Figgy Bundt Cake
This Fig Bundt Cake is dense, rich and very flavorful. It’s pretty and also serves a crowd, as you slice it thinly to serve. The Bundt Cake derives, in part, from a European Brioche-style cake. In the north of Germany Gugelhupf (a cake traditionally baked in a distinctive ring pan similar to a Bundt Cake) is traditionally known as Bundkuchen–a name joining ‘Bund’ and ‘Kuchen’ (cake). There are many opinions on the significance of ‘Bund’. Some believe it means ‘Bunch’ or ‘Bundle’ after the way the cake is bundled around the tubular center. Others believe it refers to the fluted sides of the pan and looks similar to a sheaf or bundle of wheat. That sounds wacky to me! And still others believe that ‘Bund’ refers to a group of people and that Bundkuchen is so called because it is suitable for groups or parties.
It wasn’t until 1950 that the actual Bundt Pan came about. It was designed by H. David Dalquist from Minneapolis. Cookware firm, Nordic Ware trademarked the name “Bundt” and began producing the pans out of cast aluminum. That is the brand of my Bundt pan.
The first time I made this Bundt Cake I did not grease the pan well enough. Because it has a fair amount of fig jam in the cake the jam settled to the bottom and stuck to the pan. When I attempted to remove the cake a big portion of the top came off. I made a butter cream frosting and stuck the pieces together and then topped with the frosting, but generally a Bundt Cake is drizzled with a glaze after baking.
The jam I used is Bonne Maman, my favorite brand. This wonderful jam company was founded in the southwest of France and the region is known for superior fruit. Bonne Maman prides itself on creating quality product made from old family recipes and lots of love. It tastes homemade.
As you are putting this cake together, don’t be alarmed that the mixture looks like coarse sand until the eggs are added.
The first time I made this cake I thought I’d done something terribly wrong as it looked nothing like cake batter, but once you add the eggs, it looks like a normal cake batter.
LET’S MAKE A BUNDT CAKE!
Fig Bundt Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake...
- 2 cups All-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups Light brown sugar Tightly packed.
- 2 tsp. Baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. Salt
- 1 tsp. Ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. Ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp. Ground allspice
- 1/2 cup Unsalted butter, melted I always use Kerry Gold. 1/2 cup is 4 oz. or half a stick.
- 1/2 cup Avocado Oil You could also use vegetable oil.
- 3 large Eggs At room temperature. It really does make a difference.
- 1 cup Buttermilk If you don't have butter milk, add a tbsp. of lemon juice to 1 cup of whole milk.
- 2 tsp. Vanilla extract
- 1 cup Fig Preserves or jam
- 1 cup Coarsely chopped pecans
For the Caramel Glaze
- 4 Tbsp. Unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup Packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup White sugar
- 1 dash Salt
- 1/2 cup Heavy whipping cream
Instructions
Make the Fig Cake...
- Gather all of your ingredients and preheat oven to 325F.
- Very generously grease and flour a Bundt Cake pan or one-piece tube pan, making sure you get into all of the nooks and crannies of your Bundt pan.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, light brown sugar, baking soda, salt and spices. Stir thoroughly to blend. Add the melted butter and avocado (or vegetable) oil and beat until blended.
- In another bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the eggs to the first mixture and beat until blended.
- Add the buttermilk and vanilla and beat until smooth.
- Add the fig preserves and chopped pecans. Stir to blend.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan.
- Bake for about 60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the cake. Start checking at 55 minutes.
- Cool the cake in the pan on a rack for about 10 minutes. Slide a knife around the sides of the cake gently coaxing it away from the cake pan. Carefully invert the cake onto a cake plate and let it cool completely.
Make the Caramel Glaze...
- Combine the butter, brown sugar, white sugar, and a dash of salt in a small saucepan.
- Place the pan over medium heat and cook for 1 minute or until it is bubbly, stirring constantly.
- Add the cream to the sugar mixture and bring the glaze to a boil. Continue to cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Let the glaze mixture cool slightly. Drizzle the warm glaze over the cooled cake.
