Figgy-Topped Pound Cakes

Name: Figgy-Topped Pound Cakes
Yield: makes 12 Texas or 24 standard servings
Ingredients: 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter; 2 cups sugar; 6 large eggs; 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 2 cups all-purpose flour; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 2 cups ruby or tawny port (inexpensive is fine); 2 cups sugar; 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 large lemon); Zest strips from 2 fresh lemons; 1 teaspoon fresh lemon thyme leaves; 1 cup dried cranberries or sour cherries; 2 pints fresh figs, stemmed

December 14, 2011

My backyard fig tree is not always the most reliable producer, but when I have figs I make this dessert. It pairs an old-fashioned pound cake (recipe courtesy of my great-aunt Emma) with a chunky sauce made with my homegrown Brown Turkey figs. I love this dessert’s down-home elegance—a figgy topping poured over individual pound cakes baked in cupcake pans. You can use any fresh fig that’s available—light green, brown, or purple. In Texas you’ll most likely find Brown Turkeys, which I’ve been told were planted throughout the state by early homesteaders. If fresh figs are not available, use Bosc pears or tart apples. If you want a large, belt-busting dessert, use Texas-size cupcake pans. Standard-size cupcake pans will give you double the servings.

Recipe notes

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