I’m still working on a million and one recipes to use my Heilala Vanilla Extracts in, and I also received my copy of the e-recipe book created by Cloudy Kitchen. They 10 recipes that Erin has whipped up all look delicious, I just haven’t got round to making any of them yet.

It’s been a while since I posted, and I apologise for that. It’s just been a hectic couple of weeks that have kept me out of the kitchen a lot. I’ve been able to make basic lunches and dinners for myself but no “fun” cooking for the blog, or for beautiful photos. My weeks are not going to get any less busy over the next month, but I am scheduling time to bake and cook as much as I can in the build up to Christmas.

I know, I am mentioning Christmas. But if you look at a calendar, it’s just over a month away, and I need to make sure I am on top of things for the holiday season. You know how much I love Christmas.

Anyway, we will go back to Christmas later in the year. For now, I wanted to introduce you to this beautiful fig and honey cake. She’s unique in flavour, and like nothing you’ve ever eaten before. Plus the addition of oak-aged vanilla extract to the cake and the whipped cream just make it so much deeper.

I never really knew what to do with figs a few years ago. My only real experience with them was in fig newtons, and I wasn’t a huge fan of those either. It took me aging to truly appreciate figs. They’re not that sweet, and the are great in both savoury and sweet dishes. They’re beautiful on their own, or split open and stuffed with cheese and nuts, or chopping into a cake. Plus, it’s still fig season for a bit longer, so get your hands on some and make this delectable cake now.

Ingredients

170 grams unsalted butter, room temperature
170 grams orange blossom honey (or any honey you have)
200 grams caster sugar
2 teaspoons Heilala Oak-Aged Vanilla Extract
3 large eggs, room temperature
280 grams plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
120 grams buttermilk, room temp
3 figs, finely chopped

Topping:
360 grams double cream
1 teaspoon Heilala Oak-Aged Vanilla Extract
1 fig, thinly sliced

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a light coloured spring-form tin.
2. In a large bowl, or in your free-standing mixer, beat the butter, sugar, honey and vanilla. Start on a low speed and work up to a medium-high, until light and fluffy.
3. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides as you mix each egg in.
4. In a separate bowl, stir the flour, baking powder and salt together. Add half of the ingredients to the butter and honey mixture. Mix on low speed, until everything is almost combined.
5. Add the buttermilk and then the rest of the flour mixture. Stir until almost incorporated, then add the chopped figs. Mix until just mixed through.
6. Spread the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for around 35 – 40 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
7. Once cake is cool, beat cream with vanilla just until stiff peaks form. Spread the cream over the cake, then decorate with the fig slices.