Monday, April 25, 2011

Dark Chocolate and Fig Cake






We have a fig tree up on the road, our neighbours planted it many years ago, and passers-by help themselves with the fruit every Autumn. More than harvesting I would say that this is foraging, in the Waitakere Ranges there are several fig trees, and everybody can pick the fruit, possibly before the birds do (they spread the seeds and fig trees are becoming a noxious weed in the bush!). 


 

For this recipe I used a 250 g bar of Whittaker's Dark Ghana Chocolate. Break the chocolate and melt with 100 g of butter (salted, if you can). In the meantime divide 3 eggs and beat the whites into stiff peaks.


Stir the melted chocolate and butter with a spatula or spoon, then add 2 tbsp of sugar, the 3 egg yolks, 1 tsp vanilla paste (or a few drops of pure vanilla essence) and 3 tbsp self-rising flour.



Gently fold in the egg whites.


Wash and cut the figs into halves, then place, cut-size down, into a baking tin lined with baking paper.

 


Cover with the chocolate mixture and bake at 180°C for approximately 30 minutes: the sides of the cake should look perfectly cooked, but the centre should still be a little tender and moist.



 



Wait at least 5 hours before tipping the cake onto a serving dish and removing the baking paper from the top (and what a pretty pattern!). This cake is semi-soft and very chocolatey, and the figs give colour as well as pairing well with dark chocolate. As an alternative you can also use pears.





Photos and Recipes by Alessandra Zecchini ©

36 comments:

  1. All those beautiful figs....they are such pretty little fruit, and baked in to chocolate cake, decadent. A wonderful looking cake Alessandra.

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  2. Fichi e cioccolato fondente è un abbinamento quasi peccaminoso...buonissimo.

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  3. Ciao ! Che invidia i fichi ! la torta è bellissima ! Tanti auguri

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  4. I love the sound of this, amazing!

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  5. It's a marvelous way to eat figs!
    Happy Easter to you and your family!

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  6. Wow, pure gli alberi di fichi!!! Di' la verita', vivi in Wonderland???

    Molto bella la torta e sicuramente buonissima.
    E buona Pasquetta :-)

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  7. Si' Arabafelice, in un certo senso vivo in wonderland, ma la cosa migliore e' che gli alberi che non ho io di solito ce li hanno gli amici, tra un po' mettero' le foto della frutta che mi hanno regalato/barattato. :-)

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  8. mamma mia, fichi e cioccolato fondente è una vera goduria!!!! Ciao cara e buona Pasqua passata... :)

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  9. Chocolate and fig together what a wonderful combination :)

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  10. Buona Pasquetta anche da me!! Che bei frutti e fiori e giardino....e che torta golosa!! Ciao da franci

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  11. They look delicious..nice clicks :)
    Thanx a lot for the comments at my space. Upma is an Indian breakfast and we make different varieties of upma, even with oats, bread etc..I tried with Pasta and we liked it..Glad to follow u..wonderful blog..great recipes!!

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  12. What a boon, all those lovely figs picked right from the tree. The cake sounds wonderful!

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  13. doro i fichi, ma, ahimè, l'albero di fichi lo possiede la suocera, con due sorellastre cattive (del marito), per cui è difficilissimo averli... DUe estati fa, però riuscimmo ad averne un cesto così oltre ad una marmellata di fichi e mandorle (da libidine), feci anche io una torta al cioccolato e fichi... Una goduria da non dire!
    Baci

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  14. Povera Fantasie! Prova a mandare il maritino a raccoglierli, la mamma non glieli neghera'!

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  15. Love figs and chocolate! Very cool recipe and thanks for sharing!
    Andy

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  16. It is a lovely cake, Alessandra. I've not used figs with chocolate and I'm intrigued by the combination. It sounds delicious. I hope you have a great day. Blessings...Mary

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  17. Osservavo ieri i piccoli fichi sulle piante in campagna...e pregustavo già il loro sapore!La tua torta invece, è da svenimento!!!!

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  18. I would love to be so close to such delicious figs! I'm fact it would be dangerous : P

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  19. Trovo questa torta divina ^_^ ho strabuzzato gli occhi quando ho visto il barattolino con la vaniglia, qui me lo sogno o vengo a guardare questo tuo post ;D
    Brava Ale, questa si che è una merenda che fa bene!
    Bacioni

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  20. Alessandra questo dolce ha un aspetto golosissimo, brava! Un abbraccio forte....

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  21. Ciao Ale, approfitto di una veloce connessione per salutarti, da qui sono molto più vicina a te ;-) ciauzzzzzz

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  22. Beautiful fresh figs! Lovely with the chocolate! Fresh figs are really expensive over here! Your cake looks beautiful and delicious!

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  23. that looks beautiful and delicious!

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  24. sei veramente fortunata di poter scambiare frutta e verdura fresca, certamente te lo sei meritato :))

    la torta è veramente molto bella, appena posso cogliere i fioroni dal mio piccolo fico provo a farla ^^
    B.

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  25. Buoni i fichi...li mangerei tutto l'anno!!!Questa torta rovesciata è davvero molto ben riuscita!!!Bacio

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  26. That looks divine:) If I cant find figs at the market I will give it a go with pears,what a great pud!

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  27. Thanks for this recipe, Ale, I definitely want to try it. Lucky you have fresh figs on hand, I'll have to use pears or even feijoas. Yeah, maybe both!

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  28. @ Plum Kitchen and Frances

    Chocolate and pear is one of the best combinations for a cake like this, even better than fig, although the figs have a prettier colour :-)

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  29. This looks so delicious, should have tasted awesome with those beautiful figs.

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  30. And all those figs!! I almost took a bite out of my computer screen when I saw that cake!

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  31. mi ero persa questa meraviglia di torta?? ho già preso nota... ai primi fichi dolci e zuccherini la preparo subito!!!

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  32. This looks lovely. My hubby loves figs, so this will be a perfect food gift for me to surprise him with!

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  33. Fantastic colour and taste combination! I have made a choc and feijoa version of your cake here, http://bakeclub.yolasite.com/index/dark-chocolate-and-feijoa-cake-by-frances
    Doesn't look as nice as yours but still tasted good. Thanks, Frances

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