Cook This: If You Like Fig Preserves, You Will Love This Cake Recipe

I read Claudia Fowler’s “Human Condition” column about how fig preserves are love ’em or hate ’em, and I turned that split in opinion into an Ocracoke Fig Cake that quietly challenges what we expect from a jar of preserves.

I read Claudia Fowler’s Human Condition column and she said fig preserves are one of those love ’em or hate ’em things. That stuck with me, so I tried turning that stubborn jar into a cake that makes people decide fast.

I used fig preserves folded into a batter with all-purpose flour and the result was oddly fierce and quiet at once. It’s not the usual sweet, it’s got little surprise pockets of fig preserves and a texture that makes you pause.

Some call it an Ocracoke Island Fig Cake, others add it to their Recipes With Fig Preserves lists. I’m not saying it’s for everyone but try it.

Ingredients

• Flour gives structure and carbs, a touch of protein for stable crumb.
• Sugar sweetens, helps retain moisture and browns the crust, no nutrients.
• Butter adds rich flavor and tenderness, provides fat for moist crumb.
• Eggs give protein, structure and lift, they bind and emulsify batter.
• Sour cream or yogurt adds tang, gentle acidity and keeps cake moist.
• Fig preserves bring natural fruit sweetness, fiber and jammy chewy pockets.
• Toasted nuts give crunch, healthy fats and protein for depth.
• Lemon zest or juice brightens flavors with fresh acid, cuts sweetness.

Ingredient Quantities

• 1 3/4 cups (220 g) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (100 g) packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter softened
• 2 large eggs at room temp
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup (240 g) sour cream or plain greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) whole milk
• 1 cup (about 300–340 g) fig preserves
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional)
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest (optional)
• 1/2 cup toasted chopped walnuts or almonds (optional)
• 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
• 2 to 3 tablespoons milk or lemon juice

How to Make this

1. Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C). Grease and flour a 9×5 inch loaf pan or a 9 inch round pan, or line with parchment, and set aside.

2. In a bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt so they’re evenly mixed.

3. In a larger bowl cream the softened butter with the granulated and brown sugars until light and a little fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla.

4. Stir the sour cream (or Greek yogurt) and milk together in a measuring cup. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in two additions, alternating with the sour cream mixture, beginning and ending with the dry. Mix just until combined, don’t overbeat.

5. If using lemon zest or lemon juice, stir them into the fig preserves. Fold about half of the fig preserves into the batter gently so you get streaks but not a uniformly purple batter.

6. If you want nuts, toast the chopped walnuts or almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes until fragrant, then fold them into the batter or sprinkle on top later.

7. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Drop spoonfuls of the remaining fig preserves over the top and swirl lightly with a knife to make ribbons of fig, careful not to overmix. Smooth the top.

8. Bake 45 to 55 minutes, until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter. If the top browns too fast tent loosely with foil for the last 10 to 15 minutes.

9. Let the cake cool in the pan 10 to 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool until just warm or room temperature before glazing.

10. Whisk the powdered sugar with 2 to 3 tablespoons milk or lemon juice to make a thick but pourable glaze. Drizzle over the cooled cake, sprinkle the toasted nuts if using, and let set before slicing. Enjoy, you’ll get big fig flavor in every bite.

Equipment Needed

1. 9×5 in loaf pan or 9 in round pan, or parchment-lined pan
2. Two mixing bowls (one medium for dry, one large for wet)
3. Electric hand mixer or stand mixer, or a sturdy wooden spoon if youre mixing by hand
4. Measuring cups and spoons plus a liquid measuring cup
5. Whisk and rubber spatula
6. Small dry skillet for toasting nuts
7. Knife and a toothpick or skewer for swirling and checking doneness
8. Wire cooling rack

FAQ

Cook This: If You Like Fig Preserves, You Will Love This Cake Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• All-purpose flour (1 3/4 cups / 220 g): swap for whole wheat pastry flour cup for cup for a nuttier, slightly denser cake, or use a 1-to-1 gluten free all-purpose blend (make sure it contains xanthan gum). If batter seems stiff with whole wheat pastry, add 1–2 tbsp milk.
• Unsalted butter (1/2 cup / 113 g): replace with neutral oil like avocado or light olive oil 1:1 for a moister crumb, or use melted coconut oil 1:1 for a hint of coconut. If using oil, batter may be thinner so you can cut milk by 1–2 tbsp if needed.
• Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt (1 cup / 240 g): use buttermilk 1:1 for tang and tenderness, or full‑fat plain yogurt or crème fraîche 1:1. Buttermilk is thinner so you might reduce the milk in the recipe by about 2 tbsp.
• Fig preserves (1 cup / ~300–340 g): sub in apricot, plum or peach preserves for similar sweetness and texture, or stir 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh figs with 2–3 tbsp honey or jam if you want a fresher, chunkier filling. If your substitute is very runny, use a little less so the cake doesn’t get soggy.

Pro Tips

– Measure flour the right way: spoon it into the cup and level it off or even better weigh it if you can. If you scoop straight from the bag the batter ends up too dry and dense, trust me it’s worth the extra second.

– Warm the fig preserves just a little so they loosen up, but dont make them runny. That way you can drop blobs and swirl ribbons without huge chunks sinking, and if you like brightness stir in a bit of lemon zest or juice first. Use a small spoon or a piping bag to place preserves exactly where you want them so the swirls look nice.

– Keep things at room temp and dont overbeat. Cold eggs or butter slow everything down and overmixing after adding flour makes the cake tough, so stop when you see no streaks of flour. If you want more lift make sure your baking powder is fresh.

– Watch the bake not the clock, every oven is different. Put the pan on the middle rack, rotate halfway, and tent loosely with foil if the top is browning too fast. Cool the loaf in the pan a bit before turning out so it doesnt crack, and only glaze when it’s just warm or room temp so the icing sticks and the toasted nuts stay crunchy.