Entertaining Dessert

This fig, orange and cardamom cake is made for autumn entertaining

Name: Fig, orange and cardamom cake recipe
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 90 min
Yield: 12
Ingredients: 250g packet dried soft and juicy figs, trimmed; 100ml boiling water; 250g plain flour; 180g caster sugar; 2 1/2 tsp baking powder; 1 1/2 tsp ground cardamom; 180g salted butter, melted and cooled; 60ml milk; 2 large eggs, at room temperature; Finely grated zest and juice of 1 orange; 5-6 fresh figs, thinly sliced; 85g marmalade; 165g salted butter, softened; 240g icing sugar mixture; Purple food colouring

2 ratings

30m

Orange and cardamom fig cake — Brett Stevens

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by Lucy Nunes

Delicious Team

Mar 17, 2026

Let beautiful seasonal figs shine in this striking cake, which is much easier than it might look to put together. For the rest of the year, when fresh figs are unavailable, you can still enjoy this cake simply iced, or an even simpler un-iced version, as it only requires dried figs.

You’ll need an 18cm round cake pan and a piping bag or zip-lock bag for this recipe.

Credit: Brett Stevens

250g packet dried soft and juicy figs, trimmed
100ml boiling water
1 2/3 cups (250g) plain flour
180g caster sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
180g salted butter, melted and cooled
1/4 cup (60ml) milk, at room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 orange
5-6 fresh figs, thinly sliced
1/4 cup (85g) marmalade

Icing

165g salted butter, softened
2 cups (240g) icing sugar mixture
Purple food colouring

Method

1.

Preheat oven to 170°C/150°C fan-forced. Grease an 18cm round cake pan and line base and side with baking paper.
2.

Whiz the dried figs in a food processor until a paste forms. Add the boiling water and whiz to loosen. Transfer to a piping bag or zip-lock bag and set aside.
3.

Place the flour, sugar, baking powder and ground cardamom in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Add the butter, milk and eggs to a large jug and whisk until smooth. Pour into the flour mixture and stir until just combined.
4.

Pour half the batter into the prepared pan. Cut a 1.5cm opening in the piping or zip-lock bag and pipe the fig paste over the batter in a coil pattern. Pour over the remaining batter and level surface. Bake for 1 hour, or until a skewer inserted into centre of cake comes out clean. Cool cake in pan for 15 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack lined with baking paper to cool completely.
5.

For the icing, in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the butter until pale. Add the sugar and whisk until combined. Whisk in food colouring, one drop at a time, until a bright purple colour.
6.

Using a serrated knife, trim the top of the cake to make it level (enjoy snacking on the offcuts as you assemble the cake). Cover the cooled trimmed cake with icing, then press sliced fresh figs into icing, cutting slices to fit.
7.

Heat the marmalade in a small microwave-safe bowl in the microwave in 15-second bursts, until runny. Stir in 1 tsp water, then strain through a fine sieve. Brush figs with strained marmalade (see recipe notes).
8.

Cut cake into slices to serve.