Fig cake facts for kids
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Skillet fig cake topped with whipped cream
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| Type | Cake |
|---|---|
| Course | Dessert |
| Serving temperature | Cold or warmed |
| Main ingredients | Fig fruit and cake batter |
| Similar dishes | Fruitcake |
Fig cake is a delicious cake that uses figs as its main ingredient. It's a popular dessert in many places, including the Southern United States and Greece. In Greece, it's called sikopita. There are many ways to make fig cake, and it's often a special treat for celebrations.
Contents
What is Fig Cake?
Fig cake is a sweet baked good where figs are the star! Besides figs, it uses common cake ingredients like flour, sugar, and eggs. Sometimes, bakers add special ingredients to make it even tastier. These can include nuts like pecans, walnuts, or almonds. Spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves also add a warm flavor.
Fig cake can be very moist and often has a topping. Some people like to add a fig sauce, honey, or whipped cream. A sweet glaze, sometimes made with buttermilk, can also be poured over the top. Figs themselves can be used to decorate the cake. You can find fig cake in many shapes, like a bundt cake (with a hole in the middle) or a layer cake. It can even be made without gluten for those who need it. Sometimes, it's baked right in a skillet!
Fig Cake Around the World
Fig cake is a big part of the food culture in several places. It's well-known in the cuisine of the Southern United States. It's also a traditional dessert in Greek cuisine, where it's known as sikopita. Sometimes, fig preserves (like fig jam) are used to make these cakes.
Fig Cake in the Appalachian Mountains
In the Appalachian Mountains of the eastern United States, fig cake is a traditional treat. It's often served during "Old Christmas" celebrations. Old Christmas is celebrated on January 6th each year. This date marks when the Wise Men arrived in Bethlehem, according to the Bible. During the Christmas and holiday season in this region, fig cake is a common dessert. Other similar cakes, like jam cake or prune cake, are also popular.
Fig Cake in Ocracoke, North Carolina
On Ocracoke Island in North Carolina, figs and fig cake are very important to the local food. The town even has an annual fig festival! This festival includes a fun fig cake contest.
The story goes that Margaret Garrish first made fig cake popular in Ocracoke. She started baking it in the 1950s or 1960s. Her recipe became famous, and soon others in the town began making it too. Today, you can find fig cake served in many restaurants on Ocracoke Island.
