Fig cake: A historical delicacy with modern health perks
Although fig cake was enjoyed centuries ago in Greece and North Africa, today, its biggest enthusiasts are in the USA, especially in the southern states. This delicacy is sure to appeal to us as well, as it accompanies coffee or tea.
9 October 2024 15:17
The fig tree is considered one of the oldest trees growing on our planet. Archaeological studies indicate that its fruits were eaten as far back as 9,000 years before our era, with traces found in a Neolithic village in the Jordan Valley. The oldest bas-reliefs depicting fig harvests come from Egypt, around 2500 BCE.
Fig tree fruits were an important food source in ancient civilizations in the Middle East and eventually spread to Mediterranean countries. The tree was so valuable that in Babylon, cutting it down was punishable by death.
To this day, fig trees are widely cultivated in many African and Asian countries, as well as in both Americas, where they were introduced several centuries ago. In the United States, fig cake is especially cherished, with North Carolina even having its own festival. How does one prepare it?
Figs – nutritional values
Ripe figs are harvested in the autumn when their skin acquires a characteristic dark purple colour. Fresh fruits hold the most flavour and nutritional value and are increasingly available in local stores. They are the best to use for preparing a delicious cake.
Figs have been valued for centuries due to their nutritional properties. Even the creators of Ayurveda (one of the oldest healing systems, which emerged over 5,000 years ago on the southeastern coast of the Indian Peninsula) recommended these fruits for treating respiratory, digestive, reproductive, or hormonal ailments, as well as numerous infectious diseases like gonorrhoea and scabies.
Fresh figs consist of 80 percent water. The remaining 20 percent includes, among others, phenolic compounds (especially flavonoids), stilbenes, and anthocyanins – powerful antioxidants that inhibit harmful free radicals, causing damage, faster cell aging, and the development of many cardiovascular diseases, cancers, diabetes, and osteoporosis.
Fig fruits are a very rich source of dietary fibre, which effectively lowers blood sugar and "bad" LDL cholesterol levels, helps remove harmful toxins and heavy metals, prevents troublesome constipation, and the formation of gallstones.
Fresh figs are also rich in vitamin C and B vitamins, as well as valuable minerals, especially potassium, essential for maintaining proper blood pressure and muscle function. They also contain a significant amount of calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus.
Fig cake – recipe
Cut fresh figs (8 pcs) in half, place them in a bowl, sprinkle with icing sugar (2 tablespoons), pour sweet wine over them, preferably Marsala (4 tablespoons), mix, and leave aside for 15 minutes.
Place soft butter (200g) in a large bowl, add fine brown sugar (200g), and beat with a mixer until smooth. Next, add eggs (4), mixing continuously. Add flour (about 110g), preferably self-raising, which is a ready mix of wheat flour, baking powder, sometimes bicarbonate of soda, and a pinch of salt. How to prepare it at home? Sift wheat flour, e.g., type 450 (1 cup), and mix it with baking powder (half a teaspoon) and a pinch of salt.
Add vanilla paste (1 teaspoon), ground almonds (about 85g), and sea salt (half a teaspoon) to the bowl. Stir to obtain a smooth batter.
Grease a 20cm diameter springform pan with butter, and sprinkle its bottom with icing sugar. Place the figs cut-side down (do not discard any resulting syrup), then pour the batter over them. Bake for an hour at 180 degrees Celsius.
Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove it from the springform, drizzle with the remaining syrup from the soaked figs, and leave it to cool.
