Fig Cake Recipe: Traditional Christmas Dessert

Christmas Fig Loaf Cake

Figs are an underrated dessert flavor. If you’ve never made a homemade fig cake for the holiday season, then you are missing out! This delicious Christmas dessert recipe is sure to impress your guests with its wonderful flavor.

Figs aren’t an overly sweet fruit. So, they make a wonderful ingredient both inside your desserts as well as a garnish on top! To make this cake extra moist, I incorporated sour cream into the recipe.

I also used fresh figs to decorate this Christmas cake for extra fig flavor. In addition to the figs on top, I also added mint leaves for a pop of color. Mint pairs really well with figs as do other herbs. So, don’t be shy about using it. You can also add chopped nuts or honey to the batter for a tasty variation to make this recipe your own.

Finally, I topped off this holiday dessert with homemade cream cheese icing. This icing is mildly sweet and a little tart, so it complements the fig loaf cake beautifully. You’ll love how well the cream cheese flavor sets off the figs in this delicious dessert recipe.

Discover how to make a fresh fig loaf cake recipe as a traditional Christmas dessert for your family. This delicious holiday cake has a unique flavor that pairs well with several main dishes served during this time of year. Not only is it sweet and moist, but it also contains warm spices perfect for the seasonal festivities and parties!

What Does Sour Cream Do For a Cake?

I used sour cream instead of oil as an ingredient in this easy fig cake recipe. Sour cream is high in fat, which will give this Christmas dessert a richer taste and flavor profile. The fat also keeps the cake tender and moist.

As sour cream is slightly acidic, it breaks down the gluten strands in the flour to create light and fluffy cakes.

Fig Loaf Cake Variations

This is an easy fig cake recipe. However, it can be made with some variations. If you like to mix things up or just enjoy a highly flavorful dessert, try adding one of the following to this Christmas dessert:

• For a fig and nut cake, add 1 cup of chopped walnuts, almonds or pecans.
• Top with fresh mint leaves or edible flowers like lilacs, lavender buds or rose petals.
• Make a honey and fig loaf cake by using raw honey for all or part of the sugar.
• Give this Christmas dessert a chocolate flavor by mixing 2/3 cup cocoa powder into the batter when you add the flour. You can then top it with chocolate ganache and almonds.

Tips for Making a Fig Cake Recipe for Christmas

Everyone uses different tools and ways of baking traditional Christmas desserts. It’s why one person can make a cake that turns out fantastic, while another may struggle to get the perfect result. Therefore, I’ve provided some tips to help you as you make this fresh fig loaf cake recipe.

You can find my tips for this traditional Christmas dessert here along with more information and photos of the process.