Name: Ocracoke Island Fig Cake with Buttermilk Glaze
Yield: Serves 8 to 10
Cuisine: United States
Ingredients: 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 2 cups (all-purpose) flour; 1 cup oil; 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 1½ cups sugar; 1 teaspoon ground allspice; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts; 1 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in a little hot water; ¼ teaspoon baking soda; ½ cup sugar; ¼ cup (½ stick) butter; 1½ teaspoons cornstarch or flour; 1 cup coarsely chopped preserved figs, or fig jam; ½ cup buttermilk (see Note); 3 eggs; 1 teaspoon salt

Preparation info

Serves
8 to 10

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Southern Cakes

By Nancie McDermott

Published 2007

About

This signature cake makes use of the luscious figs that ripen in midsummer on this barrier island in North Carolina’s Outer Banks. Most local residents have a backyard tree or two, and many are dedicated to eating what they can through the season, while putting an abundant portion of the crop into jars of jam and preserves.

This cake is also popular as a layer cake, filled and topped with Cream Cheese Frosting. For the figs, the best choice