Fig Jam Cake with Nutmeg Ice Cream & Candied Pecans

I've been making my grandmother's (reworked) fig cake recipe for several years now. It's quick and easy to make and it's a crowd pleaser. Usually I make it and leave it on the counter and the pieces disappear one by one, a casual Bundt cake that beckons to anyone passing through the kitchen. But this summer, I took it to a dinner party in the country, where a good fig cake is always appreciated, and the host served it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. I thought it elevated that simple cake and I immediately started thinking of a fall version.

My original recipe calls for chopped pecans in the cake, but I took them out of the cake and candied them with cane syrup instead, as a topping for the ice cream. I could have stuck with the vanilla ice cream, which was very good, but I'm a huge fan of nutmeg and I thought the mellow spiciness would be a great seasonal accompaniment.

The nice thing about this dessert is that all of the components work on their own, so you can mix-and-match, make one or all of them. It can serve as a substitute or an accompaniment to the traditional Thanksgiving pie, and it will take you all the way through the winter months. 

 

FIG CAKE:

2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 dash salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup fig jam or preserves (see note)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Liberally grease and flour a 10-cup Bundt or tube pan.  (I use solid shortening.)
 
2. Mix sugar, oil, and eggs until well blended (if using a standing mixer, mix on medium speed).

3. In another bowl, combine dry ingredients, then add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk. Mix well.

4. Fold in fig jam or preserves (if there are any large fig pieces in your preserves, mash them into smaller pieces with a fork).

5. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs.  Let the cake rest in the pan for 15 or 20 minutes.  Using the tip of a knife, gently loosen the cake from the sides of the pan and invert on a wire rack to finish cooling.

***Note:  After extensive testing, the success of this cake does seem to depend on the fig jam/preserves used. I have found that Italian brands seem to work better than domestic brands. The ones I use most often for this cake are from Sclafani  and Le Colline di Evagro, both of which come from the Abruzzo region in Italy. 

 

NUTMEG ICE CREAM
Yield: 1 Quart
Saveur

2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
2 cups half-and-half
1 whole nutmeg, cracked
3/4 cup sugar
6 egg yolks
1 cup heavy cream

1. Toast grated nutmeg (a Microplane grater is perfect for this) in a skillet over medium heat, 1-2 minutes. Remove pan from heat; set aside.

2. Heat half-and-half and cracked nutmeg in a 4-quart saucepan until it just begins to simmer. Remove from the heat; let steep for 10 minutes.

3. In a bowl, whisk together sugar and yolks. While whisking, slowly pour in the half-and-half mixture. Return the mixture to the pan; cook, stirring, until the mixture thickens, about 8-10 minutes.

4. Pour through a fine strainer into a large bowl. Whisk in toasted nutmeg and cream; cover custard and chill, at least 2 hours or preferably, overnight.

5. Freeze custard in an ice cream maker; transfer to an airtight container. Freeze until set (about 4 hours) before serving.

 

CANE SYRUP CANDIED PECANS

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
3 tablespoons Steens cane syrup
1 1/2 tablespoons cane sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups pecan pieces

1. Preheat oven to 325 degreesF. Spray baking sheet with nonstick spray. Combine cane syrup, cane sugar, and salt in a medium bowl; stir to blend. Add pecans; stir gently to coat. Transfer to baking sheet.

2. Place a large piece of foil on work surface. Bake pecans 5 minutes. Using fork, stir pecans to evenly coat with the melted sugar mixture. Continue baking until the pecans are golden and the coating bubbles, 10 to 15 minutes.

3. Transfer the nuts to the foil and separate them with a fork. Cool. Store in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 3 days. 

Comments

[Suzonne]

Flirty Foodie - No, I have not tried the Rigoni di Asiago, but thanks for the tip! I'll have to try them.

You know, it may have nothing to do with Italian figs per se, I just happen to get my preserves at a little Italian grocery and after so many failings and then so many consistently great successes with Italian brands, I've become a bit superstitious. But I think the difference between domestic and European brands must have something to do with sugar - meaning that domestic brands use more of it. All I know is that when I use domestic brands all the mashing in the world doesn't seem to allow them to spread throughout the cake. Instead, they clump and then make my cake stick to the pan in spots. Not being a professional, I have no idea what this means. Something to investigate in the future, but for now, I'm Italian all the way! Ha!

[Flirty Foodie]

I love the recipe. definitely something I plan on trying.

Out of curiosity why do you think that Italian jam works better than American brands? And have you ever tried Rigoni di Asiago's fig jam? I tend to love all of their products...

[Suzonne]

Julia, thank you. That is one of the nicest comments I'v ever gotten! I'm sure I will eventually have a book in the works. After so much time in publishing, with so many different clients, I've been working really hard to rediscover my own creative voice, which is one of the reasons I started blogging. I think as I become more comfortable with that, I'll be ready to take on a book again. In fact, I have at least 3 titles/concepts on paper. I'll get there! Thank you again.

[Suzonne]

Margery, we are all about real over here! But I just read about a study that said more creative breakthroughs happen in messy rooms than in tidy rooms, so I'm going with that!

I hear you about the un-decorating, but here's a little trick I use. If you decorate your house mostly with things that will make it through the winter, you can take the Christmas stuff out quickly and remove the rest bit by bit as the seasons change. That's one of the reasons I rely so much on using natural elements - nobody thinks pinecones or moss are just for Christmas (of course I say this with pumpkins sitting on my mantel and a half-decorated Christmas tree for a blog post on my right...)

[Julia]

As always this looks beautiful. I keep wishing/hoping you have a book in the works. Your ideas are always elegant. I love the NOLA vibe.

[Margery]

Wow, I've just spent some time catching up on your last 6 posts - I don't know where I've been but I'm glad I didn't miss these. Your Christmas styling is beautiful!! Normally I am overwhelmed with the idea of decorating for Christmas, or rather, the un-decorating that happens after the thrill is gone. Can't wait to get a copy of the mags for a closer look. You've set the bar high - simple, beautiful, elegant. Thanks also for keeping it real - love seeing the little feet on the sofa!