The thing with birthday cakes is that they are always compared with the cake you made the previous year so there is a certain amount of pressure on you to create an even more fabulous cake.  This year for C’s birthday I wanted to make something that was both dramatic and exotic. I am a ‘more is more’ kind of girl, I don’t think you’ll find many pared back cake recipes on this site. I was lucky enough to find two different varieties of fresh fig. Unfortunately, the ones on my tree won’ t be ready till much later in the summer. I wanted to fit as many fresh figs as possible on to the top of the cake for that wow factor. C loved the cake; how could he not? The sponge has dried figs and marzipan, making it beautifully moist. The mascarpone filling adds just the right amount of sweetness, and the fresh figs on top of the cake are just to die for.  I found this recipe on the following site: http://hungryrabbit.com/2014/10/fig-almond-tea-cake-w-coconut-honey-glaze, but it was adapted from America’s Test Kitchen who incidentally do a great podcast which I listen to regularly.

 

Ingredients:

Fig-Almond Filling

• 225g dried figs, stems removed, coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup water
• 3 tablespoons slivered almonds, chopped
• 125g marzipan

Sponge

• 250g self-raising flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 130ml canned coconut milk, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 200g unsalted butter, softened
• 300g, plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs, room temperature

Coconut-Honey Glaze & Assembly

• 3 tablespoons canned coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 60g white chocolate, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons cream cheese, room temperature
• 6-8 fresh figs for garnish (optional)
• Toasted flaked almonds

Mascarpone Filling

• 200g mascarpone
• 100g icing sugar

 

Directions      

 Filling

• Roll the marzipan into a 2cm diameter rope, cut rope into 2cm size pieces.
• Bring the figs, sugar and water to simmer in a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until liquid evaporates and figs are very soft, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool for 5 minutes. Stir in chopped almonds and marzipan pieces and cool until ready to use.

 

Cake

• Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position. Grease a 20cm round spring form tin and line the bottom with baking paper.
• Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in bowl. Whisk coconut milk and both extracts.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until combined. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with 2 additions of coconut milk mixture. Mix on low until smooth, about 30 seconds.
• Remove mixing bowl, add the fig mixture in chunks of various sizes. Using rubber spatula, fold until mixture is evenly distribute throughout the batter.
• Pour batter into prepared tin and smooth top. Place cake in cold oven. Adjust oven temperature to 190C/180C fan/gas 5 and bake until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean, 65- 80 minutes.
• Cool cake in the tin for 15 minutes, then turn out onto rack and cool completely. (Cooled cake can be stored in airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.)

Coconut-Honey Glaze & Assembly

• Bring coconut milk, honey and salt to a simmer over in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Turn off heat and whisk in the white chocolate until fully combined. Add the cream cheese, one tablespoon at a time and whisk until glaze is smooth and creamy. Cool for 20-30 minutes until it thickens.

Mascarpone filling

• Mix the mascarpone and the icing sugar
• Cut the cake into two horizontal layers and spread a layer the mascarpone filling on the first half of the cake. Place the second half of the cake on top so that the flattest side is on top and ready to be decorated.
• Drizzle the glaze over the top of cake and let it drip over the sides. Decorate with fresh figs (if using) and sprinkle with toasted flaked almonds to serve.