A fig-lover’s delight. Try this savoury-sweet cake with tangy chutney and a slice of cheese.
Ingredients
- 125g/4½oz
ground almonds - 50g/1¾oz
caster sugar, plus 2 tbsp for sprinkling - 30g/1oz
plain flour - 1 tsp
baking powder - ½ tsp ground
cinnamon - pinch of
salt - 3 free-range
eggs, lightly beaten - 4 tbsp
butter, melted and cooled, plus extra for greasing - ½ tsp
almond extract - 8 fresh
figs, stems removed, cut in half
- 125g/4½oz
- For the dried fig chutney
- 1 tbsp
vegetable oil - 2
shallots, finely diced - 1 tsp finely chopped fresh
rosemary - 100g/3½oz
sultanas - 50g/1¾oz
raisins - 50g/1¾oz dark
brown sugar - 200ml/7fl oz cider
vinegar - 50g/1¾oz
crystallised ginger, finely sliced - 310g/11oz dried
figs, cut in half - 1 tsp ground
allspice
- 1 tbsp
- To serve
- 400g/14oz
cheddar cheese, sliced
- 400g/14oz
Preparation method
Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5 and lightly grease a 23cm/9in fluted flan tin or cake tin that’s 4cm/1½in deep.
In one bowl, mix together the ground almonds, sugar, plain flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, butter, and almond extract.
Stir the dry ingredients into the wet, and whisk until just mixed.
Pour the batter into the prepared tin.
Arrange the figs cut-side up over the batter, pushing the figs gently into the batter.
Sprinkle the remaining two tablespoons of sugar over the figs, then bake for about 30 minutes, or until the cake is set in the centre.
Let the cake cool for ten minutes then turn it out of the tin onto a wire rack. Allow it to cool to room temperature before serving.
For the dried fig chutney, heat the oil in a saucepan. Once hot, add the shallots and gently fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the rosemary, sultanas, raisins and sugar and fry until the fruit begins to caramelise. Add the rest of the ingredients, bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
Serve a slice of the cake on a plate with the chutney and slices of cheddar cheese.