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

   and set aside

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