Chocolate Fig Honey Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Make the cakes: Brush a 6-cup muffin pan with olive oil and dust with flour. Whisk the cocoa powder and 1/4 cup hot water in a small bowl; let cool slightly. Combine the flour, salt and baking soda in another bowl.
• Combine the sugar, egg and egg yolk, vanilla and lemon zest in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on medium-high speed until pale and thick, about 1 minute. With the mixer running, drizzle in the olive oil. Add the cocoa mixture and beat until combined. Reduce the mixer speed to low, add the flour mixture and beat until just incorporated.
• Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups. Bake 10 minutes, then top each cake with a fig half and continue baking until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few crumbs, 8 to 10 more minutes. Let cool in the pan on a rack, 20 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pan and let cool completely on the rack.
• Make the glaze: Put the chocolate, honey, olive oil, salt and pepper in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring, until smooth.
• Top the cakes with the glaze, a drizzle of honey and more pepper. Quarter the remaining 6 fig halves and arrange on top.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Grease a 7-inch square baking dish and line with parchment paper.
• Mix together 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar, eggs, yogurt, olive oil, and vanilla extract in a bowl until well combined. Sift 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and baking powder on top of the batter and fold in gently.
• Place figs, cut side-down, onto the bottom of the baking dish. Spoon batter on top of the figs and level top with the back of a spoon.
• Bake in the preheated oven until firm to the touch, about 50 minutes. If cake starts to brown too much, cover with foil after 30 minutes of baking time.
• Remove from oven and allow to cool in the baking dish for 15 minutes. Turn out onto a serving platter and peel off the parchment paper.

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, bring the honey just to a boil; remove from the heat.
• Stir in the tea and grated lemon rind; set pan aside and let cool slightly.
• In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, ginger, allspice and salt; stir in the figs.
• Set the bowl aside.
• In a large bowl, beat the eggs until pale and frothy, about 5 minutes.
• Beat in the oil and vanilla.
• Beat in the sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, until slightly thickened and bubbly, about 5 minutes.
• Alternately fold in the flour and honey mixtures, making 3 additions of flour and 2 of honey, to make a thin batter.
• Pour the batter into a greased 10" Bundt pan.
• Bake in the centre of a 325 degree F oven for 60 to 70 minutes or until the cake tester inserted into the cake comes out clean.
• Let cool in the pan on a rack for 30 minutes.
• With a knife, loosen the edges of the cake; turn out onto a rack and let cool completely.
• For the drizzle, melt the chocolate over hot (not boiling) water.
• Dip the tines of a fork into the chocolate; drizzle over the cake.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit/190 degrees Celsius.
• Add 1/4 cup/50 grams sugar to a small, oven-proof, high-sided sauté pan with a 6-inch/15-centimeter base (or similar). Cook over medium-high heat, swirling the pan a few times, until the sugar has melted and turned a dark caramel color, 5 to 8 minutes. Carefully add the rum - it will spit and seize up a little - and cook for another 30 seconds, stirring until combined and thick. Remove from the heat, stir in the orange juice and figs, and set aside to cool.
• Add the egg yolks to a medium bowl along with 2 tablespoons/25 grams sugar. Whisk by hand until pale and thick, about 3 minutes. Add the cream, flour, cocoa powder, vanilla, salt and orange zest, then whisk until smooth and thick.
• In another medium bowl, using a clean whisk, whisk the egg whites by hand with the remaining 2 tablespoons/25 grams sugar until they form stiff peaks, 4 to 5 minutes. Fold gently into the yolk batter, then pour the mixture over the figs in the sauté pan (it should cover the figs completely).
• Sprinkle all over with the chocolate and bake until the batter rises and is cooked through, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven, divide among four bowls and drizzle with any remaining liquid from the pan. Serve hot, with some crème fraîche alongside.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 140C/120C fan/gas 1. Line the base and sides of a 20cm cake tin first with a double layer of brown paper, then with a double layer of baking parchment. In a large bowl, mix the fruit, almonds, peel, figs and cherries. Turn well and add the flour, spices and lemon zest. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar thoroughly, then add the vanilla extract, honey and treacle. Still beating, incorporate the eggs, then stir in the fruit and flour mixture. Dissolve the bicarbonate of soda in the milk and stir in thoroughly. Add the brandy by the spoonful, until you have a soft dropping consistency.
• Turn the batter into the cake tin and make a dip in the middle using the back of a spoon. Bake for 3½ hrs, then insert a skewer - if it comes out clean, it's ready. If there is any cake mix on the skewer, give it 10 mins more and test again. When it's done, remove the cake from the oven and leave to cool in its tin. The next day, remove from the tin, wrap in fresh greaseproof paper, then put it into an airtight tin or wrap tightly in foil. The usual thing is to keep the cake for at least a month before icing it, and to unwrap and sprinkle it occasionally with more brandy.