Almond Honey Cake with Macerated Figs

My grandmother and I were sitting on the front porch when a familiar buzz disrupted the sonic space around us. Once in sight, there was no mistaking the fig beetle’s green-metallic sheen clumsily flying about in search of what remained of the late summer blooms. 

By the time I decided to either be amused and run towards the bug or be bewildered and run away from it, my grandma had already made up her mind. Gently, but confidently, she inched closer to the beetle and it seemingly flew right into her hands. She neither flinched or squealed at the bug’s size, even as its buzz turned into a panicked drone as it attempted to escape from her hands. She asked me to go fetch some kitchen twine, and while confused, I didn’t hesitate to heed her request. With the same tender and firm touch, she tied the twine around the beetle without harming its wings. She flew the beetle for a couple of minutes, as I watched on in amusement, and eventually let it go. 

The confidence with which she approached the beetle exemplifies the life she chose to live, where she made it apparent that life should be confronted fearlessly and without trepidation. Most of the memories I have of my grandmother are saturated with this same air of resolute self-conviction. Throughout her time earthside, it was quite magical to witness how impeccable she was at morphing malicious intent into tepid murmurs, while also tying one on seamlessly. I think she embodied what so many people try to emulate their entire lives: in the truest sense, she was simply herself. 

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Almond Honey Cake with Macerated Figs

Course: Dessert

Keyword: Almond, Figs, Honey Cake

Author: Shawn

Ingredients

For the almond honey cake:

• 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup almond flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
• ¼ cup brown sugar tightly packed
• ½ cup honey
• 2 eggs room temperature
• ½ tbsp vanilla extract
• ⅛ – ¼ tsp almond extract see note
• ⅓ cup whole greek yogurt room temperature
• ⅓ cup sliced almonds

For the macerated figs:

• 16 oz. figs green or black; washed and dried
• 1 tbsp orange zest
• 2 tbsp orange juice
• 1 tbsp orange liqueur or orange juice
• 2 tbsp honey
• ¼ tsp kosher salt

Instructions

For the almond honey cake:

• Preheat your oven to 325°F. Set an oven rack in the middle of the oven.
• Grease the bottom and sides of a 9” cake pan with butter. Then, line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
• To a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder and soda, ground cinnamon, and salt until combined. Set aside.
• In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter, brown sugar, and honey together until fluffy and pale in color, about 3 to 5 minutes. Be sure to scrape the paddle and sides of the bowl halfway through.
• On medium speed, add the eggs one at a time. Ensure that each egg is thoroughly mixed into the batter and scrape the sides of the bowl before adding the next one.
• After the eggs are well incorporated, add the vanilla and almonds extracts. Beat until just combined.
• With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture in thirds alternating with the yogurt, beginning and ending with flour until combined. Be sure to stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl in between each turn.
• Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and evenly spread the batter with an offset spatula. Sprinkle the sliced almonds in an even layer over the top.
• Bake the cake for 50 to 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
• Let the cake cool for about 15 minutes before inverting onto a cooling rack. Allow it to cool for another 30 minutes. In the meantime, make the macerated figs.

For the macerated figs and assemble:

• Slice all of the figs in half and place in a large bowl.
• Add the orange zest, orange juice, cointreau, honey, and salt to the same bowl. Gently toss the figs until the honey begins to dissolve. Allow the figs to macerate for 15 minutes.
• When the cake has cooled, place slices of the cake onto dessert plates and serve with the macerated figs.

Notes

As almond extract can easily overwhelm the taste of what you’re putting it in, I strongly suggest starting with an ⅛th of a teaspoon in the batter. You can always adjust if you need more.

Enjoy! <3