Chai-Spiced Cake with Fresh Figs and Caramel

• Vegetarian

• Produce

  • 1 lb Figs, fresh

• Refrigerated

  • 3 Egg whites
  • 2 Egg yolks
  • 2 Eggs

• Canned Goods

  • 1 tsp Almond milk or canned coconut milk

• Condiments

  • 1 3/4 cup Honey or maple syrup
  • 2 tbsp Maple syrup

• Baking & Spices

  • 1 tbsp Baking powder
  • 1 Caramel, Salted
  • 1 1/2 tbsp Chai spice
  • 1/4 cup Coconut flour
  • 1/2 cup Coconut sugar
  • 2 3/4 cups Gluten free all purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1 Swiss meringue buttercream
  • 1 1/4 tbsp Vanilla

• Oils & Vinegars

  • 2 tbsp Butter or coconut oil

• Dairy

  • 1 1/3 cup Almond milk or other milk
  • 3 sticks Butter, unsalted
  • 1 cup Coconut oil or butter

Found on wifemamafoodie.com

Description

Ingredients

• 2¾ cups gluten-free all-purpose flour (I use Bobs Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour or King Arthur Flour Gluten-Free Multi-purpose Flour)
• ¼ cup Coconut Flour
• 1½ tablespoons Chai Spice (or use blend in notes below)
• 1 tablespoon Baking Powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1⅓ cup almond milk or other milk of choice
• 1 cup Honey or Maple Syrup (I used half of each)
• 1 cup melted Coconut Oil or butter (use Refined Coconut Oil if you dont like the coconut flavor)
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
• swiss meringue buttercream
• salted caramel
• 1 pound fresh figs, washed and patted dry
• 3 egg whites
• ¾ cup Honey or Maple Syrup (I used half of each)
• 3 sticks (1½ cups) room temperature unsalted butter*
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons butter or coconut oil
• ½ cup Coconut Sugar
• 2 tablespoons Maple Syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon salt, optional
• 1-2 teaspoons almond milk or canned coconut milk, if needed (to thin the caramel for drizzling)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350F. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans or two or four 6-inch cake pans and line the bottom of each with a round of parchment paper. Set aside. *I have only two 6-inch pans but I do two batches to make 4 thinner layers and avoid having to slice a thicker cake in half later.
• Combine flours, spices, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Slowly mix in milk, maple syrup/honey, coconut oil/butter, eggs, and vanilla. Mix for 2-3 minutes, until smooth.
• Evenly divide the cake batter into each pan and place into the middle rack of the preheated oven.
• Bake for 18-25 minutes (depending on pan), or until center is set and toothpick comes out with only a few moist crumbs.
• Swiss Meringue Buttercream:
• Stir together egg whites and maple syrup/honey in a medium heat-safe bowl. Place over a pot of boiling water, stirring often until mixture reaches 150-160F degrees on a candy thermometer (about 5 minutes).
• Make sure your mixing bowl is clean and has no grease or butter residue, which can keep the egg whites from fluffing up. Pour the heated egg/syrup mixture into your mixing bowl and beat on high speed for 6-8 minutes, until fluffy and stiff peaks form (use a wire whisk attachment if you have one).
• Switch to your paddle attachment and begin adding butter slowly. Beat the buttercream on medium-high speed until fluffy.
• If mixture gets too warm, place into the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes to chill and then beat again.
• Place butter/coconut oil, coconut sugar, and maple syrup into a small sauce pan and place over medium-low heat. Stir often until sugar begins to dissolve and mixture thickens slightly and begins to bubble. Add vanilla extract and salt, stirring well. If caramel gets too thick, you can stir in a little milk. Add only a little because too much milk will make it too liquidy.
• Keep in mind that caramel will thicken as it cools so make this close to the end. If caramel cools and gets too thick, you can place it into the microwave for a few seconds to make it a drizzle-able again.
• Begin layering cake. If you made two thicker cake layers, you can carefully cut them evenly in half lengthwise to make more layers.
• Place the first layer of cake onto your cake plate and top with a large dollop of buttercream. Spread evenly across the top and repeat with remaining layers. Use a large offset spatula to frost the top and sides of the cake with a crumb coat.
• Drizzle some of the caramel over the top, saving some to drizzle onto each serving.
• Place figs on top of the cake, cutting a few in half to add color. You can also add greenery or flowers, if you like.
• To serve, drizzle each slice with more caramel and top with fresh fig slices. Makes 10-12 servings. Store leftovers in an airtight container in a cool room for 1-2 days or in the fridge for longer. Keep in mind, the cake texture becomes a little more firm when refrigerated (possibly from the rice flour) so its best eaten fresh or within a day of sitting at room temperature.