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A Recipe With Dried Figs You’ll Love; Dried Fig Cake
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If you have ever wondered what to do with that bag of dried figs in your pantry, this recipe with dried figs is the answer. Not a salad topping, not a cheese board garnish, but a proper cake. One with jammy, caramelized fruit layered under a golden crumb. Even better? It’s soaked in sweet vermouth and finished with a glossy orange caramel that pools into every crevice. Our Dried Fig Olive Oil Cake with Orange Caramel is both impressive and delicious.
Can You Put Dried Figs in a Cake?
Yes, and you absolutely should. Any recipe with dried figs capitalizes on the depth of flavor dried figs bring to baking. It’s a flavor that fresh fruit rarely can provide.
California Figs: Let’s Clear a Few Things Up
First things first, don’t believe everything that you read. California figs are self-pollinated. There are no wasps in your figs, at least not if your figs were grown in the Golden State. All five varieties of figs commercially grown in California are self-pollinating, which means they don’t need wasps, bees, or even another tree to produce fruit. Myth officially busted.
California is the fig capital of the country, growing 100% of the nation’s dried figs and 98% of its fresh figs. When it comes to dried figs, you’ll mostly see Mission and Golden. Fresh figs come in five main varieties: Mission, Brown Turkey, Kadota, Tiger, and Sierra, each with its own flavor and texture.
This is one recipe with dried figs that showcases their concentrated natural sweetness which caramelizes beautifully in the oven, as well as their chewy, dense texture that softens into something almost jammy when given a little time to soak in liquid like sweet vermouth. In this cake, they sit at the bottom of the pan with California raisins. Then, the vermouth-soaked figs and raisins sit in the orange caramel as the cake bakes. When the cake is inverted, the result is a gorgeous sticky, glossy top layer that looks like it took hours to achieve.
How to Soften Dried Fruit for Baking
Dried fruit has a natural firmness that needs a little coaxing before baking. The simplest method, and the one this recipe uses, is soaking. When you pour the sweet vermouth in this recipe over the figs and raisins, then let them sit for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. They absorb the liquid, plump up, and become tender all the way through.
What Is Sweet Vermouth, and Why Is It in This Cake?
Sweet vermouth is a fortified, aromatized wine. It has a rich, sweet, and complex profile featuring prominent notes of caramel, baking spices, dark fruits, and vanilla, balanced by a bitter herbal finish. It is the secret weapon behind the flavor layering in this cake. When the figs and raisins soak in it, they pick up those spiced, fruit-forward notes that play beautifully in this cake.
Our recipe uses Quady sweet vermouth, a California-made vermouth with a bold, aromatic character that holds its own alongside the natural sweetness of the fruit.
While we only use a teaspoon of the strained, dried-fruit-infused vermouth in the final cake recipe, we suggest using the remainder in other ways, such as the delicious cocktails below.
How To Drink Vermouth
According to Salt & Wind, if you order vermouth – “vermut” – in Spain, it traditionally comes served on the rocks or with a spritz of soda water (sifón) and garnished with a skewered green olive or citrus twist.
To store, cover the remaining infused vermouth and keep it in an airtight container. It will keep in the fridge for up to a week.
Once you have that bottle of vermouth, you might want to learn a few more things about how to use it. Check out the article below about California vermouth for inspiration.
How Vermouth is Made in California + What To Make With It.
You’ve probably heard of this fortified wine when looking up classic cocktail recipes, but do you know where it comes from, how to use it, or how it’s made?
California Grows the Figs Worth Baking With
There is a reason dried figs from California have a great reputation. A full 100% of the nation’s dried figs are grown right here in California, with farms concentrated in and around the Central Valley cities of Madera, Fresno, and Merced, covering roughly 9,300 acres of farmland. California’s warm, dry climate creates ideal conditions for producing figs with a concentrated sweetness that makes them exceptional in recipe with dried figs – like this one.
The two main varieties of dried figs you will find are Mission and Golden. Mission figs are deep purple-skinned with a rich, dense sweetness. Golden figs tend to be milder and slightly honey-like in flavor. Both work beautifully in this cake on their own or together.
The raisins in this recipe are pulled from the same California agricultural region. California’s San Joaquin Valley produces the vast majority of the nation’s raisins. Their concentrated grape sweetness layers beautifully with the figs here, adding texture and a subtle tartness that rounds out the caramel.
California Raisins: Tiny, Mighty, Everywhere
If you’re eating raisins in the U.S., they’re from California. Every single one. California supplies 100% of the nation’s raisin crop, and growers continue to push things forward with smart, sustainable practices like DOV (dry-on-the–vine) raisins, where grapes dry right on the vine.
Raisins are way more versatile than they get credit for. Snack on them, bake with them, or use them in savory dishes where a little natural sweetness goes a long way, like Pasta Foriana.
About This Cake Recipe with Dried Figs
The Dried Fig Olive Oil Cake with Orange Caramel is an upside-down cake, which means the fruit goes into the pan first, the batter goes over it, and then the whole thing inverts onto a serving plate when it comes out of the oven. The caramel, made with freshly squeezed orange juice, fruit-infused vermouth, and butter, sets into a glossy glaze that coats every piece of fruit.
When fresh figs are in season, you should totally try our recipe for upside-down cake made with fresh California figs and almonds. While these cakes share an upside-down style, they showcase the main attraction in very different ways.
Fresh Fig Cake With Almond And Olive Oil
Look, there are cakes, and then there’s this fig cake. A no-nonsense tribute to California’s delicate flower of the fruit world.
The Dried Fig Cake You Did Not Know You Needed
This is the kind of recipe that earns a permanent spot in your rotation. It is approachable enough for a weeknight bake but impressive enough to bring to any table. The CA GROWN figs and raisins do the heavy lifting on flavor, the sweet vermouth adds a layer of sophistication that is impossible to replicate with juice alone, and the orange caramel ties everything together with a brightness that makes each bite feel complete.
You can find California dried figs and raisins year-round in the produce section or snacking aisle at most grocery retailers. Pick up a bottle of sweet vermouth from California, and give all of that delicious dried fruit hanging out in your pantry the moment it deserves.
Love The Look Of This Cake? Edible Flowers Make All The Difference
When it comes to decorating cakes, there is no more delightful garnish than edible flowers. With varying colors, shapes, and textures, you will never grow bored of this natural way to decorate your dishes.
Decorating With Flowers: Beautiful Cakes, Cookies, And Cocktails
We all know that decorating with flowers can elevate the mood and brighten a home, but have you ever thought about decorating your cakes, cookies, and cocktails with cut flowers, too? You can elevate even the simplest of recipes to spectacular results with just the addition of a few strategically placed blooms.
For more upside-down cake inspiration, check out the recipes below, decorated with edible flowers and herbs. One is a little extravagant, and one is pretty simple, but both cakes are stunners you’ll want to try soon!
Prune Upside Down Cake with Toffee and Sesame
Bronwen Wyatt’s Bayou Saint Cake’s Prune Upside Down Cake with Toffee and Sesame has a deeply flavorful prune-toffee-sesame layer on top of a rich, moist brown-butter cake. Use edible flowers and whipped cream to decorate for a decadent dessert!
Maple Glazed Prune + Ginger Cake
The creation of award-winning chef Gregory Gourdet showcases a sophisticated blend of flavors and textures, marrying the unexpected with the traditional in a way that is both bold and comforting.
Like To Jam To Sweet Tunes While You Bake this cake recipe with dried figs? Check Out This California Grown Spotify Playlist:
Have you tried this cake? We’d love to see your creations! Share your photos with us by tagging #CAGROWN on social media.
Don’t stop here! Follow us on Pinterest for more fresh and fabulous recipe inspiration. Dive into the world of CA GROWN goodness, and let’s make every meal a celebration of the Golden State’s bounty.
Dried Fig Olive Oil Cake with Orange Caramel and Edible Flowers
Ingredients
For the Dried Fig Cake
- 1 cup sweet vermouth, we like Quady Winery
- 2 cups dried figs any variety or a combo. Trimmed of tough stems and cut in half
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1 cup gluten free all-purpose flour, (with xanthan gum, or add ½ tsp if your blend does not contain it.
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 orange, zest removed and juice reserved for orange caramel
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
For the Orange Caramel
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp dried fruit-infused sweet vermouth
- 3 TBSP butter
- 1/2 tsp salt
For decoration:
- edible flowers like pansies
- orange zest
Optional to serve
- sparkling rose from California or a Raspberry Port Sparkler
Instructions
To make the cake:
- Place figs and raisins into a bowl, cover with sweet vermouth, and let sit for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain thoroughly, reserving both the vermouth and the soaked fruit. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃)
- Grease and line an 8-inch (20 cm) round cake pan with parchment, then also lightly grease the parchment.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, gluten-free flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In another bowl, massage the zest into the sugar until it becomes fragrant. Then whisk sugar, olive oil, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Stir in buttermilk.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients. Stir until just mixed and set aside.
To make the caramel:
- Sprinkle the sugar evenly on the bottom of a saucepan over medium heat. Let the sugar melt into an amber-colored liquid, stirring or swirling the pan occasionally.
- As soon as the caramel is smooth and a dark amber color, add in the reserved orange juice and 1 tsp of the dried fruit-infused vermouth, stirring carefully until the caramel is smooth. The caramel will sputter and bubble up when you add the liquids. Be very careful!Remove the caramel from the heat and stir in the butter and salt.
To assemble the cake:
- Pour the caramel into the prepared cake pan, then cover the bottom with the strained figs and raisins. Depending on the size of the dried figs, you may not need all of the fruit you have soaked, just enough to cover the bottom of the pan. We made a circular pattern with the figs, then added the raisins in the crevices. Any soaked fruit leftover can be served alongside the finished cake as a garnish.Once arranged, pour the cake batter over the dried fruit and smooth the top.
- Place the cake pan on a sheet pan to catch any spillage and bake for 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan on a baking rack for 5 minues then invert onto a serving tray or platter. Do not worry if a few of the figs or raisins fall off the cake or stick to the pan as you are transferring it to the serving platter. They are easy to place right back on the cake where they separated from if needed. Allow to cool completely before slicing or adding any garnishes, as heat will make the edible flowers wilt.
Nutrition
Learn More About The CA GROWN Ingredients You’ll Find In This Recipe Below:
A Word About California Extra Virgin Olive Oil:
Want to be sure your olive oil is fresh, the highest quality, and the real deal? Look for the COOC seal on bottles of California Extra Virgin Olive Oil to make sure you’re getting delicious 100% Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Certified California EVOO uses stricter standards than international requirements, requiring the oil to pass chemical testing and a sensory analysis by a group of experts, called an organoleptic panel evaluation.
Look for the Real California Milk seal!
Every product stamped with the Real California Milk Seal is made with wholesome dairy from the Golden State, where 99% of dairy farms are family-owned. Plus, California dairies are worldwide leaders in sustainability efforts, sharing best practices, innovations, and technologies such as methane digesters with other states and nations.
Got your Real CA Dairy in hand? Whip up Ricotta Toast with Warm Peaches + Blueberries or Frozen Yogurt Snack Bites.
California Flowers: Fresh, Local, and Grown With Care
Those flowers brightening up your kitchen or table? There’s a really good chance they came from California. California is the leading producer of cut flowers and greens in the U.S., supplying more than 75% of all domestically grown blooms, with over 225 cut flower and greens farms across the state. That’s a lot of color, grown close to home.
When you’re shopping, look for CA GROWN license plates on bouquets, often displayed right on the flowers or tucked into blue buckets. Don’t see one? Ask your retailer where their blooms are from and request CA GROWN options. The same goes for potted plants and trees, which are also often California-grown products.