Late August/early September is one of my favourite times of year. Why? FIGS! While we have three baby figs growing in our yard (had our first fig this year) my parents have 5 masssssive fig trees or three different varieties. Fig picking is a big deal at their house.
We always end up with tons of fig jam to last us through the year, which is enjoyed on top of toast for breakfast. I decided to try something a little different this year though and put it into a cake – an icebox cake that is.
While it requires a little bit of extra time due to the refrigerating, this cake is super easy to make, and can be made up to 3 days in advance. Bonus, it’s not overly sweet (I’m getting pickier and my teeth more sensitive in my old age) yet full of delicious figgy goodness.
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1½ cups mascarpone cheese
- 1 cup fig jam
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Approx. 20 graham crackers
- Several figs (halved) for garnish
- Line a loaf pan with plastic wrap, ensuring there is plenty overhang
- In an electric mixer, blend together the cream and cheese until smooth and firm. Add salt and gently gold in the fig jam until it is just incorporated.
- Spread a ¼ inch thick layer of the fig spread on the bottom of your pan. Top with a layer of graham crackers (you may need to break them to fit). Continue this layering process until all ingredients are used up. The fig spread should be the last layer on top.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until at least 8 hours.
- When ready, flip the cake onto a platter. Remove the plastic wrap and smooth out any wrinkles it created with a knife. Top with cut figs and serve immediately
The one downside to this cake is how EXPENSIVE mascarpone is. $15 for a 450g tub. Holy cannoli! I have made a similar recipe using cream cheese, and aside from not being as smooth, it tasted just as delicious. Actually to be honest I liked it more! But I would recommend leaving it at room temperature to avoid minimal lumps. That’s the only downside to using cream cheese. It doesn’t look as pretty (and prettiness is important).
If you like fig desserts, I have a couple more recipes for you to check out:
