I dream of filling my yard with fruit trees. Nevermind that we don’t really have the space for them or that we live in New England – I am dead set on making it happen someday. I absolutely love walking outside to pick herbs and veggies to use in my cooking, I can only imagine how cool it’d be to grab a lemon or a lime from my very own tree!
That said, the first priority would be a fig tree. While I use things like lemons and limes a lot more, I can actually find them in the store when I need them, and the same definitely cannot be said for figs. They are so elusive around here! I’m pretty sure I whined about this last year too and then wound up finding a few pints so maybe I’ll get lucky again.
Until then, I’ll make do with dried figs, which, fortunately, are readily available and nearly as delicious. Last fall Mary Ann posted this fig-swirl coffeecake and I fell in love with its appearance – it’s like one giant cinnamon roll π My to-do list was too long last year and I never quite got around to making it, so this September I made it a priority.
This is a yeasted recipe so it does require some advance planning and time, but the dough has a great consistency and is easy to work it, so don’t be deterred. The filling is a simple combination of fresh orange juice and dried figs and it’s generously layered between the dough. A sweet icing is drizzled over the coffeecake when it emerges from the oven. The aroma that fills your house as it bakes is wonderful, it’ll have you wanting to dig in immediately. I thought the cake was best when still slightly warm, so go for it! I could definitely see this being a great addition to a brunch table this fall, especially with its unique appearance.
Fig-Swirl Coffeecake
adapted from Cooking Light, November 2000 (originally seen on Meet Me in the Kitchen)
{Note: The instructions call for making the dough in a food processor, which I did, but I’m sure you could also use a stand mixer, or even do this by hand.}
1 3/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour (I used white whole wheat)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup warm water (100-110 F)
1/3 cup milk
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
1 1/2 cups dried Calimyrna or Black Mission figs (about 12 oz)
1/2 cup fresh orange juice (from 2-3 oranges)
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Add the yeast, both flours, the sugar, butter and salt to the bowl of your food processor. Pulse about 5 times until the butter is cut in and the mixture blended. In a measuring cup, whisk together the water, milk, egg and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla extract. With the food processor running, slowly pour the milk mixture through the feed tube, and process until the dough comes together in a ball. Process for 1 more minute then turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead a few times and shape into a ball (the dough should be slightly tacky).
Add the dough to a large bowl coated with cooking spray. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise until almost doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, making the fig filling: Trim the stems from the figs. Add them to the food processor along with the orange juice and the remaining teaspoon of vanilla. Process until finely chopped.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and gently press down to release the air. Cover and let rest for 5 minutes. Roll the dough into a 15×10-inch rectangle. Spread the fig filling into an even layer over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border along one of the long edges of the rectangle. Starting with the opposite long edge, tightly roll up the dough into a cylinder and pinch the seam to seal. With the seam side down, use a serrate knife to cut the dough in half lengthwise (see picture above – you’re basically exposing the center of the cylinder).
Take half of the dough and coil it around itself in a spiral pattern (cut side up). Place the other half of the dough at the end of the first and pinch the ends to seal. Continue coiling the second piece of dough to form one giant spiral cake. Cover the cake and let rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size. (I placed my cake on a piece of parchment and baked on an overturned baking sheet. The original recipe recommended a pizza pan – use what you have.)
When the dough has about 30 minutes left in its rise time, preheat oven to 350 F. Bake the coffeecake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack.
Make the icing: stir the confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice together in a small bowl until well combined. Drizzle over the warm cake. The cake can be served warm or at room temperature (I preferred it warm).
That looks so cool! I’m not sure if fig would go over well here, but I bet I could do something similar with other fillings, too. My baking wish list just keeps getting longer… =)
I love this! It’s a giant fig swirl. Would it be horrible if I ate this all in one sitting?
This sounds unreal!! Love this idea!
I Love your pictures of the coffee cake being prepared. It looks like a giant cinnamon roll, only better because it’s coffee cake! Looks amazing!
No fair, no fair…I want a piece and I don’t want to take time to make a whole one, mostly because I would have a hard time giving it away and not keeping it myself. This looks absolutely wonderful!
I used to eat fig newtons all the time when I was a kid. Then I stopped and then Fig Newton came out with these flat fig cookies and I fell in love with the flavor again. I have only seen figs (and they were dried) once, and that was at a small whole foods store back in Colorado. When I saw the first picture my eyes popped and my mouth made an O shape. This looks so fantastic! If only I could find those elusive figs!
This looks incredibly awesome! And the swirls are done so perfectly! If I had this for breakfast, waking up for work would never be an issue!
oh my word! i literally squealed when i saw this. i so want to make it. i wonder if i can find dried figs here in spain. i’ve only seen the fresh ones once. here’s hoping!!
Good grief, woman, you’re torturing me! I want this so bad right now and I don’t have it! Do you deliver? π
I love everything with figs. This cake looks so neat.
Wow! This looks so beautiful, and delicious.
This looks like a huge cinnamon roll! Love it!
This looks like a huge cinnamon roll! Love it!
This looks like a huge cinnamon roll! Love it!
Looks good, could you freeze this?
Very cool! I was searching my Google on figs because I just bought a flat of fresh figs at Costco tonight. This pretty sweet camee up first in my search. But it looks like your recipe calls for dried figs. No idea what I’m going to do with them yet. But I’m excited to try something new!
Oh, making such cake really requires advanced skills that I don’t have at least yet! It looks so delicious and beautiful that I am just speechless π
Beautiful yeast swirl cake! Love the fig filling.
One giant cinnamon roll! Well kind of, but that is what my family would think!
It’s ginormous and I totally want it!!
@Anon – I can’t say for sure as I haven’t tried it, but I suspect you probably could. Two options: (1) freeze the dough after shaping it into the roll, but before rising. Then, just remove and allow to thaw and rise before baking. Or, (2) you could try freezing after baking but before icing. Then, defrost, warm in the oven for a few minutes and top with the icing.
I would just unravel all of it straight into my mouth; omg, sooooo amazing looking! I want to make it!
Tracey, I have a yard full of fruit trees and it is wonderful to go out and pick a basket full of fruit and then cook up a storm…all your recipes are devine…love getting your posts
This was a beautiful coffee cake and was very reminiscent of fig newtons. Great job. Thanks for sharing!
this is definitely one of the most beautiful looking coffee cakes I’ve ever seen…and I absolutely love figs!
This looks so fantastic! So pretty, and I love figs. π
Omg, figs are one of my favorite things ever! I love this!
My grandma had a fig tree in her yard when I was little – my mom and I just got in a discussion a few months ago about what she could’ve possibly done with all the figs because we never saw her use them. But oh my gosh, there were TONS of figs on that tree. It was crazy.
it’s like one big, figgy cinnamon roll! this looks awesome and so delicious!
Its mouth watering. Thanks for sharing this delicious coffee cake recipe. Yum..YUm..Yum..!
WOW, looks amazing π Love your blog
This looks SUPER amazing.
Oh my gosh Tracey, this looks incredible! I adore figs in anything. At first glance, I thought it was a coffee roll, but no, it’s a whole cake! Love this.
I’m entranced π This looks just perfect and love the use of figs. And icing! I’m featuring this post in today’s Food Fetish Friday (with a link-back and attribution as always). Thanks for always inspiring me with your creations…
Oh man oh man – only problem with this coffeecake is that I can (and will) eat the whole thing in just one sitting! Amazing π
I love figs and the presentation was so beautiful, I had to try it. It turned out amazing. I saw a few comments about maybe not using the figs. Go for it I am thinking about using dates next time? Thanks, Rita
Tracey, how would I replace dried figs with fresh figs in this recipe?
Thanks, Crystal