Upside Down Fig Coffee Cake

This Upside Down Fig Cake is an unexpected delight, full of a wonderful blend of the flavors of coffee, fresh figs and spice. Delicious with your morning coffee and lovely for an after dinner dessert.

Sometimes the best flavor combinations are completely unexpected.

Figs and coffee are one of them.

This upside down fig cake isn't a coffee cake just in the sense that it's intended to be served with coffee, it's also made with coffee.

Combine those flavors with a soft crumb cake and you'll want slice after slice.

The Ingredients

(I often suggest brands I love and use — these are only suggestions and this is not a sponsored post.)

• all-purpose flour
• unsalted butter - I bake (and cook) with unsalted butter so I can better control how much salt is in the recipe.
• fresh figs - Choose plump figs that have a little bit of give when pressed lightly. They should not be too soft. There are many fig varieties and I'm featuring Brown Turkey figs (pictured above) and Kadota figs (pictured below) in this post, as this upside down fig cake has been tested with both of them.
• brown sugar - Light or dark.
• granulated sugar
• ground cinnamon
• Kosher salt - I bake (and cook) with Kosher salt because I like its larger flake size and it usually doesn't contain additives. (If you use table salt, use half the amount.)
• Maple syrup
• instant espresso powder - I use Medaglia D'Oro Espresso.
• pure vanilla extract - I like this one.
• sour cream - Whole fat is best.
• eggs
• baking powder - If you don’t bake regularly, it’s a good idea to check to be sure your baking powder is still good. To do so, pour a couple of tablespoons of boiling water over about ¼ teaspoon of the baking powder. If it starts to fizz, it’s still good.
• baking soda - Like the baking powder, If you don’t bake regularly, it’s a good idea to check to be sure your baking soda is still good. To do so, pour a couple of tablespoons of vinegar or lemon juice over about ¼ teaspoon of the baking soda. If it starts to fizz, it’s still good.

(See recipe card below for quantities.)

Substitutions and Variations

• Maple syrup. This recipe calls for maple syrup with a little espresso powder mixed into it. If you happen to be able to get your hands on coffee maple syrup, use that instead.
• Sour cream. Sour cream is best, but you can use plain whole fat yogurt or Crème Fraîche as a substitutions. The Crème Fraîche is a bit thicker, so thin it a bit with a few tablespoons of milk or half and half.

Recipe Tips

• Gluten-free version. You can make the upside down fig cake gluten-free by swapping out the regular all-purpose flour for Cup4Cup Gluten-Free Multipurpose Flour.
• As I said, I've tested this cake with both the Kadota figs and the Black Turkey figs, and both work really well. You can use any fig variety you like, just be sure they are ripe, but not too soft. Otherwise, they'll be difficult to slice.
• Towards the end of the baking time, if the top of the cake (that will become the bottom), looks like it could get too dark, lightly cover it with foil.
• You'll notice in the photos, the "filling layer" is more towards the top of the cake. When the filling layer is added, you can attempt to make it more centered by trying to get as close to half the batter in the pan as possible first. I do this step by eye, and sometimes it's off. It's not crucial, obviously. 😉 
• The recipe indicates that this cake serves sixteen. Normally I'd say a 9 inch cake serves more like twelve, but this is a tall cake (approximately three inches), so the slices are still generous when thin.

How to Make it

- Place the figs, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and butter in a small mixing bowl. Then use your hands to rub the dry ingredients into the figs and butter, until it forms a crumble.

- Line the bottom of a 9 x 3 inch, round cake pan with parchment paper, and butter the entire inside of the pan (including the parchment paper and all the way up the sides). Then, lightly flour just the pan. Set aside.

- Wash and dry all of the figs. Slice the figs for the bottom (top!) of the cake, and finely chop those for the "filling." (See ingredient list below for measurements.)

- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Mix 1½ teaspoons of the espresso powder into the syrup.

- Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the espresso-syrup evenly over the bottom of the prepared cake pan. Place the sliced figs, in one even layer, on top of the syrup in the pan. Set aside.

- Add the softened butter and the sugar to a large mixing bowl. Mix until it's completely smooth. Then add ¼ cup of the espresso-syrup, vanilla and sour cream.

- Once you have a smooth consistency again, blend in the eggs, one at a time. Then add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Stir just until it's mixed in and smooth.

- Spoon about half of the batter on top of the fig slices and gently even it out with the bottom of a spoon or offset spatula.

- Add the filling evenly on top and evenly spread that as well. Then drizzle it with the remaining ¼ cup of espresso-syrup. Spoon the rest of the batter in the pan and smooth it out.

- Place the cake pan on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated 350°F oven until the top is golden brown and is slightly cracked, about 1 hour. It should rise all the way to the top, if not a tiny bit above it.

- Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then use a knife to very carefully go around the edges. Now place a large serving platter or plate upside down, on top of the cake pan and invert it. (Use pot holders!)

- Gently remove the parchment paper from the top of the cake. Let it cool for at least an hour before serving.

Can you make this fig cake ahead?

Yes!

Room temperature. In a container or wrapped loosely with foil, the cake can be kept at room temperature for two days.
Refrigerator. In a tightly sealed container or wrapped/covered with plastic wrap, it can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week. If you do this, leave it out at room temperature for several hours before serving.
Freezer. Sealed tightly, you can store the fig cake for about a month in the freezer. It should be thawed overnight in the refrigerator and left out at room temperature for several hours before serving.

*While all of the above methods of storing this fresh fig cake are great, I think it's at its best as soon as it reaches room temperature, or is even still a bit warm, the day it's baked.*

Above: Kadota Figs, which are also a great choice for this coffee cake.

Most fig varieties would likely work in this cake, as long as they're not too soft. Here's a lot more information about fig varieties.

Other Fresh Fig Recipes

• Vanilla Fig Preserves
• Fig toast with Basil Oil and Fresh Mozzarella
• Spiced Honey-Glazed Hallumi and Fig Salad

Recipes with Dried Figs

• Port Glazed Manchego Figs and Prosciutto
• Watermelon Basil Salad with Dried Figs

When is fig season?

Fig season is generally May through November, depending on the variety and weather conditions. Peak season is late summer to early fall.

I hope you love this Upside Down Fig Coffee Cake as much as my family and I do.

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