Fig with balsamic glaze cake

Fig and balsamic glaze cake born out of necessity

When you are given 3kg of homegrown figs there is so much you can eat raw! So out of the need to find a way to use up these beautiful juicy figs, without wasting them, the fig and balsamic glaze cake was created.

I’ve made this a number of times already and shared it with a lot of our family and friends. Such a comfort autumn cake easily enjoyed throughout the day and not just for afternoon tea. It’s also vegan which is a great option for the fasting period during Lent now.

Flavours and textures

When I was deciding on the cake flavourings I just kept on thinking of the fresh salad with figs, walnuts and balsamic glaze I make. I know the flavours work well together so I thought surely they should in a cake version right? And they sure do!

Smashing the figs to add to the batter must be my favourite part as the colour shines away! The actual flavour of the fig doesn’t come through very strongly. However, you definitely feel it in the texture and you can see the seeds beautifully shaping the exterior.

When you use baking soda in cakes you need to add vinegar to help the cake rise. Usually, the vinegar used is apple cider as there is no after taste. However, in this case I used balsamic glaze as the flavours of that with the figs go so well together. The balsamic glaze added in the batter as well as the cinnamon adds to the spice.

How to make balsamic glaze from scratch

You can easily purchase balsamic glaze at the supermarket but if you have balsamic vinegar at home you can make the glaze yourself. For the amount needed for this recipe (batter and sauce) simply bring ¾ cup balsamic vinegar and 2 tbs brown sugar to boil. Then simmer for 15-20min or until the balsamic glaze sticks to the back of the spoon. The better the quality of the balsamic vinegar used the less time is required to reach the desired result.

Balsamic glaze icing sauce

This fig with balsamic glaze cake is super moist and delicious on its own! The balsamic glaze icing sauce you drizzle on the top is definitely an added bonus though. A sauce that sounds different and not so typical but you will be pleasantly surprised.

I am the first to admit that I am not a expert baker. But this certainly is a recipe I am proud to have developed, tastes absolutely amazing and I hope you give it a go. Especially if you have a fig tree growing uncontrollably in the backyard!