When it comes to dessert, I generally can’t leave well enough alone. Which is a good thing (except for that one time with the almond souffle thingy… that was a disaster), because it means tasty treats, only healthier. I have a Williams Sonoma muffin book that is just chock full of tasty recipes. But in the entire book there is only one recipe that’s 100% whole wheat! Not acceptable. This fig cake is the result of a major overhaul of one of those recipes. White was swapped for wheat, the sugar was drastically reduced (and a healthier sweetener substituted) and while I was at it I swapped raisins for figs.
By the way, this Fig Cake is cake in the same way that banana bread is cake. I mean, don’t you agree? It’s not like you’re going to make a sandwich with banana bread! It’s totally a sweet treat. Think of this fig cake the same way. It’s dense, mildly sweet, kind of hearty, but still satisfies a craving for something indulgent. Not exactly the kind of thing you’re going to whip up for a birthday party, but my kids both totally agree that it falls solidly in the treat category. To make it even more dessert-like we like to add a little dollop of Greek yogurt and a drizzle of maple syrup. My son calls it frosting:)
PS This also freezes really well, so if you’re going to go to the trouble of making it, you might as well double the batch and pop one in the freezer. Enjoy!
Oatmeal Fig Cake
Similar to banana bread, dense, moist and scattered with bits of fig. Goes great with a cup of tea.
Source: Heavily modified from a Williams Sonoma recipe
Course: Desserts
Serves:
Ingredients
- 1 1⁄4 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 2⁄3 cup chopped mission figs cut these about the size of large raisins, maybe a bit larger
- 1⁄2 cup sucanat
- 1 1⁄2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1⁄2 tsp sea salt
- 1 1⁄2 tsp cinnamon
- 1⁄2 tsp nutmeg
- 1⁄4 tsp allspice
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 1⁄3 cup butter melted
- 3⁄4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1⁄2 cup buttermilk
Directions
- Preheat to 350. Grease loaf pan or spring form pan. Mix dry ingredients, including chopped figs. Beat the eggs, mix int he rest of the wet ingredients, then combine with the dry ingredients.
- Bake until the top is browned and a knife or toothpick comes out clean. Don’t rely on the brown top to tell if it’s done; because of the whole wheat it can look brown when it still needs to bake a bit longer.
- Cut in thick slices and serve with a cup of tea. It’s delicious with butter or coconut butter.
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