I find figs to be such a sensual fruit, juicy with robust flesh. In the 16th Century Baroque master Caravaggio’s painting Basket of Fruit there are four figs, all four plump, luscious and bursting with ripeness. They are the fruit of the ficus tree which to my surprise is part of the Mulberry family. Cultivated for centuries, the fig, historically, symbolize unity, truth and universal understanding.They are on my list of top 5 favorite fruits, they satisfy my occasional sweet tooth craving, since I have cut out refined sugars from my diet. I snack on fresh figs often when in season and love to include them in an arugula salad with walnuts and fresh goat cheese.  Figs are high in fiber, so they make a great natural laxative.

A long time ago I used to enjoy Pineapple Upside down cake and thought an owed to that cake would be fun with fresh figs. They are also full of vitamins and anti-oxidants including Vitamin A, B6, potassium, calcium, magnesium, Vitamin C and copper.

According to WEbMD, figs may help reduce blood pressure, improve digestion and increase bone density.

They are plentiful and thus bloom in not only one but two seasons , one runs beginning in late June and the second from August through late October. As October is coming to an end right around the corner  run, don’t walk and get your season finale figs for this beautiful to look at and delicious fig cake. This cake is completely grain and sugar free and can be made vegan by omitting the eggs and substituting  flax-eggs. And if you want to skip the booze, substitute the Madeira (a dessert wine from Portugal) with more water.

Makes 19” round cake (6-8 slices)

Gather:

Cake-

1 stick/ 4 ounces/ 113 grams vegan butter at room temperature (I use Melt)

1/4 cup/32 grams coconut sugar

1/4 cup/32 grams monk fruit

3 eggs, room temperature or flax eggs ( see note below)

1/4 cup/60 ml almond or hemp milk

2 teaspoon / 9.86 ml vanilla

zest of one lemon

1 and 1/2 teaspoon / 8.53 g baking powder

1/4 teaspoon / 1.41 g salt

1 1/2 cups /160 grams paleo flour 

1 teaspoon / 5.69 g cardamon 

10 figs (I used Black Mission), stems removed and cut into 4, lengthwise

 2 tablespoons / 28.3 g pistachios roughly chopped

Glaze-

1/8 cup /30 ml water

1/4 cup/32 grams Madeira wine

1/4 cup/32 grams monk fruit

2 tablespoons / 28.3 vegan butter 

2 star of Anise

Make:

Cake 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/ 177 degrees C. Grease the pan with vegan butter or spray with oil and line with parchment paper, which has been cut the size of the bottom of the pan.

Beat the butter, coconut sugar  and monk fruit until creamy. Beat in eggs, vanilla, and milk continuing to mix. Add lemon zest, paleo flour, and baking powder and mix until combined. Do not over mix. Prepare the glaze before pouring the batter into the pan.

Glaze

Boil water, Madeira, and sweetener for 5 minutes. Do not stir. Remove from heat and add the vegan butter to the warm liquid, stir until melted and well combined. 

Sprinkle the pistachio pieces, evenly scattering the bottom of the pan. Layer fruit in a single layer evenly in the pan and then pour the glaze over the fruit.  Transfer the cake batter to the pan, evenly and delicately smoothing the batter over the fruit. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the cake pan from the oven.

Allow the cake to cool 1 and 1/2- 2 hours before turning the cake over onto your cake platter or plate. Make it pretty with edible flowers, fig leaves or other greenery. Enjoy! I love a big dollop of coconut whip cream on mine.

*Note: how to make a flax egg. Add 1 tablespoon ground flax meal to 3 tablespoons warm water and mix and then allow to sit for 5-7 minutes.

This recipe is equal to 1 egg.

Developed by Anna Getty of Amalgam Kitchen.

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