The One That Got Away: Fresh Fig Cake

I always look forward to fig season. Well, I cant say always, as I got my first taste of fig just last fall. The fruit is such a beautiful ode to what I consider the season of perfection! The colors, the weather, the crispness of the air! And the FIGS!

The sweet little bundles. Their texture, both skin and filling are dreamy to say the least. The variety is incredible as well. From Tiger Stripe to Brown Turkey each kind is just as delicious as the next. I've never tasted a fig I didn't absolutely love!


Ingredient List: 1/4 cup butter, 1 cup of sugar, 1 egg, 2 cups of flour, 2.5 tsp of baking powder, 1/2 tsp of salt, 1 cup of evaporated milk, 1 tsp of vanilla, 1/8 almond extract, 1 cup of fresh peeled figs

When I was young my mother was always keen to making me try new foods and I always was excited to do so. I loved that part of my childhood. Going to markets and other local stores, scoping out new and exciting food to try. Things as simple as pineapple salsa or as foreign to me as frog legs. I indulged in the opportunity to try it all.

Preheat oven to 350'. Lightly butter and Flour your pan. Sift dry ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.

As an adult I really value that gift my mother gave me. The gift of being open to new things and finding joy in what I don't already know. Trying new things can be really really uncomfortable. In fact it is most of the time.

In a separate bowl cream the sugar butter and eggs until creamy. In another separate bowl also, combine the milk and the extracts.

Be it new foods, new friends, new towns or even stretching ourselves to new limits those growing pains are exactly that, painful.

In thirds alternate combining the wet and dry ingredients until well mixed. Gently fold in the peeled figs being careful not to over-stir. I had some little hands helping me :) aren't they adorable!

Those experiences my mother gave me really allowed me to embrace that discomfort. To see the good in it. Looking back that seed planted might have been the source of alot of the "newness" I have embraced in life so far.

Pour into your chosen container shaking lightly to make sure the batter is evenly distributed. Bake for 20-30 minutes confirming the completion with a toothpick entered into the middle. If it comes out clean then all is well and your cake is complete!

There is a quote that I really enjoy. It reads: "If it scares you, it might just be a good thing to try."

I don't know how relevant those words might be to food, even though some of the ugliest things have the most incredible taste! But, in life, in learning, in innovation, in development, in creativity, in possibility; I don't think those words could be more true.