cut the 5 figs into pieces, without peeling.
• In a pot, heat 2/3 cup of water and 3/4 cup of granulated sugar for a couple minutes, until you have a syrup; let it cool slightly, add 3 tablespoons of orange liqueur, drop in the fig pieces and let them macerate for 3 hours.
• In a pot, melt the butter until slightly golden, then remove from the heat and stir in the honey. Combine, by hand or in a mixer, the almond flour, the eggs and the cane sugar, then add the honey butter, the Italian 00 flour and the baking powder; continue to mix, until you have a sticky dough, then add a pinch of salt flakes.
• Butter 8-10 non-stick plum cake pans (2x3 1/4 inches) and put about 1 1/2 ounces of dough in each one; add 3-4 macerated fig pieces, cover with another 1 1/2 ounces of dough and garnish with another 2-3 fig pieces.
• Bake at 320°F for 30 minutes, remove from the oven and immediately brush the top of the plum cakes with the syrup from the macerated figs. Let cool, then garnish the tops with the remaining figs, cut into wedges, and a few walnut pieces.

OLD FASHIONED PLUM CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350*. Thoroughly grease and flour a 9" springform pan. Sift flour with baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside. Beat butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla with electric mixer on high until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes).
• Reduce mixer speed to low. Alternately add about one-fourth of the flour mixture and one-third of the sour cream, beginning and ending with flour and beating thoroughly after each addition. After all has been added, scrape down sides of bowl and beat 1 minute longer.
• Pour batter into prepared springform pan; spread evenly with rubber spatula. Put pan on center rack in oven and bake for about 50 minutes until cake is golden brown and a cake tester inserted in center of cake comes out clean.
• Meanwhile, make Crumb Topping: Put sugar, flour, butter and cinnamon ina small bowl. Toss lightly with a pastry blender or two forks until mixture is crumbly and the butter is in fine pieces. Set aside.
• Wash plums; dry well. Cut fresh plums in half, remove pits and discard. If using canned plums, drain thoroughly, cut in half and remove pits. Remove cake from oven and sprinkle with crumb topping. Arrange plums on top and bake 10 minutes longer.
• Remove cake from oven and place on wire cake rack to cool for 10 minutes. Loosen cake from sides of pan, using a small knife or long metal spatula. Remove pan sides and brush plums with melted jam. Serve warm.

FIG PRESERVES CAKE

Steps:

• Combine first 8 ingredients in a large mixing bowl; add oil and eggs, beating at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended.
• Add buttermilk and vanilla, beating well.
• Stir in preserves and pecans.
• Pour batter into a greased and floured 10-inch tube pan.
• Bake at 350 for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
• Cool in a pan on a wire rack 10 minutes.
• Remove from pan and place on a serving plate.
• Pour buttermilk glaze over cake while both are still warm.
• For Buttermilk Glaze: Bring sugar, baking soda, buttermilk, butter and corn syrup to a boil in a Dutch oven over medium heat.
• Boil 4 minutes, stirring constantly until glaze is golden.
• Remove from heat, stir in vanilla.
• Cool slightly.
• Yield: 1/2 cups.