This moist, sweet, and flavorful homemade fig bread recipe 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 as well!
This irresistible fig bread recipe is one of my most sought after recipes! 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
- This fig cake recipe is one of the easiest recipes you'll ever make. No need to use a stand 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.
- Fig bread leftovers freeze well, and the fig bread retains its moist texture. This means you can enjoy your fig bread long after figs are not in season.
🔖 Ingredients & Substitutions
- Figs: Fresh or frozen figs are preferred. If you absolutely can't get figs, you can rehydrate dried figs in hot water then squeeze out excess moisture. Another option is to use one 8 ounce jar of fig jam or fig preserves. If you do that, you may need to reduce the amount of sugar.
- Flour: All-purpose flour or a combination of whole wheat flour and all purpose flour.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar, or a combination of granulated sugar and brown sugar.
- Spices: Ground cardamon, cinnamon powder, ground cloves, and freshly ground nutmeg. If you don't have all the spices, you can skip one or two of them but you want the bread to have a mixture of these warming spices.
- Nuts: Either walnuts or pecans can be added. May leave out if you have nut allergies.
*A full list of ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the page!
🍞 Fig Bread Recipe Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Step 1: Mix dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, ground cloves, ground nutmeg, cardamom, cinnamon, and sea salt) in a large bowl until combined.
Step 2: Place the walnuts in a ziplock bag and pound with a mallet until crushed. Another option is to use a small food processor.
Step 3: Fold the walnuts in with the dry ingredients.
Pro Tip: Folding the walnuts into the flour coats them with flour and keeps them from sinking to the bottom of the fig bread.
Step 4: In a medium bowl, whisk the wet ingredients (oil, milk, eggs, and vanilla and chopped figs).
Step 5: Fold wet ingredients into the flour mixture and stir just until incorporated. Pour batter into prepared pan (greased and floured bundt pan, or two loaf pans).
Pro Tip: If using frozen figs, make sure they are defrosted and drained first so that you don't have excessive liquid in you fig bread, which would cause it to sink in the middle.
Step 6: Bake in the oven, on the middle rack, for approximately one hour for a bundt pan. If using loaf pans, bake for approximately 45 minutes or until golden brown.
Pro Tip: Since oven temperatures vary, test with a toothpick to make sure it's cooked all the way through.
Step 7: Cool the fig bread for approximately 10 minutes before removing it from the pan. Cool on wire racks completely before slicing it.
🤷🏻♀️ 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.
Yes you can, but you some adjustments need to be made to reduce the amount of sugar in the recipe. 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 fig bread recipe by replacing one of the eggs with half of a ripe banana. It makes an even moister cake/bread.
- If you have beautiful, fresh figs, you can you can decorate the top of the bread with sliced figs.
- Store the fig bread in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, or freeze for longer storage.
🍽 More Quick Breads to Try
🍓 Related Recipes
If you enjoyed this fig bread recipe, be sure to check out these other fig recipes too!
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
Favorite Fig Bread (Fig Cake) Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (plus extra for dusting)
- 1⅓ cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup whole milk
- 3 large 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)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
- Mix dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, ground cloves, ground nutmeg, cardamom, cinnamon, and sea salt) in a large bowl until combined.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the wet ingredients (oil, milk, eggs, and vanilla and chopped figs).
- Fold wet ingredients into the flour mixture and stir just until incorporated. Pour batter into a greased and floured bundt pan, or two loaf pans.
- Bake in the oven, on the middle rack, for approximately one hour for a bundt pan. If using loaf pans, bake for approximately 45 minutes or until golden brown.
- Cool the fig bread for approximately 10 minutes before removing it from the pan. Cool on wire racks completely before slicing it.
Notes
- If using frozen figs, make sure they are defrosted and drained first so that you don't have excessive liquid in you fig bread, which would cause it to sink in the middle.
- Folding the walnuts into the flour coats them with flour and keeps them from sinking to the bottom of the fig bread.
- The figs should be chopped coarsely. You want big chunks of figs in the bread.
- Since oven temperatures vary, test with a toothpick to make sure it's cooked all the way through.
- 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.
Kk says
I read all the modifications people posted, but this recipe is delicious as is! The only thing I changed was, because I didn't read the recipe carefully, I used large eggs. loved this easy recipe
Hilda Sterner says
Hi KK,
Finally, someone who trusts the chef, LOL, thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed the fig bread. Save me a slice!
Titina R Vester says
I have a huge fig tree and never knew what to do with all the figs! I never knew you could freeze figs. This recipe is so easy and it's delicious! Thank you for sharing it with us.
Hilda Sterner says
Thank you, I'm so jealous, enjoy!!
Debby Chodosh says
this is the best recipe I ever followed! I love all the spices and love using the soft figs from my tree. My friends all love getting the bread.
Hilda Sterner says
Thank you, Debby, I love that you love this recipe. I love it just as much and miss making it! Enjoy!
Suzanne says
This is lovely. Used one whole brown banana in place of an egg. Reduced sugar to one cup. I may reduce it further next time. I’ll definitely have this on hand to use up the never ending figs from our tree. Thank you!
Hilda Sterner says
Thank you, Suzanne, I appreciate the review and I'm jealous of your never ending supply of figs! I brought a small start from my fig tree in San Diego to Montana. I keep it indoors in the winter. Right now it has 3 tiny figs in it & I'm praying at least of them ripens before the first frost.
Patricia Hibbard says
This post has some technical problems. When I click "print" it wants to save it to my computer. It will not allow printing. It might be a good recipe, but it's hard to tell. I prefer to work off of a paper recipe.
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Patricia,
I just tested it and it's printing fine on my end. Could it be the way your printer is set up? There is usually an option to save as PDF instead of printing so that option might be checked on your computer. Another thing you might want to try is to go ahead and save it on your computer, then open the file and print it from there. If you still can't print it, you'll know it has something to do with your set up. Thank you!
Marcie McCutchen says
Do you measure the figs before or after you cut them? I want to make sure I don't use too many. Another recipe I used the bread sunk in the middle.
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Marcie, I chop them and then measure them. A cake as moist as this can sometimes sink in the middle. In some of my readers comments, they mention they double the amount of figs. I guess it's a personal preference, but the reason I don't add more is to keep it from sinking in the middle. Either way, no one will care when they taste it! 😀
Winnie Gleason says
Moist and tender. Great way to use frozen fresh figs, too!
Hilda Sterner says
Thank you, Winnie, enjoy!
Angela W Broyles says
Delicious. Bake in ONE 9x5 pan, 45 minutes, cover with foil and bake another 15 minutes. Beautiful
Hilda Sterner says
Thanks, Angela, enjoy!
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!