A moist, fluffy, and lightly spiced cake topped with jammy baked figs and crunchy pistachios make this fresh fig cake absolutely irresistible. Make the best of fig season with this delicious and easy-to-make cake. Fig skillet cake with a slice on a plate.

Why is this recipe so great:

  • Made by hand – This recipe uses melted butter, so you can prepare the whole thing by hand with ease.
  • Done in less than an hour – This cake only takes 15 minutes to whip up and 30 minutes to bake, so in 45 minutes you have cake!
  • Versatile – It can be served as a dessert, snack, or even warmed up the next day for breakfast. Who doesn’t love cake for breakfast?

Fig cake in a skillet with some fresh figs around, pink cloth on handle and on a light gray backgorund.

How to make fig cake:

(See recipe card further below for quantities)

  1. In a large bowl mixing bowl, toss together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, melted butter, honey, and vanilla extract.
  3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
  4. Transfer the batter to a greased 10″ cast iron skillet. Arrange the figs on top, cut side up. Sprinkle with chopped pistachios and sugar. Bake at 375F for 30 minutes.

A picture collage of how to make fresh fig cake.

How to select and prepare the figs for this recipe:

Select soft and plump figs with stems intact. Rinse them with a little cool water and gently wipe dry. Cut off the stems and cut the fruit in half lengthwise.

How to serve:

Enjoy the cake as is or serve it with a dollop of whipped cream and some fresh figs alongside. You can also drizzle some honey on top or dust it with powdered sugar if you like it sweeter. The cake is also excellent warmed up and served for breakfast with some yogurt and fresh fruit as well.

Substitutions:

  • Melted butter – Can be substituted with any neutral tasting oil like vegetable, canola, or avocado. Do not use coconut or peanut oil.
  • Buttermilk – Both store-bought and homemade buttermilk works in this recipe. You can also use whole milk or mix 1/2 cup sour cream with 1 cup of any kind of milk.
  • Cast iron skillet – If you don’t have a 10″ skillet, you can use a 3″ deep cake pan of similar size or a springform pan of similar size.
  • Figs – This recipe works well with other fruits like fresh ripe pears, nectarines, plums, and apricots.
  • Pistachios – Can be swapped with sliced or slivered almonds, chopped walnuts or pecans, or pine nuts.

A slice of fig cake on a pale pink plate with the rest of the cake in a skillet in the background.

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Fig Cake Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review
  • Author: Lily Ernst
  • Prep Time: 15 min
  • Cook Time: 30 min
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Category: dessert, breakfast, snack
  • Method: bake
  • Cuisine: American

Description

A moist, fluffy, and lightly spiced cake topped with jammy baked figs and crunchy pistachios make this fresh fig cake absolutely irresistible.


Ingredients

Cake

  • 2 1/2 cups (315g) all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 1 1/2 cups (360ml) buttermilk
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) melted unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) honey
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Topping

  • 810 fresh figs (depending on size) cut in half
  • 1/4 cup chopped pistachios
  • 3 tbsp granulated sugar

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375F and butter a 10″ cast iron skillet.
  2. In a large bowl mixing bowl, toss together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Set aside.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, melted butter, honey, and vanilla extract.
  4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
  5. Transfer the batter to the prepared cast iron skillet. Arrange the figs on top, cut side up. Sprinkle with chopped pistachios and sugar.
  6. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool to room temperature before slicing and serving.

Notes

Leftovers can be stored tightly covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Recipe adapted from Joy the Baker.