Fig and Almond Cake

Serve with vanilla or mastic-scented ice cream.

For an 8-inch cake, plus 9 small cup cakes

2 cups skin-on almonds
4 eggs, separated
1 cup sugar (1/2 cup if you use Tipsy and Fragrant Fig Jam)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup brandy, and more to sprinkle on the topping
2 cups mashed fresh, or semi-cooked fig jam (See NOTE) OR you can use 1 1/2 cups Tipsy and Fragrant Fig Jam
1/2 cup cake or all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Finely chopped zest of 2 lemons

3-4 fresh figs thinly sliced, for topping

Lemon syrup (optional)
3 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

 

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Spread the almonds on a baking sheet and bake in the middle of the oven for about 8 minutes, until they start to color. Grind them coarsely. Reduce the oven temperature to 375F.

In a bowl mix the egg yolks and sugar, keeping a teaspoon for topping the cakes. Work the mixture with a hand-held mixer until it gets white and creamy. Add oil, 1/4 cup brandy and the mashed figs and work 30 seconds more, to mix.
In a separate bowl stir together the flour, baking powder, lemon zest, almonds and salt.
Clean the mixer attachments and dry them completely. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form.

Add half the flour-almond mixture to the egg yolks, stirring with a spatula to incorporate. Then add the rest. Now pour this mixture into the egg whites, folding them in with a large spatula.

Line an 8-inch pan with parchment paper and pour in 2/3 of the cake batter.
Place paper cups in a 9-cup muffin tin, and divide the rest of the batter between them. Place some fig slices on top of the cake and muffins, sprinkling them with drops of brandy and a little sugar.

Bake the muffins for about 30 minutes, and the cake 10-15 minutes more, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool on a rack before unmolding.

For the lemon syrup heat the lemon juice over low heat, add the honey and stir to dissolve. Remove from the heat. Prick the surface of the cake or muffins with a toothpick and drizzle with syrup while still warm.

 

NOTE:  Semi-Cooked Fig Jam

Rinse and dry leftover fresh figs that are not perfect to eat, or figs that have fallen from the tree. Alternatively, you can use dried California figs. Cut off the stem, slice in half vertically, and cook the figs for about 20 minutes in sweet Samos wine that barely covers them, stirring every now and then, until softened. They should have absorbed most of the liquid. Puree the figs in the blender, let cool, measure the amount you need, and freeze the rest in batches to use in sweets, ice creams, sauces or marinades, adding honey or salt, hot pepper, spices, and/or herbs as needed.