Apple and fig cake

With no butter or sugar, this gently spiced Maltese apple cake allows the natural sweetness of the fruit shine through. A dollop of whipped cream is literally the icing on the cake.

• serves

  8

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  1:30 hour

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 300 g red apples, peeled, core removed, diced
• 200 g dried figs, diced
• 250 ml apple juice
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• finely grated rind of one lemon
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 60 ml (¼ cup) olive oil
• 300 g ( 2 cups) self-raising flour
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• whipped cream, to serve

The following recipe has been tested and edited by SBS Food and may differ slightly from the podcast.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 160˚C. Grease and line a 20 cm square cake tin.

Combine apples, figs and apple juice in a medium size saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat , add the lemon juice and allow to cool for 20 minutes. Add the eggs and olive oil and stir to combine. Add the flour and spices and mix until well combined.

Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and transfer to the oven. Bake for 55–65 minutes until a skewer, inserted into the middle of the cake, comes out cleanly. Allow to cool in the tin before turning out.

Cut into squares or slices and serve with whipped cream.

Photography by Alan Benson

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.