Soft Chocolate and Fig Cake
An easy, rich and fudgy almost-flourless cake from Yossi Arefi's Sweeter Off the Vine. It's better to underbake slightly than overbake this cake. If it's a little looser than you like, simply refrigerate it for a few hours so it firms up enough to slice but doesn't lose it's phenomenal gooey brownie texture.
Servings: 8 people
Ingredients
Cake
- ¾ cup flour
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted and cooled to room temperature
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup bittersweet chocolate chopped
- 12 ounces fresh figs* sliced into ¼-inch rounds
Assembly
- Unsweetened whipped cream (optional)
- 2 tablespoons confectioner's sugar to serve
Instructions
- Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 F. Butter the sides and bottom of an 8-inch round cake or springform pan. Line the bottom with a round of parchment paper and butter the paper. Dust the bottom and sides with flour.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and Kosher salt to aerate and "sift" everything.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the sugar and butter. Using the paddle attachment on medium-low speed, beat briefly to combine. Add the eggs and vanilla, beat on medium-low speed until incorporated. Turn the speed up to medium high and beat until lightened in color, about 2 minutes.
- Fold in the whisked dry ingredients, then fold in the chopped bittersweet chocolate.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the top with an off-set spatula. Arrange the sliced figs in a concentric circle or decorative pattern of your choice on top. Bake until just set along the edges but still slightly wiggly in the middle, about 30-35 minutes. If you prefer firmer centers, bake another 5-10 minutes.
- If planning to serve with whipped cream, just before serving whisk the heavy cream in a clean metal bowl until soft peaks are formed.
- Serve immediately by spooning into bowls or let the cake cool and then slice into wedges (it firms up a little as it cools, but will remain soft in the center). Dust each portion with confectioner's sugar and top with a dollop of unsweetened whipped cream.
Notes
*12 ounces should be able 9 fresh figs, although I was not able to fit all 12 ounces on top of my cake.