Vegan Fig and Almond Cake
Every bite of this vegan fig and almond cake is a bouquet of the delicate flavors and textures of almonds, vanilla, nutmeg and amaretto. The figs sink into the batter as it bakes, infusing the cake with their caramelly sweetness. A gluten-free recipe.
- 1 ¾ cup blanched almond flour
- ½ cup gluten-free all purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 1 ¼ cups oat milk ((or almond milk or any non-dairy milk of choice))
- ¼ cup vegan yogurt
- ¼ cup vegan butter ((melted))
- 1 tbsp amaretto liqueur ((optional))
- ½ cup sugar
- 8-10 fresh figs ((each cut in half))
- Place the almond flour, gluten-free all purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder and nutmeg in a bowl. Whisk to mix.
- Place the milk, vegan yogurt, melted vegan butter, amaretto, if using, and sugar in a larger bowl. Whisk to mix.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and use a spatula to mix the batter thoroughly, leaving no dry flour in the bowl.
- Set the batter aside for 5-10 minutes during which time it will thicken quite a bit.*
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit/162 degrees Celsius.
- Spray a springform pan with oil. You can also line the bottom with parchment paper for extra insurance.
- Pour the batter, which should have thickened quite a bit, into the prepared cake pan. Smooth the top and arrange the figs over it in a decorative pattern. Place the cake in the preheated oven and bake 57 minutes or until a toothpick in the center of the cake comes out dry.
- Cool the cake on a rack for 30 minutes, then open the clamp of the springform pan to release the cake. You can leave it on the metal base if you want to. If you do remove the base, handle the cake gently because it is tender. Continue to cool the cake directly on the wire rack.
Vegan Fig and Almond Cake
The holidays are all about spoiling yourself until the guilt kicks in. But with this vegan fig and almond cake you can spoil yourself and not feel terrible about it the day after.
Figs are among my favorite fruits, and they have so much to offer - they are both yummy with their honey-like sweetness, and they are incredibly healthy. They are loaded with fiber and nutrients that help fight cancer and help with blood sugar management, among many benefits. And I love that unlike most fruits, which are available year-round regardless of season, you can only find figs in the market in fall, when they are typically harvested.
But as much as I love fresh figs, I am not a fan of figs in baked desserts, where their sweetness can often get cloying. There is no such problem with this fig and almond cake because the figs cook on top of the batter. They retain their unique texture and flavor, infusing their yumminess into every bite. The cake itself, inspired by my citrusy almond cake recipe, is only mildly sweet.
This is a very simple batter, and you can pull it together in five minutes. The cake batter is made almost entirely with almond flour, and I kept it gluten-free by adding a bit of all-purpose gluten-free flour to help bind it. A dash of vegan yogurt and vegan butter add buttery flavor.
Figs pair nicely with warm spices and I chose a spice that I love but don't use often enough in sweets - nutmeg. A dash of nutmeg adds a cozy whisper to the cake that's perfect for this time of year. I also added a tablespoon of amaretto, an almond liqueur, to the cake for the holiday spirit. You can skip it if you want to but don't worry about the cake tasting boozy, because it doesn't. All you will taste is delicious.
I advise baking this cake in an eight-inch springform pan, which will make unmolding very easy. You can use a regular cake pan but be sure to line it with parchment paper and spray with oil because the juices expressed by figs can stick to the pan.
Dry ingredients
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Wet ingredients
- 1 tablespoon amaretto liqueur (optional)
