This moist, sweet, and flavorful homemade fig bread is a fall favorite! Also known as fig cake, it's loaded with chunks of fresh figs, chopped walnuts, and is spiced with cardamom and cinnamon. If you have leftover figs, be sure to try my candied figs recipe!

This is one of my most sought-after recipes. My moist and irresistible fig bread recipe. Some of my friends refer to it as fig bread, while others call it fig cake. Whatever you call it, you'll agree that it's absolutely delicious!
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🧐 Why This Recipe Works
Fig bread/cake is one of the easiest recipes you'll ever make. No need to use a mixer, or use a bunch of bowls that leave you with a huge mess to clean up afterward.
Baking fig bread is as easy as mixing the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another. After that, pop it in the oven and enjoy the heavenly aroma!
The spices used in this bread really compliment each other and give it a unique taste that you'll be craving all year long.
🍞How to make Fig Bread
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Step 1: Mix all the dry ingredients until combined.
Step 2: Place the walnuts in a ziplock bag and pound with a mallet until crushed.
Step 3: Fold the walnuts in with the dry ingredients.
Step 4: In another bowl, mix the wet ingredients, including the chopped figs.
Step 5: Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients just until incorporated. Pour batter into a greased and floured bundt pan, or two loaf pans.
Tip: If using frozen figs, make sure they are defrosted and drained first.
Step 6: Baking time for the cake should be approximately one hour. Baking time will be less for the loaf pans, approximately 45 minutes. Since oven temperatures vary, test with a toothpick to make sure it's cooked all the way through.
Cool the cake for approximately 10 minutes before removing it from the pan. Cool on wire racks completely before cutting, and serving.
🤷🏻♀️Recipe FAQs
This recipe is very flexible and can be prepared with either oil or unsalted butter. Simply substitute an equal amount of melted and cooled butter for the amount of oil called for in this recipe.
There are many reasons why baked goods fall in the middle. Some say it's because the oven door was open during the baking process, while others say the bread needs more flour.
I think one of the main reasons fig bread caves in the middle is due to the high liquid content. This is due to the amount of juice in the figs.
This is especially the case if you use defrosted frozen figs, which is why I recommend straining the figs before using them. Try adding an additional ¼ cup of flour to increase the flour to liquid ratio.
Although I highly recommend using fresh figs, I realize not everyone has access to fresh figs, and that they are only in season for a short time of the year.
To use dried figs in this recipe, start by rehydrating the dried figs. Cover the figs with boiling water for approximately 10 minutes. Next, drain and pat the figs dry before chopping and measuring out one cup to use in the recipe.
If you want to use fig preserves to make fig cake, some adjustments need to be made to reduce the amount of sugar in the recipe and up the flour content. I recommend the following adjustments:
• Reduce the amount of sugar from 1-⅓ cups to 1 cup.
• Increase the amount of flour by ¼ of a cup.
• Decrease the amount of figs from 1 cup of fresh figs to ¾ cups of preserves.
👩🏼🍳 Pro Tips
- The figs should be chopped coarsely instead of ground. We want big chunks of figs in the bread.
- During fig season, I chop the figs and add them to small ziplock bags in one cup portions. I then keep them in the freezer to use throughout the year when I'm craving fig bread.
- You can also make this bread by replacing one of the eggs with half of a ripe banana. It makes an even moister cake/bread.
Figs, Gardening, and Good Neighbors
I'd like to dedicate this recipe to my next-door neighbor, the late Chuck Frazier. Chuck recently passed away at the age of 83.
It was while I was visiting my family in Chicago, so I didn't get to say goodbye. He and I shared the love of figs, gardening, and spicy food. Figs will forever remind me of Chuck!
Sometimes you thank God for placing certain people in your life, Chuck Frasier was one of those people in my life. Chuck was a Korean War/Vietnam War Veteran.
Although we had
I once admired the fig tree in his front yard and mentioned that I loved figs. After that, Chuck would always invite me to pick figs from his tree when they ripened in late Summer.
Chuck shared his figs with me, and I repaid him with this fig cake, strawberry fig jam, fig newtons, and fig preserves.
Things You Find Out at a Funeral
Why is it that you can live next door to someone for years and still not know certain things about them? That
Like the fact that Chuck was born in a train box cart. Or that he and his lovely wife, Shirley, fostered 200 children over the years!
Chuck loved Jesus, and never met a stranger. His favorite pastime was tending to his garden. When I would hear him in the garden (over our shared fence), I'd stand on a chair so that we could chat.
As I sit outside writing this post, I realize that the sound I hear coming from his yard is not Chuck; that makes me really sad.
Yet, I know I'll see him again one day, where I'm sure he'll take me around and show me his beautiful, heavenly garden!
🍽 Related Recipes
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.
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📖 Recipe
Fig Bread/Fig Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour (plus extra for dusting)
- 1⅓ cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon cardamom
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup milk
- 3 medium eggs (beaten)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup fresh figs (chopped)
- ½ cup chopped walnuts (or pecans)
- 1 tablespoon softened butter (for greasing the pan/pans)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
- Mix all the dry ingredients until combined.
- Fold the walnuts in with the dry ingredients.
- In another bowl, mix the wet ingredients, including the chopped figs.
- If using frozen figs, make sure they are defrosted and drained first.
- Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients just until incorporated. Pour batter into a greased and floured bundt pan, or two loaf pans.
- Baking time for the cake should be approximately one hour. Baking time will be less for the loaf pans, approximately 45 minutes. Since ovens temperatures vary, test with a toothpick to make sure it's cooked all the way through.
- Cool the cake for approximately 10 minutes before removing from the pan. Cool on wire racks completely before cutting, and serving.
Notes
- The figs should be chopped coarsely. You want big chunks of figs in the bread.
- During fig season, I chop the figs and add them to small ziplock bags in one cup portions. I then keep them in the freezer to use throughout the year when I'm craving fig bread.
- You can also make this bread by replacing one of the eggs with half of a ripe banana. It makes an even moister cake/bread.
Marline says
Hi can I use dried figs ?
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Marline, I have used dried figs in the past when I haven't had fresh figs. You'll want to hydrate them in a small amount of hot water & then blend them. What works even better is fig jam if you have that.
June says
How long will this last for plz
Hilda Sterner says
Hi June, I recommend refrigerating it since it's got a lot of moisture and can go bad if left out on the counter, especially in warmer weather. I've had it last in the fridge for over a week, and months when frozen. I actually found some in the freezer yesterday that I defrosted and it's perfect!
Marsha says
I noticed that a few people have asked about the size of the loaf pans. Maybe they found as I did that there is not nearly enough batter for two regular loaf pans. I put all of it in one and baked for one hour. Came out just right. Could there be an error in the instructions? Thanks for this delicious recipe!
Hilda Sterner says
Thanks, Marsha, I've never tried putting all the batter in one loaf but I may have to try that the next time I make some. I use your typical glass loaf pans. I'm not sure of the exact size. I didn't think there was that much variation in loaf pan sizes. However, if someone wants to make a larger loaf I guess they have that option. Thank you for your comment!
Marsha says
Oh, I missed the photos showing two smaller loaves. Seems like you can't go wrong with this recipe no matter how you choose to bake it! 😋
Diane Martin says
First time that I ever made this big bread/ cake. I did make in many loaves and it made five. It is so delicious. I couldn't wait to try a piece so I let it get to lukewarm and cut some off and had to go back for a second piece. My son-in-law gave me some figs from his tree and this is what I decided to do with them. Told him I will now take as many as he wants to give me and I will make for presents for the holidays
Hilda Sterner says
Thanks, Diane, enjoy it!
Cara says
Ummmm, YUMMY!!! This is soooo good and such a good use for figs (my tree is giving me 3 lbs a day)! I didn't have cloves or nutmeg, so I used pumpkin pie spice. IT WAS AMAZING. I also reduced the sugar and added more than a cup of figs. I baked them in mini loaves. They were so cute and tasted so good! I'm thinking this might be good with a lime or grapefruit citrus glaze? Anyway, thank you so much for this recipe--it rocked my world!
🙂 Cara
Hilda Sterner says
Thanks for the review, Cara, I'm glad you like the recipe but 3 lbs a day? I'm so jealous right now!!!
Marie NJ says
Excellent fig bread, made it twice in a week, had so many figs to use up. Put 6 cups in the freezer as suggested. Everyone loved it, will definitely make it again. Didn’t have cardamom, put extra nutmeg and cinnamon. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Hilda Sterner says
Thanks, Marie. I'm glad it was a hit. Be sure to add cardamom the next time. It really adds to the recipe!
Sandy says
Excellent recipe for Fig Bread/cake out there!! Didnt sink, amazing flavor and easiest to make without any tools/whipping even when sugar was cut down to 1/2 cup!
Modifications I made:
1/2 cup sugar instead of the original, chopped dry ginger & pineapple, 1 tbsp rum (reduced the milk), more cardamom spice, 2 tbsp almond flour to remove any extra wetness, 1 heaped cup figs, baked in 2 medium loaf pans and topped sparsely with sliced figs...it looked gorgeous and tasted YUMMY. My guests thought I bought it from a high end bakery 🙂
Hilda Sterner says
Wow, Sandy, that sounds amazing! Now if only I had some figs to try it with your modifications! Thanks for the review by the way!
Bo Gott says
Don’t know why but I never thought about making fig bread. My first attempt wasn’t too bad…I used GF flour and the bread tasted really nice but perhaps too much cardamom as I felt it to be too strong of a taste; will cut back next time. Also, the loaves didn’t rise (1.5 inches tall), maybe old baking powder? Put some cream cheese on a slice and it was quite delish! Does this freeze well?
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Bo, I've never prepared it with FG flour so I can't comment on that but I can confirm that it freezes well!
Bo says
Will have to do that. Decided to make muffins instead of bread, which every one loves! Peeking in the oven now, the batter rose to a bit over the top of the cupcake liners.
Diana says
Made this recipe. It was a big hit
GinaP says
This is so very good. It's a
keeper. I should have doubled the recipe. Oh well, I'll just make again tomorrow!
Hilda Sterner says
Thanks, Gina. I wish I could make some tomorrow. 😉 Enjoy!
Lori says
Love this recipe. I have made it twice in two weeks. I did make slight changes. I’m not a big fan of cloves so I left them out. I love cardamom but think it is a strong spice so I cut back on it and increased the cinnamon. And I always put extra nuts in everything. It’s great!
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Lori, thanks for the review! Enjoy it. 🙂
Jill Burrows Jones says
I love the flavors in this bread! I am wondering if I can double the recipe and fill the pans higher for a taller loaf? These only rise to about 3.5" in height.
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Jill, I think the main reason they don't rise is because of the liquid/moisture in the bread (from the figs). I've never tried doubling the recipe but it couldn't hurt to try! I would test it out but since I moved I no longer have an endless supply of figs. I miss them!
Jill Burrows Jones says
Hilda,
I will give it a try. My daughter has a good friend that is an executive pastry chef, so I'll run this buy him too. When we moved 6 years ago I had to leave 6 large fig trees that fruited twice a year. I planted two here when we moved and this is the first year of an abundant harvest. It makes me so happy!!
Hilda Sterner says
Sounds great, I'll look forward to hearing what you find out. When we left California leaving behind my fig tree (and my neighbors) was one of my biggest regrets. However, Montana makes up for it in various berries including chokecherries and huckleberries. Not as good as figs, but a girl can't have everything!
Jill Burrows Jones says
Hilda,
What size loaf pans are you using?
Hilda Sterner says
I believe 8.5"
Ksalter says
excellent recipe! I doubled the amount of walnuts and used wheat flour. It came out perfect!
Hilda Sterner says
Thank you for the review!
Vivienne says
Amazing fig bread. I substituted one egg for a banana. Instead of mixing the fresh figs into the wet ingredients I put them in the dry to get a good coating of flour so they wouldn’t all sink down to the bottom while baking. It was so full of flavor and very moist. It took only 23 minutes for my two loaves to bake. I’m glad I checked them early. Thank you for the recipe.
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Vivienne,
Thanks for the review and the comment! Enjoy. 🙂
Mildred says
This was good even with gluten free flour (husband is GF). Now I’m going to try it with regular flour.
Hilda Sterner says
Thank you, Mildred, that's great to know! I have a friend who is GF, I'll pass on the into to her! Let me know how it compares to the real deal!
Kelly Methey says
A delicious recipe and very sweet story of your friendship with Chuck. I know you will see him again!
Hilda Sterner says
Thanks, Kelly, I know I'm looking forward to the big reunion in the sky!
Nancy says
This is a fantastic recipe. I have a fig tree and I make a number of these fig cakes (Bundt pan) which I freeze (of course we eat them fresh as well!) I use fresh figs but I also freeze my figs for use in making this recipe. I increase the amount of figs to 2 cups and the walnuts to 1 cup. I also add orange zest. I use brown sugar. I use half white flour and half whole wheat flour. If I use frozen figs (which I drain as directed), I add an additional 1/4 cube of flour. My friends and family love this recipe. It’s a winner!! Thank you, Hilda!
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Nancy, sounds like quite a few changes, you almost have a new recipe there.😉 I love hearing how people add their own touches to the recipes and I'm super jealous and miss my figs so much! Enjoy!
Nancy says
Not at all Hilda, I think these are only minor tweeks. Everything that makes this cake a knock out were originated by you. Thanks again.
Hilda Sterner says
Awww, you're too sweet, thank you!
Janet says
I'm glad to see you added more figs as I wondered myself if it would make it to heavy. This was my first time making this bread and it was fabulous but I thought it could use a few more figs.
Linda says
Hi from Australia, love your recipe. I did only use 1/2cup of sugar and it came out beautifully. This is my third time making as we have an abundance of figs. It is a winner thank you for sharing.
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Linda,
Thank you so much for the review. I'm sort of jealous since I left my fig trees behind when I moved to Montana. However, I did bring a small potted plant with me and I leave it inside in the winter. I had one ripe fig this year, it was glorious!
Zeena says
Love this recipe!!! I had large eggs so I reduced the amount of eggs to 2 and increased the amount of figs to 220g (+- 2 cups) chopped figs. Will definitely make again.
Zeena says
I also 9nly used 1 cup sugar
Hilda Sterner says
Thank you Zeena, I appreciate your input, which will be helpful to other readers, and I am glad you love the recipe as much as I do!
Linda says
Mine turned out a bit too moist. I took one commenter’s advice to increase the amount of figs, which was a mistake. I could have baked longer but the tops were getting very dark. I also cut back on the sugar but since my (frozen) figs were not very sweet, that wasn’t necessary. My husband likes it, so will try again with the recipe as written (we have lots more figs in the freezer from last fall’s bumper crop).
Hilda Sterner says
Yes, adding too much moisture is never a good idea. I'd like how it goes by following the recipe as is and then see what you think!
Les says
I just made this as my landlords gave me a second bag of figs from their tree (I made chicken and figs with the last batch) - apparently a bumper crop this year! Anyway, this was delicious! I didn't have nuts or cardamom, but otherwise only made a few tweaks (heaping cup of figs, a bit less sugar and part brown sugar). One question: recommendation for storage? There are only two of us. Freeze some slices? Keep out or refrigerated? Thanks!
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Les, I'm so jealous right now! I'm having fig withdrawals here in Montana. Regarding storage. It does freeze really well, at least according to my friend, Anne, who always sliced the fig bread and froze it to enjoy later. You can leave it out for a few days, it depends on the temperature. If it's too hot the bread could mold due to the figs. You can store it in the refrigerator to make it last longer, but I'd keep it in a ziplock bag to keep it from drying out. Enjoy!
Les says
Thanks!
Nawal says
Beautiful cake.. substituted 1/3 of the sugar for brown sugar and kept rest as same.. Will be making it again for sure..
Hilda Sterner says
Thank you, enjoy! It's one of my favorites.
Donna says
I just discovered this recipe in July and have made it numerous times already; these are modifications I use: whole wheat pastry flour, 2/3 cup monkfruit sweetener rather than the sugar, ginger instead of cloves, 50-50 pears and figs (our homegrown dehydrated pears and figs, reconstituted and pureed), made as mini-muffins. When I decide to add nuts, they will be pecans, which is what we grow here. I get 30 mini-muffins by filling muffin cups full (rather than 2/3 full as often recommended). They usually take about 10-11 minutes to bake, but I always test at 9 minutes. I plan to bake scads of these for holiday gifts, as everyone seems to love them. Thank you so much for this recipe! Ha, I'm probably fooling myself into thinking they are more healthy than they really are so I can eat more.
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Donna, thanks for the comment and star review! Your substitutions definitely sound great. It actually sounds like you came up with a different recipe. 😂 Either way,it sounds amazing, thanks for sharing with us!!
Lesley says
Thanks for this recipe. I made this bread and shared with my friends. I’ve been getting rave reviews and I also enjoyed. Thanks.
Hilda Sterner says
Thank you so much for the review and so glad you and your friends enjoyed it!
Sherri D says
Oh My!!! Definitely will be making this again and again! Delicious quick bread! The spices are sooooo good! So happy to find another way to use up the figs from my tree! Thank you!
Hilda Sterner says
Thank you, Sherri! So glad you enjoyed it and thank you very much for the review!
Lisa Sorensen says
This looks great and I'll be trying it this week! Have you tried using a different sweetener like maple syrup or agave?
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Sherri,
I've never tried another sweetener. I would be worried about adding more liquid because it might keep it from rising, and it's already a dense bread that doesn't rise too much.
Jacquie says
I tried it! It came out great! I “veganized” by using oat milk instead of dairy and replacing the eggs with applesauce. I added about 1/4 cup extra flour, 1/2 tsp more baking powder and 1/4 tsp more baking soda. I also added more figs. It is so moist and made the house smell wonder while baking!
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Jacquie, Wow that sounds great. Thanks for sharing the changes you made, I'm sure it will help others. I'd love a star review if you have the time. 🙂
Jill says
I have large eggs should I use two large eggs to equal the three medium eggs? Or just use three large eggs? I don’t want it to be too egg heavy.
Hilda Sterner says
I think it will be fine either way.
Kris Dobbins says
Can bread flour be used in place of all purpose?
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Kris,
I've never tried using bread flour in this recipe but I have a feeling it would not be an issue.
Robin Murtha says
Am I missing something or just dense....lol...you say to mix dry ingredients in one bowl and then wet in another bowl but nowhere does it say to combine the 2. Do you just combine into one bowl all at once or mix a little of each at a time?
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Robin, when I updated the post a while back, I must've accidentally deleted that step. 😬 Thank you for the catch! I'll update it now. But, yes, you mix the dry ingredients together in one bowl and wet ingredients in another, then fold them together.
Gg says
Delish, I made a few loaves last week and shared with my neighbors and everyone loved it, So thankful that some neighbors have fig trees loaded right now and they are willing to share. Today I'm making as many loaves as i can fit in my freezer its that tasty, such a wonderful blend of spices. I did add extra flour to accommodate two cups of figs in the recipe instead of one. Thanks for creating this yummy recipe.
Hilda Sterner says
Thank you so much for the review and I'm so glad you're enjoying this recipe. I recently moved to Montana, so no more fresh figs for me. I did enjoy them for the last 25+ years though.
Teri Anderson says
This is such a great recipe. It was easy to make and people said it was the best thing that I had baked so far. All of it was eaten quickly.
Hilda Sterner says
Thanks, Teri! I agree with your friends, it's one of my all-time favorites and I shall miss it now that I live in Montana. 😭
Mikelann says
This is without a doubt the best fig cake I have ever tasted! We have had an abundance of figs this year, so I have made it twice. Thank you!
Hilda Sterner says
Thank you so much, I really appreciate your comment and your review. Enjoy!
Blasilla Crasto says
It's the best bread I have eaten. It's so moist and yummy. Loved it. The spices just takes it to a different level.
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Blasilla, I'm so glad you liked it, enjoy!
Janie Orchard says
I didn't think my figs were going to ripen this year as although the tree is always bountiful the weather in the UK isn't always conducive to delivering on plump ripe figs.
Suddenly this weekend, I had a decent crop. After a swift search this morning I found your recipe and everything about it appealed except my son can't have nuts. I read the reviews, skipped the nuts, ground my cardamom pods (all I had in the cupboard), doubled the quantity of figs and got baking. As a final touch, to make the figs the star of the show, I sliced a fig, placed on the top and drizzled with a little honey. What a delight it looks (I have tried to attach but I can't). And it is utterly divine! As soon as it came out of the oven I got the ladders and got as many more figs as I could and these are now bagged up in the freezer - enough for another 8+ loaves already and more to come.
Thank you!
Hilda Sterner says
Wow, you're so lucky to have so many figs. I'm so glad you like the recipe, enjoy!!
Jane says
This came out so delicious. Will save to favorites! Thank you.
Hilda Sterner says
Thank you, Jane. I appreciate the review. Enjoy!
Farah says
Hi I made it is was so good thank u so much but I used whole wheat flour it was amazing
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Farah,
Thank you so much for the review. I'd love it if you rated it with the stars as well! I'm also glad to know that it tasted good with wheat flour too! I've never tried that before, so I'm glad you tested it out and it worked well for you!
Neela says
This is the best fig cake recipe ever! Very moist with a lovely crumb. I did make a few minor tweaks: only Used 1 cup of sugar, used organic coconut oil, 2cups diced figs and a mix of coconut cream/milk. Also I made it in a Bundt pan for only 45 minutes— perfect!
Hilda Sterner says
Thank you for the review. I'm glad you liked the recipe. It's definitely a favorite amongst family and friends. I'm always worried that adding more figs would make the batter too wet and that it wouldn't rise. I'm glad you tested it out for me, haha. Thank you!
Donna Kelly says
This bread was amazing, and so easy!
Hilda Sterner says
Thank you so much, Donna. I'm really glad that you enjoyed it!
ChocoFrog says
Best Fruit Bread Recipe ever. I doubled the figs and nuts, exchanged bourbon for half the milk. Awesome! Thank you
Hilda Sterner says
Wow, I love the changes that you made. I will definitely have to try that. Thank you so much for taking the time to review the recipe. ❤️
Kathy says
I made this recipe this evening. I didn't have cardamom, or nuts. I used more fresh figs in the recipe and added 1 tsp of vanilla. I will definitely add walnuts the next time I make it. I cooked this in a sheet cake pan on 350 and it was done in about 30 minutes. This cake is very good and so moist!
Hilda Sterner says
Thanks, Kathy. I appreciate your review. What would have made it a 5-star recipe?
Miriam says
Great article. I am going through some of these issues as well..
Lori H says
Hi, Looking forward to trying this as we have a lot of figs this year. Can you tell me what size loaf pans that you use?
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Lori,
I use the typical 9"x5" pans. The recipe makes 2 loaves or 1 bundt cake. Looking forward to hearing what you think about the recipe!
Judy Nishi says
Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe.
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Judy,
Thank you for your comment. I'm glad you enjoyed the fig cake! 🙂
Lori Bosse says
Thank you for sharing your recipe and story with us! I just received fresh figs from a neighbor and was looking for a recipe to use them in. Can you tell me if I need to remove the skin or use it all? Also I do not have any cardamom, can I use something else? Maybe ginger? Thank you again! Going to make this bread today!
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Lori,
Thank you for your comment. Yes, please use the entire fig, no need to peel them! I'm sad that you don't have cardamom, it's my favorite spice. However, if you don't want to purchase it, there are plenty of other flavors in there so no need to replace it with another spice. Enjoy!
Frank & Christina says
Made to recipe - was good. Then next loaf used 2 cups fresh figs - mmm better. Week later made two more loaves using 2 cups figs. Great.
Consistently GOOD.
Thanks Hilda. We'll change it up a little with different nuts or maybe peach & figs (all fresh), but at least we have a tried & true good fresh fig bread recipe.
HildaSterner says
Thanks for the review! I'm so glad you liked the recipe. I'm still waiting for my figs to get ripe, can't wait! Enjoy!
Starla says
Was looking for recipes to use figs from our trees. Tried this bread and it was delicious! I used half almond flour in mine because I had some that needed using up but all plain flour would be good too. Will package some already cut up figs for the freezer in recipe size portions for a wintertime treat. I was generous with the figs and had to add a bit more flour to compensate for the moisture but it turned out great. Thanks so much for sharing this easy to make, delicious recipe!
HildaSterner says
Hi Starla,
Thanks so much for leaving a review. I'm glad you enjoyed it, it's one of my favorite cakes and I will totally miss it when I make the final move to Montana. Enjoy!
Julie says
Hi Hilda, thank you for sharing the story of Chuck, blessed me and touched my heart.
Question, can I use dried figs n place of fresh? If so, use same ratio?
HildaSterner says
Hi Julie, I'm glad you enjoyed hearing about my favorite neighbor! If you have jam, you might want to use that instead. I supposed you can use dried figs, but maybe hydrate them first in some hot water? I just wouldn't want the figs to absorb the moisture from the cake if that makes sense? This cake is usually very moist and the raw figs help to make it that way. If you do use hydrated dried figs, the same ratio should be fine. Good luck!
Terri says
I want to try this---sounds wonderful! Quick question--I've looked at a couple of other recipes & the comments that are posted with those recipes about fallen center loaves. Has this been a problem with your recipe? Thanks!
HildaSterner says
Hi Terri, Great question! That seems to happen when I use chopped, frozen figs, which end up introducing way more liquid into the recipe than if they were fresh. Another way to avoid the fallen center that the loaves sometimes have is to bake a bundt cake pan (making one cake instead of 2 loaves). Just be sure to grease and flour the pan really well so that the cake doesn't stick. Good luck!
Anita says
This sweet bread is delicious! Love the spices.
HildaSterner says
Thanks, sweet Anita! One of these days I'll have to bring some over on one of the Monday night get-togethers! I still owe you some chokecherry syrup, I haven't forgotten!
Lora says
Will do! Great suggestion using applesauce. Should I reduce the sugar? There candid figs are super coated with layers of sugar? And yes, saw your recipe for candid figs, so next year, I will make my own! The hot dry summer we had in NC limited the figs this summer. Some family members used to make fig preserves and I need to do that now, as our precious generation family of canners are all with Chuck. ?
HildaSterner says
Yes, you can probably reduce the sugar by 1/4 cup or so. You can also rinse the extra sugar off the candied figs. Maybe that'll soften them up a bit too. Mine are cooked in syrup then dehydrated, but I don't add extra sugar.
Lora says
Hi Hilda - We purchased a stash of candied figs in Costa Rica this summer. Do u think they would work in this receipe? They are delicious, but much too sweet on their own. I have had fig cake from a friends mother and it was delicious, but never got the receipe. I am excited to tried yours!
When we visited my great-grandmother (Lora, my namesake) every summer , it was always an adventure to go out to the 3 large fig bushes (now as tall as some trees -- 50 years later) and pick the delicious ripe figs, one of our favorite summertime treats! So sweet to hear about your neighbor Chuck and how you shared the love of gardening! Let me know your thoughts or if you have any recipes using candied figs. Thanks so much! Lora R.
HildaSterner says
Hi Lora,
My mom had 3 fig trees, I have one, and I also had access to Chuck's tree, but really, can you ever have too many figs? I think not! I love candied figs. I actually have a recipe for them on my blog. They would be perfect in this recipe! The cake might be a little less moist than if you had used the fresh figs, but I think they'd work. You can always add about 1/4 cup of applesauce to put some of that moisture back in. I've found this recipe to be pretty forgiving. I've also used dried figs and fig jam when figs were out of season. Please try it and let me know how it goes!
Beverly says
I have been looking for some fig bread that you can use fig preserves in.
Do you think I could adjust this recipe to use my figs already preserved in it?
HildaSterner says
Yes you can. I would use less, however. Maybe 3/4 of a cup and reduce the sugar to 1 cup. Let me know how it goes!
Nancy Tomaszak says
This recipe sounds wonderful.....can't wait to try it. My fig harvest has been poor this year, however. Would fig jam substitute? Should I adjust the sugar amount? Thank you so much!
HildaSterner says
Hi Nancy, my harvest wasn't the best this year either. They got ripe much later than usual too. I have used fig jam in the past (the chunky kind) when I didn't fave fresh figs. You could probably get away with using one cup of sugar or 1-1/4 cup. Good luck!
Elaine says
Is this a cake that you could drizzle a little honey on top having reduced the sugar called for?
HildaSterner says
Hi Elaine,
I haven't tried drizzling it with honey or a glaze before, only because it's already sweet and moist. However, it couldn't hurt to try! I'd love to hear how it goes.
Jessica says
Such a sweet story about Chuck! I have ripe figs and can’t wait to try out this recipe! I have an old man neighbor, I just moved into this house and have been wanting to bake something for him... I found just the thing :). Thanks!
HildaSterner says
Your comment warms my heart and makes me miss Chuck even more. Thanks for taking the time to respond to my post and I absolutely love that you're making the fig cake for the old man next door.
Debbie says
Very good, I substituted sugar free applesauce for the oil& it baked up fine & tastes good too!
Also, I used a drop of cardamom essential oil instead of the dried spice (as I did not have that spice, & I am not familiar with it) but it certainly added to the aroma & taste! ?
HildaSterner says
Hi Debbie, Good to know, I've done that with other recipes but haven't tried it with this recipe. Also, I love that you used the cardamom essential oil, what a great idea! I love cardamom, it's my favorite spice!
Jenny M says
I just saw the recipe n can't wait to make it, one question. Do I use an electric mixer or mix by hand?
HildaSterner says
Great question! You can mix it by hand, that's what I do. Good luck 🙂
Linda Collins says
I waiting make your fig bread but need to leave out the nuts. Do you have any suggestions for a substitution?
HildaSterner says
Hi Linda,
You really don't need a substitution for the nuts, as the fig bread is delicious on its own, especially with the chunks of figs in it. You may try chocolate chips if you wish, but it might make it too sweet. Hope that helps!
Aman says
LOVED this recipe! I just want to know how long this cake can be kept for either room temperature or in the fridge?
HildaSterner says
Glad you liked it! It'll be good at least a week in the fridge, maybe 3 days at room temperature (depending on how hot it is). I've been told it freezes really well, but around my house it's usually gone before we have to worry about it going bad.
Tonya says
This recipe sounds so good ! I can't wait to make this!! I have made ginger fig preserves this season, and now I just have enough figs to use in a recipe such as this. I loved reading your story about your friend Chuck. It sounds like you had an extraordinary friendship with him and his family. I am so sorry for your loss. You have beautiful memories to look back on....
HildaSterner says
The ginger fig preserves sounds wonderful, and so is this fig bread. I'm excited that you're going to try it. Hope you love it as much as I do. Also, thanks for your sweet comments. I do cherish my memories of Chuck and look forward to seeing him again someday!
JULIE CUMMINGS says
Thank you for the back story to this recipe. It makes preparing this dish much more special.
HildaSterner says
Thank you Julie for your sweet comment. I never know if people take the time to read the post or scroll down to the recipe. I appreciate that someone is slowing down enough to read the entire post! 🙂
Caroline says
This looks so yummy! What temperature for the oven?
HildaSterner says
Hi Caroline,
Thank you so much for asking, I can't believe I left that important information out! Bake at 350 degrees F. I have updated the recipe to reflect that.