Fig & Minneola Tangelo Cake #TheCakeSliceBakers

 

Here we are the February 2021 edition of the Cake Slice Bakers. For 2021; we are baking from Little Everyday Cakes: 50+ Perfectly Proportioned Confections to Enjoy Any Day of the Week by Candace Floyd.* I can't believe that we're already in a new year. In many ways 2020 dragged on as the shelter-in-place orders continued month after month; on the other hand, it was a completely blur because there weren't milestones to mark the passage of time.

In this group, we are given a selection of three cake recipes. We each choose one cake to bake, and then on the 20th - never before - we all post about our cake on our blogs. There are a few rules that we follow, but the most important ones are to have fun and enjoy baking & eating cakes!

Follow our Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest pages where you can find all of our cakes, as well as inspiration for many other cakes. You can also click on the links below to take you to each of our cakes. If you have a blog and are interested in joining The Cake Slice Bakers and baking along with us, please send an email to thecakeslicebakers at gmail dot com for more details.

The Cake Slice Bakers also have a new Facebook group called The Cake Slice Bakers and Friends. This group is perfect for those who do not have a blog but want to join in the fun and bake through this book.

Here's the line-up for this second month of 2021...

Orange Marmalade Loaf with Coconut Topping

• My Recipe Reviews
• A Little Bit of All Right

Fig & Orange Cake

• All That's Left Are The Crumbs
• Camille Cooks
• Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Sweet Sensations

Marble Cake

• Margaret's Yummies
• Making Miracles
• A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Amandie Bakes

Marbling Challenged

Before I get to the recipe that I am ultimately sharing, I must admit that I am marbling challenged. I tried this technique a few times and just couldn't get that swirl all the way through the cake the way it looks in Floyd's book. My marbling is only on the top, no matter what I tried. I am anxious to see if any of the bloggers can explain it in a way that I can replicate it! So, I went with the Fig & Orange Cake though I substituted minneola tangelos because that was the citrus in my fruit bowl the day I was baking.

Fig & Minneola Tangelo Cake

In addition to swapping citrus fruits, I did deviate from Floyd's recipe a bit in the process as well as the ingredients as I wanted to see the figs in the top of the cake, not just mixed into the batter.

Ingredients makes two 6-inch cakes

Cake

• 1 cup dried figs (mine were very moist so I didn't soak them) plus three more 
• 1-1/2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup olive oil (my favorite is arbequina for baking)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons zest from organic minneola tangelos (use whatever citrus you have, but make sure it's organic)
• 1/2 teaspoon Fiori di Sicilia extract (or you can use 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract)
• Also needed butter, parchment paper, two 6-inch baking pans, wire rack

Glaze

• 1/2 cup organic powdered sugar
• 2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed juice from the minneola tangelos
• 1 Tablespoon butter
• Also needed: saucepan

Procedure

Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line the bottom of the cake pans with parchment paper and butter the sides of the dish. Slice three figs and arrange them on the bottom of the pan which, when inverted, will become the top. Chop the remaining figs into 6 to 8 pieces each.

In a medium mixing bowl blend together the flour, sugar, and baking powder. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, milk, eggs, extract, and zest. Gently fold in the flour mixture until everything is just moistened.

 Incorporate the figs into the batter and divide between the two prepared baking pans. Place the pans on a baking sheet and place in the oven. Bake until the cake is browned, rise, and bounces back when you press on the top lightly, approximately 30 to 35 minutes.

Place the pans on a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, invert the pans onto a wire rack, remove the parchment paper, and let cool completely. While the cakes cool, prepare the glaze.

Glaze

Whisk together the powdered sugar and citrus juice. Pour into a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Let boil for 1 minute, then remove from heat and stir in the butter.

Pour the glaze over the cake. Slice into wedges and serve immediately. That's a wrap for the February #TheCakeSliceBakers' event. We'll be back next month with three more cakes to inspire you.

*This blog currently has a partnership with Amazon.com in their affiliate program, which gives me a small percentage of sales if you buy a product through a link on my blog. It doesn't cost you anything more. If you are uncomfortable with this, feel free to go directly to Amazon.com and search for the item of your choice.