Lemon Almond Fig Cake

Truth be told, I have always been one who craves savory over sweet. So perhaps it is of little surprise that my favorite desserts are those that include ingredients which act as a counterbalance to the sweet, like chili with chocolate, sea salt with caramel, and bitter coffee with vanilla ice cream. This beautiful cake features the richness of olive oil and toasted almonds, with the brightness of lemon to balance the sweetness of dried figs. The resulting flavor plays tribute to the culinary traditions of the Mediterranean in an unexpected way.

Ingredients:

¼ to ½ cup sliced almonds

½ cup olive oil, plus more for pan

½ cup milk

1 large egg

½ teaspoon almond extract

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

¾ cup sugar

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1 ½ cups dried figs, stemmed and coarsely chopped

Zest of one lemon (juice reserved)

1 ¾ cups confectioners' sugar

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon salted butter, melted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush the inside of a 9-inch tart pan (with removable bottom) with oil.

Place sliced almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toast in oven for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring once, until evenly toasted and fragrant. Keep a close eye as the almonds can go from perfect to burnt in a second. Pull from oven and immediately transfer to a plate to cool.

In a medium bowl, whisk together oil, milk, almond extract, and egg, then set aside. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Pour in the milk mixture and mix with a spatula until smooth. Do not overmix. Gently fold in the chopped figs and lemon zest.

Spread batter into prepared pan and set on a rimmed baking sheet. Place on middle rack of oven, bake until golden-brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 to 40 minutes.

Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before unmolding. Then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

While cake cools make lemon icing. In a small bowl mix confectioners' sugar with lemon juice. Add melted butter and stir until smooth.

When cake is fully cool, drizzle lemon icing across the top in one direction. Sprinkle sliced almonds evenly over top, then drizzle more icing across almonds in an alternate direction to make a crisscross of icing. Transfer to a platter and cut into wedges to serve.

Notes:

The olive oil in this recipe is a crucial ingredient to the resulting flavor and texture. Use the best quality extra virgin olive oil you can find.

The most common dried figs available in grocery stores are the dark-skinned Black Mission figs or the lighter beige-skinned Turkish (Smyrna) figs. Both would be lovely in this cake. Other dried fruit could be substituted such as currants, apricots, or dried cranberries.

I used a tart pan with a removable bottom and decorative edge. You could also use a regular 9-inch cake pan and line the bottom with a circle of parchment to help remove.

The salted butter is key to cutting through the sweetness of the icing. If using unsalted butter be sure to add a pinch of salt.

This past week, I served this cake at the end of a celebratory dinner with a scoop of pistachio ice cream Yum! Enjoy.