Honeyed Fig and Olive Oil Cake

Whenever the last day of summer rolls around, I go into mourning. Every year summer goes by so fast that it feels like I barely got to know it or enjoy it. Although I do appreciate fall, the summer bounty of fruit and vegetables is what I'll miss the most.

This year my pride and joy were fresh figs. I was lucky to get a continuous bounty of figs from my favorite fig farm all summer long. I ate so many fresh figs and created so many wonderful sweet and savory dishes with them. So, this cake recipe is my farewell to figs and the last hurrah to summer.



I love a good buttery cake, but what I love even more is a cake made with oil because it's super moist. I'm reminded of all those fantastic Southern cakes that use oil, like red velvet or hummingbird. So, when I decided to make a cake with my last pound of fresh figs I knew it would be an oil-based cake. Since figs originate from the Mediterranean area, why not an olive oil cake!?



To keep with the Mediterranean theme, my cake batter uses yogurt for additional moisture and tang, but there's also honey, walnuts, thyme, and lemon—all of which add amazing flavor and fragrance! So these figs are going to have a great time in this cake—they'll feel right at home!

Now, the best part about this cake, similar to those aforementioned Southern cakes, is that the recipe doesn't require taking out the stand mixer or the handheld mixer. All you need are two bowls, a whisk, and a spatula. It's so easy to mix together, it's almost therapeutic.



Enjoy this cake with afternoon coffee or tea. It's the perfect sweet addition to your table when you have family and friends visiting, and you need something you can whip together on the fly.

Honeyed Fig and Olive Oil Cake

14 to 16 ounces ripe small figs, stemmed and halved
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup ground walnuts
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 sprigs thyme
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt or skyr
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
zest of 1 lemon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9-by-9-inch square baking pan and line it with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, walnuts, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together. Strip the thyme leaves into the mixture.

In a medium bowl, combine the wet ingredients: olive oil, honey, yogurt, sugar, eggs, and lemon zest. Whisk together until smooth.

Make a well in the dry ingredients, and pour in the wet ingredients. Begin by whisking the wet ingredients into the dry, and then switch to a spatula, to fold it in, making sure there are no lumps.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan, spreading it evenly into the corners, and smoothing the top. Lay the figs onto the batter cut-side up. Feel free to create any pattern you like.

Bake the cake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool for at least 10 minutes before removing it from the pan. Cut it into nine squares.