Fig and Walnut Cake

A big family cake made in much the same way as carrot cake. Serves 8 (at least).

Ingredients (Serves at least 8)

250g soft dried figs
100g shelled walnuts
3 eggs
65g golden caster sugar65g light muscovado sugar
200ml groundnut oil
250g flour
a gently heaped tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
a pinch ground nutmeg
100ml yogurt
vanilla – a couple of drops
For the icing
350g cream cheese
50g softened butter
vanilla – a couple of drops
250g icing sugar


Set the oven at 180C/gas mark 4. Line the base of two 20cm cake tins with lightly buttered or oiled baking parchment. Roughly chop the figs and walnuts. The nuts

should be chopped slightly finer than the fruit.
Mix the eggs, sugars and oil using an electric mixer, and beat till pale and fluffy. Sift the flour with the baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and a pinch of salt. Add the yogurt to the cake mixture, alternating with the flour and spices. Stir in the vanilla, the f

igs and the walnuts.

Divide the mixture between the two lined baking tins and bake for 40-45 minutes, covering with foil for the last 10 minutes if the top is getting a little dark. Remove from the oven, leave to settle for a few minutes then run a palette knife around the edges and carefully turn on to a cooling rack. Remove the paper from each cake.

Make the icing. Beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla till smooth, then beat in the icing sugar. Spread a layer on the base of one of the cakes, place the other cake on top, then move to a cake stand or plate.

Spread the remaining butter cream over the top and sides of the cake