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sliced fig bread on a cooling rack
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4.75 from 281 votes

Favorite Fig Bread (Fig Cake) Recipe

Deliciously moist and decadent fig bread, with all the flavors of Fall!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 slices
Calories: 198kcal
Author: Hilda Sterner

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.
  • Place the walnuts in a ziplock bag and pound with a mallet until crushed. Another option is to use a small food processor. Fold the walnuts in with the dry ingredients.
  •  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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 198kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 163mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 23g