Almond Cake With Fig Filling And Maple Buttercream Recipes

FIG AND ALMOND TART

Steps:

• Combine the flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, lemon zest, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until blended. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. With the machine running, gradually add the water until moist clumps form. Turn the mixture out onto a work surface and form into a ball. Flatten the dough into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill the dough for 1 hour.
• In a clean food processor bowl, combine remaining sugar, almond paste, mascarpone cheese, vanilla extract, and honey. Blend until smooth.
• Position an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• On a large sheet of parchment paper, roll out the dough into an 11-inch circle. Transfer the dough to a large, heavy baking sheet. Spread the almond filling over the dough, leaving a 2-inch border. Arrange the figs on top of the almond filling. Spoon the jam over the figs. Fold the dough border over the filling to form an 8-inch round, pleating the crust loosely and pinching to seal any cracks in the dough.
• Bake the tart until the crust is golden, about 40 minutes. Place the baking sheet on a rack to cool for 10 minutes, then slide a metal spatula under the crust to free the tart from the parchment. Transfer the tart to a platter and serve.
• Cook's Note: To reconstitute dried figs, simmer in water for 5 minutes. Let the mixture cool completely. Strain before using.

FIG AND ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 9-inch fluted tart pan or pie pan; set aside. Put almonds and 1/4 cup sugar in a food processor and grind to a coarse powder. Add flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt; pulse to combine.
• In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, melted butter, honey and almond extract. Add almond mixture and beat for a minute until batter is just mixed. Pour batter into pan.
• Remove stem from each fig and cut in half. Arrange fig halves cut-side up over the batter. Sprinkle figs with sugar and bake for 30 minutes, until golden outside and dry at center when probed with a cake tester. Cool before serving.

ALMOND CAKE WITH FIG FILLING AND MAPLE BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a 24 count regular-size cupcake pan with cupcake liners. In a heavy-duty mixing bowl, cream together the butter and shortening on medium speed. Add the eggs, 1 at a time until, completely combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the superfine sugar with the mixer set to low speed. Once combined, set the mixer to medium speed and mix for 5 minutes. Sift together the cake flour, almond flour, salt, and baking powder. Begin to add the sifted dry ingredients to the batter, alternating with the warm milk. Fold in the sliced almonds. Fill the cupcake liners two-thirds of the way and bake for 16 to 20 minutes. Use a toothpick to poke in the center of the cupcake and if it comes out clean then the cupcakes are done. Remove from the pan and place onto a tray to cool. Once the cupcakes are cooled, fill the center of the cupcakes with 1 tablespoon Fig Filling. Using a pastry bag and piping tip, frost the cupcakes with the Maple Buttercream. Pat the sides of the buttercream with the toasted almonds. Fig Filling: Put all the ingredients into a blender and blend for 1 minute. Once blended, move the mixture into a microwave-safe bowl and microwave until thick, about 2 minutes. Mix well after microwaving. Buttercream: In a heavy-duty mixing bowl, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add 3 cups powdered sugar and mix on medium speed for 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and pour in the non-dairy whipping cream. Mix on low speed until completely mixed. Add the remaining 4 cups powdered sugar. Fold in the maple syrup

ALMOND, BLACK PEPPER AND FIG CAKE WITH TAMARIND GLAZE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with a little butter.
• Trim and discard the stalks from the figs. Slice the figs in half lengthwise, and place them in a small bowl. Sprinkle the pepper and 2 tablespoons sugar over the figs, and toss to coat well.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Sift twice through a fine mesh sieve to remove any clumps and return to the large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk melted butter, 1 1/2 cups sugar, eggs and yogurt until smooth and combined. (It will be very thick.) Whisk in the almond extract.
• Make a small well in the center of the dry ingredients, and pour in the whisked liquid ingredients. Using an outward-to-inward circular motion, fold with a spatula until the mixtures are completely combined, and no visible flecks of dry ingredients remain. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Top the cake with the sliced figs with the cut sides facing up.
• Bake cake until the surface is golden brown and the figs release their juices and turn slightly caramelized, about 1 hour, rotating halfway through baking. If it's browning too quickly, loosely tent the cake with foil. The cake is done when a skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove the baked cake and let cool for 15 minutes.
• As the cake cools, prepare the tamarind glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk the confectioners' sugar, tamarind paste and oil until smooth. If the glaze is too thick, it can be thinned by adding a teaspoon or two of water.
• Once the cake has cooled for 15 minutes, pour the glaze over, and serve warm or at room temperature. Refrigerate any leftovers and eat within 3 days.

M. CUNNINGHAM'S ALMOND BUTTER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350-degrees.
• Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring regularly.
• Pour the melted butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar into a large bowl and stir until smooth.
• Crack the eggs right into the same bowl and mix until the batter is creamy and all one color.
• Add the salt, almond extract, vanilla extract, and flour and stir briskly until the batter is smooth.
• Grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch round cake pan with butter or nonstick cooking spray.
• Using a rubber spatula, scrape the batter from the bowl into the greased cake pan.
• Spread it evenly in the pan.
• Sprinkle the tablespoon of sugar, then the sliced almonds, over the top of the batter.
• Put the pan on the middle rack of the oven and set the timer for 35 minutes.
• When it rings, check to see if the cake is done.
• It should be light brown on top, and when you insert a toothpick in the center, it should have a few sticky crumbs adhering to it.
• If the cake is not browned enough and the toothpick comes out too wet, put the cake back in the oven and check it again in another 10 minutes.
• When the cake is done, remove it from the oven and let it cool on a heatproof counter for at least 30 minutes.
• Cut the cake into small wedges and serve with fresh fruit.
• This cake will stay fresh for about a week and will freeze indefinitely.
• Wrap it tightly in foil, or in a plastic bag you can seal with a zip or tie.
• Storing nuts: Whenever you have leftover nuts, freeze them in a plastic bag closed tightly.
• They will keep indefinitely in the freezer.

FIG AND ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch fluted tart pan or pie pan; set aside.
• Put almonds and 1/4 cup sugar in a food processor and grind to a coarse powder.
• Add flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt; pulse to combine.
• In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, melted butter, honey and almond extract.
• Add almond mixture and beat for a minute until batter is just mixed. Pour batter into pan.
• Remove stem from each fig and cut in half. Arrange fig halves cut-side up over the batter.
• Sprinkle figs with 2 tbl.sugar and bake for 30 minutes, until golden outside and dry at center when probed with a cake tester. Cool before serving.