Made with almond and cashew flours, this gluten free fig cake is infused with almond extract and kept super moist thanks to ricotta. It’s subtle sweetness makes it perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack.

There are a handful of recipes on here (like this paleo strawberry almond galette and these Christmas morning muffins to name a couple) that no matter what words I write or how perfect the pictures are, trying to accurately convey the flavors, taste, texture or experience of eating it is just impossible.

Made with almond and cashew flours, this gluten free fig cake is infused with almond extract and kept super moist thanks to ricotta. It's subtle sweetness makes it perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack.
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This ricotta almond fig cake is one of those recipes.

When figs make their way onto the summer scene, I feel a sense of giddiness that’s almost embarrassing. It’s a fruit, Gina, get a hold of yourself.

If I’m not eating them by the handful, I’m enjoying them in things like this fig frozen yogurt or making fig preserves to slather on all the things like easy oat bread.

But figs embody this mid-late summer perfection that makes me feel like I live a way more exotic, European life than suburban New York actually affords.

When a pint of them is in my hands, I can imagine I’m sitting cafe side somewhere in Italy with an afternoon espresso in front of me listening to the beautiful cadence of the Italian language being thrown around by locals while I pick up every tenth word or so and pretend to know what’s going on.

They’re just such a romantic, transportive fruit.

Gluten Free Ricotta Almond Fig Cake is the perfect summer breakfast or afternoon snack.

The first pint that didn’t cost more than a plane ticket to Italy itself therefore made its way into my shopping cart as grand ideas swirled around in my head.

The outcome became this gluten free ricotta almond fig cake.

It’s tempting to call it a breakfast or snack cake even. Light and fluffy, moist and not overly sweet, it lends itself very well to either of those meals alongside a cup of coffee or tea.

That said, a scoop of melting vanilla ice cream for a more decadent dessert would do it no disservice either.

Enjoy a slice of this Ricotta Almond Fig Cake with your morning cup of coffee.

This is where words will fail me; the almond extract and ricotta do something indescribable in this cake. The aroma that fills the house from the almond extract as it bakes is just magical.

Its strong perfume permeates the cake and pairs so incredibly well with the figs.

The ricotta keeps the entire cake light, fluffy and so perfectly moist. Pairing it with the denser almond and cashew meal really does wonders for the texture.

If you’ve only explored using ricotta in savory recipes (like my go to ricotta pasta with lemon) I highly encourage you to try baking with it too!

It’s also incredible when used as the base for dessert dips like this whipped pumpkin ricotta dip in place of a more traditional ingredient like yogurt.

Almond and cashew flours make this Ricotta Almond Fig Cake the perfect summery gluten free treat!

When I think of summer desserts, a slice of this fig cake (or this basil nectarine upside down cake) epitomizes perfection.

Simplistic, whole food ingredients showcasing the best the season has to offer, not sure it gets much better than that.

Love this ricotta almond fig cake recipe?

Try other fig recipes like Fig and Orange Oat Bread, Goat Cheese Sweet Potato Noodles with Caramelized Figs or, Chocolate Covered Figs.

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Ricotta Almond Fig Cake

Servings: 12 servings
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Made with almond and cashew flours, this gluten free fig cake is infused with almond extract and kept super moist thanks to ricotta. It’s subtle sweetness makes it perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack.

Ingredients 

  • 1 cup almond meal
  • 1/2 cup cashew meal
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
  • 1/2 cup chopped dried figs, dates or raisins will work just as well
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons boiling water
  • 1 cup ricotta
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk, I used macadamia nut milk but almond, cashew or any other nut milk will work
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 3-4 figs, quartered

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9×9 or similar baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
  • Combine the almond and cashew meals with the cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and cardamom in a large bowl.
  • Stir the chopped figs, maple syrup and boiling water together in a small bowl and let sit for 5 minutes.
  • Combine the ricotta, milk, eggs, coconut oil, vanilla bean paste and almond extract together in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth.
  • Add the fig mixture to the large bowl with the dry ingredients.
  • Pour the wet ingredients into the large bowl as well and mix until everything is thoroughly combined.
  • Transfer the batter to the parchment lined baking pan and spread evenly into the corners.
  • Press the quartered figs into the top of the batter.
  • Bake for 30-35 minutes until middle of the cake is set.
  • Remove from oven and using the sides of the parchment, pull the cake out of the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
  • Garnish with powdered sugar if desired before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1SERVINGCalories: 107kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 4gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 38mgSodium: 92mgFiber: 1gSugar: 7g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian
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Items used in this recipe:

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Udi’s Gluten Free. The opinions and text are all mine.

Founder and Writer at Running to the Kitchen | About

Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.

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27 Comments

  1. What’s a reasonable sub for cashew flour? I’ve got just about all gf kinds but that, and a bowl full of tiny nectarines that didn’t get bigger to use up (thanks to the suggestion of a previous commenter!) I want to practice with them before our fig trees come into season. Love this not-too-sweet option!

    1. You can easily make your own cashew flour by just grinding plain, unsalted cashews in a food processor until fine. If not, almond flour will work as a sub.

  2. Hi Gina, This cake was one of the best cakes I’ve had in a long while. A real treat! Hard to believe there’s just one tablespoon of maple syrup in it :) Will definitely try to make with some plums or nectarines. Thanks!

    1. So glad you liked it! Definitely one of my favorites this time of the year :) Bet it would be great with plums/nectarines or any stone fruit for that matter!

  3. Since I’m allergic to diary but can tolerate local organic kefirs, yogurts and ghee do you think I could substitute I thick Greek yogurt or kefir in place of the ricotta for comparable results? Thanks!

  4. I’m seriously considering trying gluten-free foods because my digestive system seem to have gone out-of-whack. I’m glad there are recipes like this that shows gluten-free can be delicious.

    1. I’m not GF but eat GF often, there are SO many delicious things that are either naturally GF or, like this cake, easily made GF. Definitely worth a shot, you won’t even feel like you’re sacrificing!