Clodagh's sticky figgy toffee pudding cake
She calls it her star cake! Clodagh is back with a dessert that combines a pudding and a cake, her sticky figgy cake, the perfect autumn warmer.
Sticky figgy toffee cake
Makes one 12 inch cake
Ingredients
150g dried figs
300g dates
150g fresh figs
900ml water
350g soft light brown sugar
225g of unsalted butter
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
300g cups self-raising flour
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the orange cream cheese frosting
360g cream cheese
200g icing sugar
2 tsp orange blossom extract
1 orange
12 fresh figs, cut in half
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180oC or Gas Mark 4. Grease a 12-inch spring form cake tin
2. Place the dates, dried figs, and water in a medium saucepan and bring to the boil over a medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool for 10 minutes. Then blend in a food processor and set aside.
3. Cream together the butter and sugar using an electric or hand mixer. Add in one egg at a time, making sure they get well whisked, followed by the vanilla extract. Then fold in the bicarbonate of soda and flour and lastly the fig and date puree.
4. Pour the cake mixture into the greased cake tin. Slice the fresh figs and arrange around the top of the cake like a fan. Place the cake in the pre-heated oven for 50-55 minutes.
5. While the cake is baking, make the frosting by creaming together the icing sugar and cream cheese in a mixer or with a whisk.
6. Once the cake is baked, allow it to cool completely on a wire rack. Then spread the cream cheese icing even on top of the fig cake. Arrange the cut figs on top of the icing and zest the orange on top.