Favorite Fig Bread (Fig Cake) Recipe (2024)

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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!

Favorite Fig Bread (Fig Cake) Recipe (1)

This moist and 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!

Jump to:
  • 🧐 Why This Recipe Works
  • 🍞 How to Make This Fig Bread Recipe
  • 🤷🏻‍♀️ Recipe FAQs
  • 👩🏼‍🍳 Pro Tips
  • 🍽 More Quick Breads to Try
  • 🍓 Related Recipes
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Comments

🧐 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 freezes well so you can enjoy your fig cake when figs are no longer in season.

🔖 Recipe 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 preserves or jam. 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: Cardamon, cinnamon, 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.

🍞 How to Make This Fig Bread Recipe

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.

Favorite Fig Bread (Fig Cake) Recipe (2)
Favorite Fig Bread (Fig Cake) Recipe (3)

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.

Favorite Fig Bread (Fig Cake) Recipe (4)
Favorite Fig Bread (Fig Cake) Recipe (5)

Step 3: Fold the walnuts in with the dry ingredients.

Favorite Fig Bread (Fig Cake) Recipe (6)
Favorite Fig Bread (Fig Cake) Recipe (7)

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).

Favorite Fig Bread (Fig Cake) Recipe (8)
Favorite Fig Bread (Fig Cake) Recipe (9)

Step 5: 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.

Favorite Fig Bread (Fig Cake) Recipe (10)
Favorite Fig Bread (Fig Cake) Recipe (11)

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.

Favorite Fig Bread (Fig Cake) Recipe (12)

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.

Favorite Fig Bread (Fig Cake) Recipe (13)

🤷🏻‍♀️ Recipe FAQs

Can you substitute unsalted butter for the oil in this fig bread recipe?

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.

What causes Fig Bread loaves to fall in the middle?

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.

Can you substitute dried figs for fresh figs to make fig bread or fig cake?

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.

Can you use fig preserves to make fig bread/cake?

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 fig bread recipe by replacing one of the eggs with half of a ripe banana. It makes an even moister cake/bread.
  • Store the fig bread in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, or freeze for longer storage.
Favorite Fig Bread (Fig Cake) Recipe (14)

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!

Favorite Fig Bread (Fig Cake) Recipe (15)

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 serving in the Navy in common, it was the fig tree in his front yard that brought us together.

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 is until you attend their funeral.

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!

Favorite Fig Bread (Fig Cake) Recipe (16)
Favorite Fig Bread (Fig Cake) Recipe (17)

🍽 More Quick Breads to Try

  • moist pumpkin bread
  • huckleberry banana bread
  • persimmon bread with cream cheese frosting

If you enjoyed this fig bread recipe, be sure to check out these other fig recipes too!

  • Strawberry Fig Preserves
  • Homemade Fig Newtons
  • Cardamom Fig Scones
  • Gourmet Pizza Recipe (with figs and goat cheese)

Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.

Stay in touch with me through social media@ Instagram,Pinterest, TikTok, and Facebook. Don't forget to tag me when you try one of my recipes!

📖 Recipe

Favorite Fig Bread (Fig Cake) Recipe (22)

Favorite Fig Bread (Fig Cake) Recipe

Deliciously moist and decadent fig bread, with all the flavors of Fall!

4.74 from 280 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 12 slices

Calories: 198kcal

Author: Hilda Sterner

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 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

Tried this Recipe? Please leave A Star Rating!Mention @HildasKitchenBlog or tag #HildasKitchenBlog!

Favorite Fig Bread (Fig Cake) Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Do you peel figs before baking? ›

Fresh figs are great on cheeseboards, or in yogurt with homemade granola, but using them in baking is fantastic too! Fresh figs are delicate and rot quickly so I do store mine in the refrigerator to keep them longer. There's no need to peel fresh figs or cook them first, they'll bake beautifully in the oven.

Are figs and dates interchangeable in baking? ›

Can you substitute dates for figs? Yes! They do have a different flavor but because of their natural sweetness they can often be interchanged in recipes.

What can I do with overripe figs? ›

Whether left delicately sweet or transformed into a punchy fig mustard, overripe fruits meet their match with anything from salty prosciutto to tangy labneh. And if you aren't quite ready to experiment with fig recipes, freeze the sweet morsels for a later date.

When should you not eat figs? ›

Both fresh and dried figs contain a high level of vitamin K. People taking blood-thinning medications such as warfarin need to keep the vitamin K levels in their diet consistent, so they may wish to avoid figs.

Why do you soak figs in water? ›

It is said to boost their fiber content. This makes them easy to digest and amplifies their health benefits on digestion. We just mentioned that figs are rich in dietary fiber. Soaking them in water overnight may boost their fiber content even more.

Why put baking soda on figs? ›

Alkalinity breaks down the structure of plant cell walls. I assume the purpose of this baking soda bath is to soften the structure of the fig. That's why yours softened so much. If you want to maintain the structure of the fig, try using an acidic bath, as acidity helps to maintain plant cell structure.

What are the best figs for baking? ›

Appearance: Kadota figs have a skin that ranges from bright green to light amber and an interior that ranges from pink to light brown. Flavor: These figs are less sweet than other varieties, making them well-suited to baking or turning into jam.

Are figs high in sugar? ›

Figs are delectably sweet, and there's a reason for that: lots of natural sugar. Six dried figs have about 24 grams. That's offset by a reasonable amount of fiber, Gardner said – about 5 grams, or more that 17% of the recommended daily value. That fiber helps slow the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream.

Why did Egyptians eat figs? ›

Figs were so common because they were high in sugar and protein. The dates would either be dried/dehydrated or eaten fresh. Dates were sometimes even used to ferment wine and the poor would use them as sweeteners. Unlike vegetables, which were grown year-round, fruit was more seasonal.

Which cheese goes best with figs? ›

Served with cheese

Plump, fresh figs pair well with a wide variety of cheeses, from crumbly, sharp stilton to creamy brie.

Which country has the best figs in the world? ›

Turkey is one of the leading producers of figs in the world and is recognised for its tasty and sweet Calimyrna figs. Another nation well-known for its figs is Greece. Other nations with a reputation for producing high-quality figs include Iran, Morocco, Spain, Italy, and Spain.

Can you eat too many fresh figs? ›

Regular intake of figs in large quantities along with its seeds can possibly cause bloating and upset stomach. This will in turn create pressure on intestines and liver. In addition, an over-consumption of figs can cause calcium deficiency in the body.

Why do you soak figs overnight? ›

Pre-soaking helps to break down the soluble fiber content of the figs.

Can you freeze figs to eat later? ›

Freezing fresh figs prolongs their shelf life significantly. However, frozen figs will not have the same texture or be as full of flavor as fresh figs kept in the refrigerator and eaten within a couple of days. You may also not want to use them in the same way as fresh figs that haven't been frozen and thawed.

How to prepare figs for cooking? ›

How to prepare figs. Gently wipe the skins with a damp cloth, trim off the stem if it's hard, then either keep whole or cut in half from top to bottom. Alternatively, you can make a fig 'flower'. Make a deep cross at the top end of the fig, cutting almost but not all of the way through.

How do you soften figs for baking? ›

Put your dried fruit in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Let it steep for 10 to 15 minutes, and then strain the fruit and discard the water. The fruit will be plumper, juicier, and softer. To give your fruit some extra flavor, swap the water for fruit juice or a liquor, like rum, bourbon, or brandy.

Why do you peel figs? ›

Although it's not necessary to peel figs (even though in Italy that's generally the way fresh figs are eaten), the skin of a ripe fig should detach easily, removing only the thin, outer layer. An unripe fig when peeled will take much more of the flesh with the skin.

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