I am so glad so many of you want to make the baked falafel recipe I blogged about yesterday. You will love it!! So good…and good for you, too!
Last night I decided to make a cake recipe I saw on Cara’s blog. When I read the ingredient list I was simply intrigued…I’m a sucker for a unique ingredient list, what can I say?
But first, I had to track down fresh figs…which I found at Whole Foods. Trader Joe’s and other major grocery stores carry them this time of year. So if the below recipe piques your interest, don’t delay…figs are in season NOW! And aren’t they gorgeous???
Fresh Fig and Polenta Cake with Honey and Rosemary from Cara’s Cravings
1 1/4 cups (150gm) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (75gm) yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1/2 cup (100gm) granulated sugar
1/2 cup vegetable canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup plain 2% Greek yogurt
1 cup chopped fresh figs (I used Black Mission)
1/3 cup honey (I used raw organic honey)
3 tablespoons water
2 large sprigs of fresh rosemary
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease a standard sized loaf pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, and vegetable oil until smooth. Stir in the yogurt and vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and gently mix just until incorporated. Fold in the chopped figs and pour the batter into the loaf pan. Bake for about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes.
While the cake is cooling, stir the honey and water together in a small saucepan and add the rosemary sprigs. Bring to a boil, then simmer over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Turn off heat and let it cool off just a bit.
Poke holes in the top of the cake. Strain the warm syrup and pour it evenly over the cake. Cool completely before slicing. Serves 10.
Nutrition Information (per slice, 1/10th of loaf): 318 calories; 13.2 g. fat; 66 mg. cholesterol; 240 mg. sodium; 46.8 g. carbohydrate; 2.5 g. fiber; 6.1 g. protein
Result: Yummmm! So unique and wonderful! Mr. P liked it, too…totally surprising! The rosemary is definitely the star of the cake. It is lighter dessert taste-wise. The flavors are so wonderful, a small portion goes a long ways. Definitely making this again!
In addition to a fig hunt, I also went on a PUMPKIN hunt! Canned pumpkin, that is. For those not perusing the baking aisle lately, the stuff is HARD to find! Liquid(ish) gold, I tell ya!! My buddy Gina posted the other day about GFS carrying pumpkin in Columbus, so I had to check it out. The first GFS I went to was a miss, but they were able to direct me to a nearby GFS that did have pumkin in stock. In the form of 6 lb 9 oz CANS! I got 2 😀 That’s right…over 13 cans of pumpkin are in my possession! 😀
And until they get used, they’ll be staying in the garage…they’re HUGE!
HUGE!
I texted Gina immediately to thank her for the heads up! I’ve been searching high and low for canned pumpkin. I know Whole Foods carries it, but it is SOOOOOO spendy…there’s no way I could spend $3 on 15 ounces when I got over 13 POUNDS for $14.
Well, it’s college football and chili day! Can’t wait to turn Mr. P on to a NEW buffalo chicken appetizer!! And to try another new chili recipe, of course! I am thoroughly enjoying the Prevention Chili Contest!
Question: What’s your favorite kind of cake?
Happy Saturday!
Ahhh – I am SO so jealous you found pumpkin! I have been looking everywhere. 🙁 Good call on the GFS…we have one here and I never would have thought to try there!
That cake looks SO incredibly moist and delicious! Hmm….favorite cake – that is tough. I really love a white cake with white buttercream icing (so boring, I know), and I always love a good carrot cake. 🙂
Enjoy your weekend, Nicole!
Figs are fabulous! I’ve been gobbling them down like none other this summer because they have the perfect hint of sweet with that earthy undertone. I love them in sandwiches with goat cheese, mmm. Your cake with fig and rosemary looks delicious! I’d say my favorite kind of cake is chocolate – I know, so predictable 😉
I’m very impressed by that enormous can of pumpkin – I saw it on Gina’s blog, and now I wish we had cans that big here! I can’t wait to see what you do with it!
Have a great weekend, Nicole!
That is an awesome can of pumpkin. Just awesome.
I like chocolate cake (in any form, really). My favorite kind is a really simple Betty Crocker recipe- super dense and moist. A step or two away from a brownie, I’m sure!
Aghhg, I can’t find pumpkin ANYWHERE here!!! So jealous! That cake looks wonderful too– unique flavors!
Yeah!!! Did it make your day like it made mine?! I think I smiled bigger than I had in a long time when I saw those cans! And I agree, while Whole Foods does have canned pumpkin, I’m not willing to spend $3.50 on one small can. Sadly, it’s just not worth it.
Thanks for sharing your cake recipe. It sounds like nothing I’ve ever heard of before. It’s almost like a cross between sweet and savory…and if Mark liked it, I’d bet Nick would too. I could use brown rice flour (wheat free). I have so many things I need to bake soon!!
That looks delicious!
I found organic canned pumpkin recently, although I forget where. Whole Foods? I really just like the Libby’s kind. I wonder if it’ll be easier to find around Thanksgiving. I can’t imagine Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie.
How about some good old Hamburgers and Hot Dogs???
Red velvet cake is by FAR my favorite. But if I’m not looking for an involved recipe my second favorite is Funfetti cake with Funfetti icing (it’s not the same without the funfetti icing).
Your fig and polenta cake looks AMAZING!! Ok, I say that about a lot of things I see on food blogs, but SERIOUSLY!!! I’ve never seen such a beautiful combination of ingredients. I want to make this!!!!!! 🙂
My favorite cake ever was my wedding cake. Vanilla cake with raspberry filling and buttercream icing!! 🙂
That cake looks soooo good! I’ve never eated fresh figs before (only Fig Newtons! sad, right?!) I’m kicking myself b/c I meant to get some fresh rosemary from my mom’s house when I was there today, she has a HUGE bush!
Cake looks so moist and yum, love the new combo…
I love the flavor combinations in your cake; honey, fig, rosemary. Yum.
Wow–glad you found SO much pumpkin..I am guessing we’ll be seeing alot of pumpkin recipes soon–yay!
Yay for pumpkin! Just FYI, I called approximately 10 Giant Eagles, Krogers, and Walmarts in the Columbus area on Thursday in search of pumpkin, and several of them said they were due to get it in the next few days… My fingers are crossed! (Although it looks like you won’t need any more anytime soon!)
I absolutely loveeee fresh figs. I don’t think I’d be able to wait to use them for cooking. They are definitely one of my favorite snacks, probably because I only rarely get a chance to purchase them.
I agree, fresh figs are so pretty! This cake sounds amazing with the figs and rosemary, I’m bookmarking it! Now to find fresh figs…back to the market I go… 😉
I absolutely love figs. Our family used to have a fig tree at our old house. They are just the best!
Another thing I love..pumpkin! I haven’t gone searching for it yet. I can’t wait to start incorporating it into meals.
I don’t know if they have Aldi stores near you, but I went in yesterday for a few things and found myself leaving with a basket full of pumpkin. My boyfriend now thinks I’m insane, but he just doesn’t understand all the amazing things you can do with cans of that stuff! So that’s an idea, just in case you find yourself running low again 🙂
Glad you liked the cake! I knew there was a good reason I didn’t calculate the nutritional value for that one 😉
And don’t forget that in place of pumpkin you can always just pick up some fresh winter squash (I like to mix any of them! Sugar pumpkin, butternut, buttercup, delicata…) and roast and puree them. Much cheaper than canned and tastier too!
I’m looking for pumpkin too! It should be making it’s way onto shelves soon :-).
I just made three fig cakes,and they are delicious thanks for the recipe!!!