Chocolate Fig Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Make the cakes: Brush a 6-cup muffin pan with olive oil and dust with flour. Whisk the cocoa powder and 1/4 cup hot water in a small bowl; let cool slightly. Combine the flour, salt and baking soda in another bowl.
• Combine the sugar, egg and egg yolk, vanilla and lemon zest in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on medium-high speed until pale and thick, about 1 minute. With the mixer running, drizzle in the olive oil. Add the cocoa mixture and beat until combined. Reduce the mixer speed to low, add the flour mixture and beat until just incorporated.
• Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups. Bake 10 minutes, then top each cake with a fig half and continue baking until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few crumbs, 8 to 10 more minutes. Let cool in the pan on a rack, 20 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pan and let cool completely on the rack.
• Make the glaze: Put the chocolate, honey, olive oil, salt and pepper in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring, until smooth.
• Top the cakes with the glaze, a drizzle of honey and more pepper. Quarter the remaining 6 fig halves and arrange on top.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Grease bottom and side of 9- or 10-inch springform pan with shortening; lightly flour. In 1 1/2-quart saucepan, combine figs and wine. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from heat and cool while preparing batter.
• In large bowl, beat butter and granulated sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Add eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat at medium speed until thick and creamy, scraping bowl occasionally. Add flour, cocoa and baking soda. Beat at low speed until moistened, scraping bowl occasionally. Add melted chocolate, figs and wine. Beat at low speed until mixed. Spread in pan.
• Bake 55 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on cooling rack until completely cooled, about 2 hours. Remove side of pan.
• In medium bowl, beat mascarpone cheese, powdered sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla at low speed until mixed. Beat at medium speed until thick and creamy. Frost side and top of cake.
• To make garnish, pull vegetable peeler along edges of chocolate bar to form curls. (If curls crumble, slightly warm chocolate bar with hand.) Garnish cake with chocolate curls. Store in refrigerator.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Grease a 7-inch square baking dish and line with parchment paper.
• Mix together 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar, eggs, yogurt, olive oil, and vanilla extract in a bowl until well combined. Sift 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and baking powder on top of the batter and fold in gently.
• Place figs, cut side-down, onto the bottom of the baking dish. Spoon batter on top of the figs and level top with the back of a spoon.
• Bake in the preheated oven until firm to the touch, about 50 minutes. If cake starts to brown too much, cover with foil after 30 minutes of baking time.
• Remove from oven and allow to cool in the baking dish for 15 minutes. Turn out onto a serving platter and peel off the parchment paper.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit/190 degrees Celsius.
• Add 1/4 cup/50 grams sugar to a small, oven-proof, high-sided sauté pan with a 6-inch/15-centimeter base (or similar). Cook over medium-high heat, swirling the pan a few times, until the sugar has melted and turned a dark caramel color, 5 to 8 minutes. Carefully add the rum - it will spit and seize up a little - and cook for another 30 seconds, stirring until combined and thick. Remove from the heat, stir in the orange juice and figs, and set aside to cool.
• Add the egg yolks to a medium bowl along with 2 tablespoons/25 grams sugar. Whisk by hand until pale and thick, about 3 minutes. Add the cream, flour, cocoa powder, vanilla, salt and orange zest, then whisk until smooth and thick.
• In another medium bowl, using a clean whisk, whisk the egg whites by hand with the remaining 2 tablespoons/25 grams sugar until they form stiff peaks, 4 to 5 minutes. Fold gently into the yolk batter, then pour the mixture over the figs in the sauté pan (it should cover the figs completely).
• Sprinkle all over with the chocolate and bake until the batter rises and is cooked through, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven, divide among four bowls and drizzle with any remaining liquid from the pan. Serve hot, with some crème fraîche alongside.