Fresh Fig and Almond Breakfast Cake
makes 1 10-inch skillet cake
preheat oven to 375 deg or 350 deg, depending on how you want the recipe to go.
For the Cake*:
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (1 1/4c for half cake recipe)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder (1 tsp)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda (1/4 tsp)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (1/4 tsp)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom (you can add half as much again without overpowering the taste) (stick with 1/4 tsp)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (1/4 c)
- 2 large eggs (1 egg)
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk (3/4 c)
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled (1 oz, aka, 2 tblsp)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (1/2 tsp)
- 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract (or you can use all almond, which I prefer) (1/4 tsp)
Note: this can be halved in order to make a thinner cake that is more fruit-forward.
In this case, continue using a 10“ pan for baking, amounts for the topping remain the same.
For the Topping:
- 8- 10 fresh figs (depending on the size), sliced in half
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
- 3 tablespoons turbinado (or granulated) sugar for topping
To make the cake:
Place a rack in the center of the oven and heat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter and flour a 10-inch cast iron skillet. You can also use a 10-inch cake pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cardamom, and sugar. Set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, and butter. Whisk in the vanilla and almond extract.
Add the buttermilk mixture all at once to the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined and no lumps remain. Spoon batter into the prepared pan. Top batter with fresh figs, gently pressing the figs part-way into the batter. Sprinkle with sliced almonds and then sprinkle generously with sugar.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow cake to cool to room temperature before slicing to serve.
If making the half-recipe, bake at 350 deg for 25 minutes and then 3 minutes under a low broiler, watch it for that last minute or so to insure it does not burn.
Cake will last, well wrapped in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days.