Just Add water! Sticky Fig Pudding Cake creates its own brown sugar-molasses flavored sauce in the bottom of the dish as it bakes just by pouring hot water over the batter. This self-saucing cake is made with dried or fresh figs.
This post was created in partnership with California Figs. Opinions, photos, and text are my own.
It will remind you of sticky toffee pudding without having to take the time to make a separate sauce-that's the shortcut! It's self-saucing!
No mixer needed and less than 10 minutes prep!
I updated this post August 2021 with new pictures and added a fresh fig version of the recipe.
Where did you get the idea for this recipe?
I borrowed the method of "pudding in the bottom" from a simple chocolate pudding cake recipe I grew up making. It uses pantry ingredients, super quick to make, and it's inexpensive.
For Sticky Fig Pudding Cake, I used dark brown sugar (which has molasses in it) and stirred in one of my favorite fall baking (and snacking) ingredients, dried figs from California.
(Scroll down for fresh fig instructions.)
Where can I get more fig recipes?
It's no secret that I love figs. I have quite a few here on the blog but most of them use fresh figs. Check out a list of them just above the Sticky Fig Pudding Cake recipe. Or, you can search the word FIG on the home page under Find A Recipe.
If you are a fig lover like me and want even more fig recipes using fresh AND dried figs, you're in luck! My friends at California Figs have put together a collection of over 60 of their favorite fig recipes. They've named it California Figs, A Collection of Recipes for Fig Lovers. Just click the link and scroll down to order your copy.
From stunning appetizers to healthy main dishes to indulgent desserts, they have it! I can't wait to try the California Fig Cinnamon Breakfast Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting!
How does boiling water create a sauce in the bottom?
For the chocolate pudding cake method, you mix a simple batter together stirring in chocolate chips, sprinkle the top with cocoa and sugar, then pour the hot water over it. While it is in the oven, the batter pushes up through the hot water forming the "cake" on top. The hot water sinks to the bottom, mixing with the flour in the batter, creating a chocolate sauce or "pudding" in the bottom of the dish.
It's kitchen magic! Well, food science at least, right?
I chose to combine the brown sugar and the boiling water to save a step (shortcut) of sprinkling the sugar on top of the batter, but that would also work just fine if you forget to combine them before heating up the water.
Why use figs in this recipe?
Taste. Texture. Time. Color. Yumminess!
- Taste. Figs are sweet, but not too sweet when they are fresh and the flavor intensifies when they are dried. They have a robust flavor unlike any other dried fruit.
- Texture. It's the tiny little seeds I love to crunch. They are simply fun to eat! Plus, I love that figs soften slightly but not fall apart completely in Sticky Fig Pudding Cake.
- Time. Dried figs do not have a pit that has to be removed.
- Color. You absolutely can use golden figs but I chose to use California Figs' signature dried black Mission figs because I wanted the fruit to stand out in the cake and contrast the warm tones of the brown sugar cake and amber colored sauce.
- Yumminess! Enough said.
Where can I get dried figs?
Several varieties of dried figs are available year-round at most major grocery stores in the dried fruit or produce section.
Did you know California dried black Mission figs are signature to only California. Lucky for us, they ship them all over so we can enjoy them where ever we live!
Where can I get fresh figs?
I am lucky enough to have 3 kinds of fig trees in my back yard-brown turkey, mission, and a white/green large fig with no name!
Before I had my own trees, I picked figs from a sweet neighbor who had a large tree.
Lastly, most large grocery stores sell California fresh figs from August til September. Farmers markets and road side markets will have a variety of fresh figs for sale about the same time
What's the shortcut?
- Not having to make a sauce! This recipe is self-saucing and it happens on its own in the oven.
- To save time washing an extra dish, lightly beat the egg right in the measuring cup of milk.
Ingredients you will need
Measure out your ingredients first. The brown sugar and butter are used in two different places in the recipe.
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Dark brown sugar
- Milk
- Egg
- Butter
- Dried figs
- Vanilla Extract
- Water
How to make Sticky Fig Pudding Cake
Scroll down to the bottom of this post for the detailed, printable recipe. Pictures below will help guide you as you read the recipe.
To save a bowl, lightly beat the egg right in the measuring cup of milk.
Firmly pack the brown sugar and use a whisk to combine the baking powder and salt to the flour. You want to make sure it is evenly distributed.
If you've ever tasted a baked good where their was a "pellet" of baking powder not stirred in well, you know what I'm talking about.
Spread the thick batter in the bottom of an 11x7 or 9x9-inch baking dish or 6- to 8 cup casserole dish coated with cooking spray or buttered.
Combine 1 1/2 cups water, 11/2 cups dark brown sugar, and butter (if you haven't already melted it in the first step in a medium-size microwave safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH for 3 minutes. Or, you can heat the water from a kettle or saucepan. I save a step by microwaving it all together.
Pour the hot water mixture over the batter. DO NOT STIR.
Bake the cake in the center rack of the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or just until the center is set and the sauce on the bottom starts to bubble up around the edges.
Do you see those little nuggets of black Mission figs with their tiny seeds nestled in that molasses-flavored sauce and peaking out underneath the brown sugar cake dotted with more figs?
Serve this simple and easy pudding cake warm and topped with a dollop of ice cream or whipped cream during the holidays or any day of the week!
You will have your friends and family singing, "Oh, bring us some Sticky Fig Pudding Cake, Oh bring us some Sticky Fig Pudding Cake....and bring it right HERE!
Can I make it with fresh figs?
Yes! I recently tested this version and it is delicious! Perfect to make in late summer, early fall when you are looking for recipes to make with an abundance of figs from your trees.
- To make Sticky Fig Pudding Cake with fresh figs, trade out the 1 cup dried figs for 2 cups quartered small fresh figs or coarsely chopped large fresh figs.
- Reduce the amount of boiling water to 1 1/4 cups because the dried figs soaked up more liquid.
- I did have to bake mine 5 minutes longer probably due to the extra moisture in the cake.
Here's a picture of the cake made with fresh figs. I topped it with vanilla bean yogurt (Noosa) instead of ice cream. The slight tanginess of the yogurt contrasted the sweet sauce for the win!
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More fig recipes you will love:
Maple Buttercream Frosted-Fig Jam Cake
If you make this recipe I'd love to see it! Tag me on social media with #gritsandgouda or @gritsandgouda. Leave a comment below the printable recipe if you have questions or tell me how you liked the recipe. Don't forget to give the recipe a rating of 5 stars if you love it!
Sticky Fig Pudding Cake
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon table salt
- 2 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar divided later
- 1/2 cup milk whole is best but any milk will do
- 1 large egg
- 6 tablespoons salted or unsalted butter, melted divided later
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped dried Mission California figs about 7 ounces
- 1 1/2 cups boiling water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a medium-size bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and 1/2 cup of the 2 cups brown sugar.
- Measure the milk. To save a bowl, just lightly beat the egg right in the measuring cup with a fork. Add vanilla.
- Add the milk mixture and 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) of the melted butter to the flour mixture. (I melt the butter in the same measuring cup as the milk. Microwave on HIGH for 30 seconds.) Stir it with a spoon just until smooth. Quickly stir in the chopped California figs. Do not over mix.
- Spoon the batter into an 11x7 baking dish (or 6 to 8-cup casserole or 9x9 baking dish) lightly coated with cooking spray or buttered.
- Combine the boiling water, the remaining 1 1/2 cups of brown sugar, and remaining 2 tablespoons butter. If you've already melted the 2 tablespoons remaining butter, just stir it into the hot water/sugar mixture. If not, just add it and stir until melted. The sugar does not have to dissolve.
- I know this sounds crazy, but this is where the "self-saucing" happens! Carefully pour the hot water mixture over the batter in the dish. DO NOT STIR. CAREFULLY place the dish on the center rack in the oven. Mixture is hot.Bake for 30 minutes or just until the center is set and the sauce starts to bubble around the edges. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving.Serve warm with the sauce in the bottom. You can also gild the lily and serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Notes
- Trade out the 1 cup dried figs for 2 cups quartered small fresh figs or coarsely chopped large fresh figs.
- Reduce the amount of boiling water to 1 1/4 cups because the dried figs soaked up more liquid.
- I did have to bake mine 5 minutes longer probably due to the extra moisture in the cake.
Sounds amazing
Yay! So glad you love it! Let me know if you try it.
Can you use fresh figs in this recipe?
I haven't made it with fresh figs but I think it should work. Possibly reduce the water slightly to 1 1/4 cups and increase the chopped fresh figs to 1 1/4 cups since the dried figs soak up some of the water?
I'd love to know if this works so be sure and let me know in the comments here!
I'm thinking about making this the night before an event. Should I reheat it before serving?
Yes, I would reheat it, uncovered, at 350F for 15 minutes so the pudding underneath can loosen up. So glad you are making it!
Do you think adding some crushed pecans would work?
Yes, maybe no more than 1/4 cup chopped pecans would be fine. If they are ground, they might work like flour and thicken the batter more and possibly prevent the "pudding" part from forming. You could even sprinkle them on the top. They would probably sink as they baked, but only halfway? I'm curious to see how it turns out for you!