I baked this because I was left with so many dried figs that just eating them wasn’t going to make them disappear…. the perfect excuse for a cake that might not sound that interesting, doesn’t have that “wow” look about it but just taste soooo nice, and so the neighbours still mention it, I might have to make another one! Perfect for Coffee!
Ingredients:
Cake:
- 1 cup of dried figs, chopped up (scissors work best here)
- 1 cup of dried apricots, chopped up, mixed with dried strawberries, just to try
- 420g plain flour
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp bicarbonate soda
- 1 tsp vanilla powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 170g soft butter
- 175 sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 250ml crème fraiche (sour cream)
Streusel:
In a small bowl, combine:
- 150g light brown sugar
- 60g soft butter
- 40g flour
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
Preparation:
- Preheat oven to 180°C/ 160°fan/ Gas 4. Grease and flour a 28cm/ 11″ ring tube springform pan
- Sift together the first 5 dry ingredients and take 1 tbsp of the flour mixture to sprinkle over the dried fruits to stop them from sinking into the cake whilst baking
- In a stand mixer, beat the butter until fluffy then slowly add the sugar and cream together
- Add one egg at a time, beating for at least 3mn after the last addition
- Add the vanilla extract and not to worry if it looks curdled
- Add the flour mixture alternating with the cream, starting and finishing with the dry
- Fold in the fruits by hand
- Spoon 1/3 of the cake batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle half of the streusel. repeat that layer and top with the last of the batter
- Bake into the middle of the oven for 50 to 60mn ( mine took 55 exactly). Remove to a wire rack and let it cool for 20mn
- Remove from the pan to let cool completely. A dusting of icing sugar completes the picture