Go Back
+ servings
Mission fig cake with sauce in bottom of baking dish
Print Recipe
4.67 from 9 votes

Sticky Fig Pudding Cake

Seriously, this easy fig cake, made with dried California Mission figs, creates its own sticky brown sugar sauce in the bottom as it bakes! It will remind you of sticky toffee pudding but you don't have to make a separate sauce-that's the shortcut!
No mixer needed and less than 10 minutes prep!
Prep Time9 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 372kcal
Cost: 8

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

To boil the water in the microwave, measure it in a microwave safe measuring cup and Microwave on HIGH for 2 minutes and 30 seconds.
The sauce thickens as it cools. If it cools to room temperature the cake absorbs the sauce and becomes like a Fig Jam Cake! Bonus!
How 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 372kcal