I can honestly say that I don't know anyone who else loves figs as much as I do. Ever since my friend discovered my love for the fruit, he has been gifting me with the bearings of his fig tree. It's the best. His last delivery was so big that I knew I wouldn't be able to eat them all before they spoiled. So, I turned some of those figs into a fig jam and then turned that jam into a fig jam crumble cake with hazelnut rye streusel. Don't worry, I gave him a slice or two.

Recipe

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Fig Jam Crumble Cake with Hazelnut Rye Streusel

1 9-inch round cake

Total Time1 hour hr

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cake

Servings: 8

Author: Christine Ma

Ingredients

Hazelnut rye streusel

• 6 tablespoon butter melted
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• pinch of salt
• ½ cup rye flour
• ¼ cup hazelnuts chopped

Fig jam crumble cake

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ cup butter softened
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup milk
• 8 ounces fig jam

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray an 8-inch cake pan with cooking spray.
• Make the hazelnut rye streusel. Melt 6 tablespoon butter and combine with ¼ cup brown sugar, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, and a pinch of salt until well mixed. Add ½ cup rye flour and ¼ cup hazelnuts and mix until clumps form. Set aside.
• Make the cake batter. Combine 2 cups of all-purpose flour with ½ teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoon baking powder, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Set aside.
• Cream together ½ cup softened butter with ⅔ cup sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated. Add 2 teaspoon vanilla.
• Add ½ of the flour mixture followed by ½ cup milk. Add the remaining flour and stir just until combined.
• Pour half of the batter into the prepared cake pan, spreading it into one even layer. Spread the fig jam on top and pour the remaining batter on top. Sprinkle the streusel on top. Bake the cake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack and serve warm.

**Helpful tips and common mistakes

Every afternoon I find myself looking for something a little sweet to enjoy with my coffee. This fig jam crumble cake with hazelnut rye streusel hits the spot every time. It's the perfect balance of sweetness with a swirl of fig jam and a delicious hazelnut rye topping that sends it over the moon. Ready to get baking?

Let's get started with the streusel. It's amazing how many different types of streusels you can make. It's essentially just the crumb topping for the coffee cake and today I'm combining hazelnuts with rye flour. The two ingredients are a perfect match; throw some butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar into the mix and you have yourself a party. Can you replace the rye flour? Sure. But the question is, should you? Rye flour has a complex flavor of nutty and malty that all-purpose does not. It just adds that extra oomph to the streusel.

Set aside the streusel and make the cake batter. The method is pretty standard, just cream the butter and sugar, then add the eggs one at a time followed by the vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and wet ingredients, alternating between the two. By adding the flour in two batches, it'll make it easier to incorporate into the batter without overmixing.

Pour half of the batter into the prepared cake pan and spread the fig jam on top. Pour the remaining batter on top and sprinkle an even layer of the hazelnut rye streusel to finish it off.

Bake the fig jam crumble cake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Now stop and tell me that your kitchen does not smell amazing right now.

Slice into that beautiful cake and bite into that jam swirled perfectly moist dessert. Mmm, I think it's time to get a second serving...

For more cake inspiration check out this almond cake with spiced roasted cherries!