Gâteau de figues renversé - Upside-down fig cake



بِسْــــــــــــــــــــــمِ اﷲِارَّحْمَنِ ارَّحِيم
السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته


Summertime in Algeria means a HUGE abundance of juicy and healthy fruits and vegetable. The outdoor souq (market) is overflowing with all the different types produced in Algeria. And Algerians surely love their figs! They are eaten fresh, dried or preserved.  

Figs are an ancient fruit that have been enjoyed and appreciated by people since the beginning human history. In fact, they are one of the first fruits cultivated ever. It is said that humans could live on Figs alone as a source of food such is the goodness and nutrition in the fruit! 


In the Book of Genesis in the Bible, Adam and Eve clad themselves with fig leaves (Genesis 3:7) after eating the "forbidden fruit" from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.The biblical quote "each man under his own vine and fig tree" (1 Kings 4:25) has been used to denote peace and prosperity. It was commonly quoted to refer to the life that would be led by settlers in the American West.

Surah 95 of the Qur'an is named al-Teen (Arabic for "The Fig"), as it opens with the oath "By the fig and the olive." The fruit is also mentioned elsewhere in the Qur'an. Within the Hadith, Sahih al-Bukhari records Prophet Muhammad stating: "If I had to mention a fruit that descended from paradise, I would say this is it because the paradisiacal fruits do not have pits...eat from these fruits for they prevent hemorrhoids, prevent piles and help gout.



Figs are one of the highest plant sources of calcium and fiber. According to USDA data for the Mission variety, dried figs are richest in fiber, copper, manganese, magnesium, potassium, calcium, and vitamin K, relative to human needs. They have smaller amounts of many other nutrients. Figs have a laxative effect and contain many antioxidants. They are good source of flavonoids.

Today, I present a cake using figs. Ideal when you have too many figs growing in your garden or you stumbled upon a good deal at the market.


Gâteau de figues renversé
( Upside-down fig cake)

  • 375g - 1 ½cup flour
  • 125g -  ½  cup honey
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 pot of yoghurt (125mL - ½cup) 
  • 3 eggs
  • 118mL - ½cup oil (I used olive oil but you could use a neutral oil too) 
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp allspice
  • 10-15 fresh firm figs (Kalamata, Mission, Kimi, Totato)
  • Greek yoghurt, fromage frais or chantilly créme
  • powdered sugar - icing sugar
  1. Wash and dry figs. Cut off the stems. Quarter the figs. 
  2. Line a springform pan with parchment baking paper.
  3. Arrange the figs in the bottom of a buttered springform pan in a single layer. See above how I cut and arranged the figs. 
  4. Sift the dry ingredients together.
  5. And then wet ingredients together in a bowl. 
  6. Spoon the batter on the figs.
  7. And proceed to bake in preheated 180° C - 350°F oven for about 40-45 minutes. Check the cake with a wooden skewer or toothpick for doneness.
  8. When cake is done, let it cool for 10 minutes and invert in onto a plate.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar (icing sugar) and serve with a drizzle of honey and either Greek yoghurt, fromage frais or chantilly créme.

๑۞๑ Depending on the size and type of your figs you will be able to fit 10-12, maximum 15 figs in a springform pan. Dried figs reconstituted with hot water can be substituted if fresh figs are not available. For an easy express version of this cake, use a yellow cake mix.


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