Ideal for fall, Fig Preserve Pound Cake Recipe has beautiful warm flavors from fig preserves and spices with a super moist texture and a little crunch from pecans. It’s truly a mouthwatering, decadent cake!
The recipe was definitely a labor of love. Testing and retesting multiple variations of the recipe until I got it just right. I went through jars of fig preserves, dozens of eggs, and pounds of butter before getting recipe success. I even tried different pans, a bundt pan versus a tube pan.
It should not have been so difficult, but the density and sweetness of the fig preserves threw my otherwise successful pound cake measurements for a loop! Alas, I finally got it right and I think you’ll love the warm spices and flavor of this pound cake.
FIG PRESERVE POUND CAKE RECIPE
Full of flavor, one taste and you’ll agree that this recipe is the best way to enjoy fig preserves! Although it has warm spices of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice, that are usually associated with fall, this cake is good any time of year.
Just a note, if you are not a fig fan, don’t let that deter you from making this cake. The spices are the front notes of flavor. The texture is moist and is similar to a Jam Cake or Date Cake if you’re familiar with those recipes.
I tested this cake with pecans and with walnuts and I prefer the pecans. However, I’m not a huge fan of walnuts in general. If you are you may like walnuts in it better.
As well, I tested it using 10 ounces, 1 cup, and 1/2 cup of fig preserves and I found 1 cup to the be the best amount of fig preserves.
PRO TIPS
For this cake, I highly recommend using parchment paper to line the bottom and sides of your tube pan. It tends to be sticky!
Using a light versus a dark pan as well as sitting it on a cookie sheet (which I do) to bake will affect the baking time. For my cakes, I bake in a light pan on a round cookie sheet.
Most importantly, keep an eye on your cake and start watching it closely after 60 minutes the first time you bake it. Note exactly what you used and how long you baked it for future reference. (I baked my cake at 325°F for 80 minutes in a dark tube pan sitting on a cookie sheet. It was perfect.)
Did you know when a recipe calls for eggs, it refers to using large eggs? If you have small or extra-large eggs, you will need to adjust the amount you use. Here’s an egg size substitution chart for reference.
FOR THE GLAZE
The Amaretto glaze is optional, but I love the additional sweetness and flavor it gives this cake. I used Amaretto liquor. However, you can substitute almond extract. Substitute 1 tablespoon almond extract for the Amaretto.
While you’re here, check out these recipes
- Butter Beer Pound Cake
- Coffee Cake Pound Cake
- Orange Creamsicle Pound Cake
- Sheet Pan Pound Cake
- Can I Bake a Pound Cake in a 9×13-inch Pan?
- 10 Ridiculously Easy Pound Cake Recipes
Fig Preserve Pound Cake Recipe
Ingredients
CAKE
- ¾ cup butter
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 3 cups all-purpose flour sifted then measured
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup pecan ground fine
- 1 cup fig preserves
GLAZE
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup amaretto liquor
- 7 tablespoons butter
Instructions
CAKE
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease and flour or spray with Wilton cake release then line with parchment paper one 12-cup Bundt pan or tube pan.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl.
- On low speed, add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Stop mixer and scrape sides.
- Add vanilla, pecans, and preserves. Stir to combine.
- Pour batter into prepared pan, filling no more than 2/3 full. Bake for about 75 to 90 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean or with dry crumbs.
- Cool 20 minutes on a wire rack, then turn out onto a cake plate and cool completely.
GLAZE
- In a small saucepan, combine sugar, amaretto, and butter. Cook over low heat, whisking constantly, until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Pour over cooled cake.
- Store in an airtight container up to 1 week on the countertop. Freeze well.
Nutrition
You can find more recipes at my Recipe Index and at Meal Plan Monday and Weekend Potluck.
Dianne Thrash says
This cake is a definite winner! I made one for my son-in-law; and after it was served at dinner to the family, it became his. I am curious if the fig preserves you used were whole or not. I had a jar a friend had given me and the figs were whole and there was a lot of syrup in the jar. Not wanting to over-mix the batter, I stirred in the preserves and nuts. I had large pieces of figs in the cake. This was not objectionable to my family but might be to some. Thanks for all your work in developing this recipe.
Dianne
Paula says
I contemplated the whole figs but went with a jam that was more like a paste – no large pieces. This isn’t the exact brand (I didn’t see the exact one) but what I used looked like this best that I can tell https://amzn.to/3e18EtK
Dianne Thrash says
Thank you very much. The next cake I make I will pulse the whole figs before measuring. This cake is a winner even if made incorrectly.😬😂
Ann says
My kitchen smelled so good this afternoon due to your great recipe! Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe, my husband enjoyed the batter left in the bowl LOL. I love all your recipes! I can always trust you with your recipes. Thanks for sharing!
If you are interested: https://hungryenoughtoeatsix.com – has a recipe for fig cake
Ocracoke Island Fig Cake – due to Ocracoke has so many fig trees.
Just more interesting info, if you are interested.
Paula says
Thank you so much, what a nice compliment!! And, yes, it does make the house smell wonderful!! I’m going to check out the cake right now. I was thinking of making this into a layer cake with frosting, this may give me more inspiration! ❤ oh, I think my favorite part of cake is licking the bowl! I’ve always done that and my grandmother used to get on me so much about it (because of the raw eggs) but it never stopped me. 😉
Lola Osinkolu | Chef Lola's Kitchen says
Looks so professionally made!
Nancy says
In your article you say that 1 cup of preserves works best, but in the actual recipe you used 1/2 cup of preserves? I would love to make this this weekend….I have a huge jar of fig preserves in the pantry!
Paula says
Oh goodness, happy fingers when typing. It’s 1 cup preserves. I’ll correct that now, thank you, Nancy!