Big news here. On Friday I resigned from my job, where I’ve been for five years, and am moving out of finance (mostly) and into communications (mostly). Part of me has been dreaming of this for a long time, but the other half of me is completely devastated to say goodbye to the team I’ve worked with so closely for the past five years. So while I expected to spend this weekend walking on air, in reality I spent a lot of it welling up while I went about my days (in Pilates, walking down the street, etc.). The great thing about cake, though, is it works for both of those occasions.
I made this cake a few weeks ago and I wanted to get it here for you quickly because fig season is coming to an end fast. This recipe hails from a cookbook which my best friend brought back for me from Turkey over the summer. It’s the first dish I’ve tried but will certainly not be the last, because this cake is a stunner.
I’ve never gone wrong with an olive oil cake. I think it would be difficult, if not impossible, to put one together and not end up with a perfectly moist and flavorful cake that is a fantastic canvas for anything you want to add for texture or taste. This one combines walnuts for bitterness and crunch, orange zest for brightness and sliced figs for earthy sweetness. The fusion works perfectly.
On the day I made this cake it was enjoyed two equally delicious ways. First, I had a slice with a dollop of fresh ricotta which I drizzled with honey, which is something I have included in the recipe and wholeheartedly recommend. The second was in a tupperware container wrapped inside a Fairway grocery bag, smuggled into Cinema Village on 12th St. Both hit the spot.
I hope this has proven to you the sheer versatility of this recipe- it can hold its own on an elegant dessert plate, celebrate a new job, comfort you over the end of one, or act as movie contraband and boycott $8 M&Ms. Whatever it is you are looking for, I think you can find it here.
Ingredients
- 5 fresh figs, sliced
- 2 tablespoons semolina
- 1 3/4 cups (400g/14 oz) superfine sugar
- 3 eggs
- zest of 3 small oranges
- 1/2 cup (125ml/4 oz) olive oil
- 1/2 cup (125g/4.5 oz) melted unsalted butter
- 1 cup (250g/9 oz) plain yogurt
- 2 cups (300g/10.5 oz) self-rising flour
- 1 cup (125g/4.5 oz) walnuts, chopped
- Fresh ricotta, for serving
- Runny honey, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour an 11-inch springform cake pan.
- Mix the figs and semolina together with 3 tablespoons of the superfine sugar. Set aside.
- Put the remaining sugar in a bowl with the eggs. Beat using an electric mixer until pale. Add the orange zest, olive oil, butter and yogurt and mix together. Fold the flour and walnuts through the mixture.
- Spoon half the batter into the cake pan, then scatter the fig mixture evenly over the top. Spoon the remaining batter over.
- Bake for approximately an hour (begin checking the cake after 40 minutes), or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Let it cool before removing from the pan.
Notes
From Turkish Meze
November 6, 2014 at 2:19 pm
This looks so good!!
I love your insight on the variety of emotional purposes of cake 🙂