Transport yourself to the Mediterranean with these delicious Fig Almond Olive Oil Cakes. They are tender and moist, with a subtle sweetness of the fig and honey and a deliciously tart lemony flavor and aroma.
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The cakes are made with lemons, olive oil, honey, almond flour, and chopped figs, packed with wholesome ingredients. Serve them with a dollop of honey-sweetened mascarpone and vanilla fig jam for a delicious, decadent treat, or stud them with sliced fresh fig for a healthier choice of dessert.
The fresh flavors and aromas of lemon and fig complement each other beautifully in these light, moist cakes (which are actually jumbo muffin size!). Olive oil is a must in this recipe as it lends a deep, fruity flavor to the light, delicate cake.
Ingredients to use for this recipe
- Almond flour – is a common substitute for wheat flour for gluten-free, grain-free baking.
- Extra-virgin olive oil – is part of the cakes’ distinct flavor. There are different grades of olive oil, and they really matter, so make sure you’re using a good quality of extra virgin olive oil.
- Eggs
- Honey – preferably local
- Lemon zest and fresh lemon juice – use an organic lemon as it will not be covered with wax (for preservation). You only need one lemon for both the juice and the zest. First, zest the lemon and then juice it.
- Baking powder – use aluminum-free baking powder.
- Baking soda and salt
- Fresh figs
- Mascarpone cheese – is a soft Italian cheese made with cream and citric acid. It has twice as much fat as regular cream cheese, making this a decadent addition.
- Easy Homemade Vanilla Fig Jam – Store-bought jam may also be substituted.
How to make these fig cakes
This recipe calls for a 4-cup jumbo muffin pan. However, if you have the regular size muffin pan, you can also make 6-8 regular cupcakes. Just make sure to check the cupcakes for doneness at 15 minutes.
Before making these cupcakes, buy cupcake liners. They are a game changer for easy cleaning of your pans afterward!
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare 4 cups in a jumbo muffin pan with cupcake liners. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, honey, olive oil, lemon zest, and lemon juice until combined. Set aside.
Mix the almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl.
Slowly fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Continue stirring until the batter is smooth and lump-free.
Stir the chopped figs into the batter until thoroughly incorporated. Divide the batter between the 4 jumbo muffin cups.
Place the preheated oven to bake until the cakes are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, approximately 18-22 minutes.
While the cakes are baking, prepare the honey-sweetened mascarpone. In a bowl, combine the mascarpone cheese with the honey. Mix well until combined and creamy. Set aside.
Remove from oven and cool for 5-10 minutes before removing from muffin pan.
Serve immediately with a dollop of honey-sweetened mascarpone cheese, homemade vanilla fig jam, or sliced fresh figs, if desired.
Notes and Cooking Tips
The Extra-virgin olive oil is part of the cakes’ distinct flavor. There are different grades of olive oil, and they really matter, so make sure you’re using a good quality of extra virgin olive oil.
Use an organic lemon for both the lemon juice and the zest, as it will not be covered with wax (used for preservation). You only need one lemon for both the juice and the zest. First, zest the lemon and then juice it.
Use cupcake liners. They are a game changer for easy cleaning of your pans afterward!
You can also use a regular cupcake pan to make 6 or 8 cakes if you don’t want big ones. In that case, start checking at 15 minutes to see if they’re done.
Make-ahead tips and Storing leftovers
Store them at room temperature in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
More Recipes Using Figs
More Dessert Recipes
If you love this recipe, check out these dessert recipes:
- Fresh Fruit Salad with Honey-Yogurt Dip
- Greek Ekmek Kataifi
- Chocolate Avocado Mousse
- Healthy Fruit Gelatin Gummy Snacks
Fig Almond And Olive Oil Cakes
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Cakes
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup honey
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1¼ cup almond flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh figs
- Sliced fresh figs optional for serving
- Easy Fresh Fig Jam optional for serving
For the Honey-Sweetened Mascarpone
- ½ cup mascarpone cheese
- 2 tbsp honey
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare 4 cups in a jumbo muffin pan with cupcake liners. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, honey, olive oil, lemon zest, and lemon juice until combined. Set aside.
- Mix the almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl.
- Slowly fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Continue stirring until the batter is smooth and lump-free.
- Stir the chopped figs into the batter until thoroughly incorporated.
- Divide the batter between the 4 jumbo muffin cups.
- Place the preheated oven to bake until the cakes are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, approximately 18-22 minutes.
- While the cakes are baking, prepare the honey-sweetened mascarpone. In a bowl, combine the mascarpone cheese with the honey. Mix well until combined and creamy. Set aside.
- Remove from oven and cool for 5-10 minutes before removing from muffin pan.
- Serve with a dollop of honey-sweetened mascarpone cheese, homemade vanilla fig jam, or sliced fresh figs, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
This information is provided as a courtesy and for entertainment purposes only. This information comes from online calculators. Although eatmediterraneanfood.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
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