Easy Upside Down Fig Cake
Vegan Fig Upside Down Cake is an easy vegan cake recipe. The cake batter comes together in minutes and is super soft. The season's sweet figs make this the perfect dessert or enjoy a slice for breakfast with a cup of coffee or hot tea!
Servings: 8
Calories: 344kcal
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds fresh figs stemmed and quartered
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoon Earth Balance for non-vegan, use unsalted butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar mixed with 1 tablespoon molasses
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup dairy free milk if you want to make non-vegan, add whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
Prepare the figs:
- Mix figs and sugar in a bowl and set aside. Melt the Earth Balance (or butter) in a cast iron skillet on medium heat (I used an 8 inch cast iron skillet. You could use any oven proof skillet). Add the figs and sauté for about 2-3 minutes.
Make the batter:
- Add the vinegar to the rice milk (or soy milk or whole milk). In a medium sized bowl, stir together the oil, vanilla, and brown sugar (the sugar I mixed with molasses) until combined. In another medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
- Mix together the wet and dry ingredients until the batter is smooth and lump-free.
Assemble & Bake:
- Carefully pour the batter over the figs in the skillet.
- Bake for approximately 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Serve:
- Run a knife along the edges of the cast iron skillet. Next, place a large plate or serving platter on top of the cast iron and, using two giant pot holders, invert quickly and carefully because the skillet weighs a ton and is burning hot.
- You will feel the skillet become lighter and know that it has inverted correctly. Life the cast iron and don't worry if any of the figs stuck to the pan. You could carefully remove them if they stuck to pan and reassemble.
Notes
- Fresh figs: Make sure they’re ripe but still firm. Overripe figs can get mushy and release too much moisture into the batter.
- Vegan sugar: Not all sugar is vegan, so double-check the brand if you're keeping this recipe vegan.
- Margarine substitute: Earth Balance works great, but if you're not dairy-free, you can use unsalted butter.
- Homemade brown sugar: Mixing granulated sugar with molasses gives you that warm, caramel depth—feel free to swap with store-bought brown sugar if you prefer.
- Oil options: Coconut oil gives a slightly nutty undertone, but any neutral oil like vegetable or canola will work.
- Almond milk: Use any plant-based milk you like—soy, oat, or cashew are great too. Whole milk works fine if you're not avoiding dairy. Be sure to use unsweetened nut milks.
- Vinegar or lemon juice: This helps activate the baking soda and gives the cake a tender crumb. Don’t skip it!
Nutrition
Calories: 344kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 497mg | Potassium: 274mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 237IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 106mg | Iron: 2mg