There are a lot of cakes out there that demand too much attention, in my opinion – tall layer cakes dramatically stacked like architectural wonders, bundt cakes with more curves than a renaissance woman, and frosted cakes that look so perfect that I don’t even want to cut into them.

But THIS cake? This one is low-drama. Cozy. She’s the friend who shows up in sweatpants and still manages to look effortlessly chic. This is the Upside-Down Fig Butter Cake. I don’t know why this cake also happens to look like a pepperoni deep dish pizza, I’m annoyed by it, but equally as happy? So, roll with it.

Let’s talk figs.

Yes I’m allergic to figs, but YES I can have them cooked (just not raw). Figs are basically nature’s way of soft-launching fall. They roll in at the end of summer, looking all moody and gorgeous, like they belong in an oil painting. They’re sweet, jammy, and just fancy enough that you feel like a grown-up when you buy them. (Pro tip: pile them into your grocery cart with reckless abandon, then figure out what to do with them later. This cake is the answer.)

What makes this upside-down fig butter cake so good?

First, the figs sit on a bed of butter and brown sugar before baking, which means they caramelize into soft, jammy jewels by the time the cake comes out of the oven. Think of it as figs in their most glamorous form – sticky, golden, and slightly over the top in the best way.

Then there’s the cake itself: a butter cake. Which, sounds just as good as you’d think. It’s dense, rich, moist, and stupidly buttery. This is the kind of cake that doesn’t even need frosting, because it’s already perfect. Although, a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side wouldn’t hurt.

the finale: a hefty drizzle of your favorite honey and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt, a little fresh thyme, and a little kiss of bright orange zest on top. That finishing trio really adds that punch of balancing flavors – the salt makes the honey pop, the thyme adds a subtle herbal note, and the orange zest keeps everything lively and fresh.

Why you need this cake in your life:

• It’s seasonal without being fussy.
• It doubles as breakfast the next day (if there’s any left).
• It makes you look like the kind of person who bakes with figs on purpose.

Bake this once, and you’ll want to keep figs stocked all season long just for the excuse to bake this cake year round.

Enjoy!
xoxo

Upside-Down Fig Butter Cake

A jammy, caramelized fig upside-down cake that’s dense, buttery, and perfectly balanced with salted honey, fresh thyme, and bright orange zest. Late-summer figs shine in this cozy, no-frosting-needed dessert that’s as elegant as it is easy.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 55 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 16 people

Equipment

• 1 hand or stand mixer

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup butter fully softened
• 400 g sugar
• 360 g flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup whole milk
• 9-10 large figs
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• large drizzle of honey for topping
• flakey sea salt for topping
• fresh thyme for topping
• orange zest for topping

Instructions

 

• Make sure that your butter is fully softened. If not, microwave sticks of butter in increments of 10-seconds, flipping after each round until fully softened. Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In another bowl, cream together sugar and butter with a hand or stand mixer for about 3-4 minutes, until light and fluffy.
• Add in 1 egg at a time, beating in between each egg until mixed. Add in a splash of vanilla, mix again.
• Combine your wet and dry ingredients and mix well. In a round cake pan (9-inch), line the bottom with parchment paper and grease the edges. Melt 2 tbsp of butter on the stove and pour into the cake pan and make sure it’s spread evenly.
• Slice 9-10 large figs and lay at the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Pour cake batter on top of the figs and spread evenly. Bake for 30 minutes to start and then go up in 10-increments from there. Every oven is different so use your best judgement – cake should be golden brown and center should not be jiggly.
• While cake is baking, combine some flakey finishing salt, fresh thyme, and orange zest to a bowl – mix well.
• Once cake is done, cut the edges with the a knife to ensure it’ll come out smoothly. Flip it onto a cutting board or cake stand. Let rest and cool for 30-minutes. Remove cake pan carefully and parchment paper if that came out too. Top with a good amount of honey, and sprinkle with your flakey sea salt + thyme + zest.
• Cut into slices and enjoy!

Keyword butter, cake, dessert, fig