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Mondays with Michele: Fig, Olive Oil and Honey Cake

Fresh figs and honey make this simple Italian cake a treat for breakfast, afternoon coffee or dessert.

8:45 AM EDT on September 28, 2026

Whole fig olive oil cake with fresh figs and sliced almonds baked into the top

Fig, olive oil and honey cake topped with fresh figs and sliced almonds.

Mondays feel like a chance to reset, refresh and savor food that will set the tone for the new week. I’m Michele Sessa, and I’m so incredibly proud to partner with Appetito magazine for my new series, Mondays with Michele.

For the second installment, I am sharing my new cake recipe with figs, olive oil and honey.  It's a simple and versatile bake to usher in the fall season.  This Italian cake isn’t sweet but is rich and fluffy. It's perfect for breakfast, a snack or even as a rustic dessert dusted with powdered sugar. If you can’t find fresh figs, I tested this recipe by stirring 1 1/3 cups of dried figs into the batter instead of placing fresh ones on top, so either option works.  

Use a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom for a more dramatic presentation, but it works well in a regular 9-inch cake pan, too.  

This cake is easy to make ahead for the holidays, which are just around the corner. You can bake it, cool it, double wrap it in plastic foil, and freeze it for up to three months. Just make sure to thaw it in the refrigerator overnight or place it on the counter for about an hour when ready to serve. If you can’t wait and want to serve it right after baking, store it covered at room temperature for three days or pop it in the refrigerator for five to six days.  I guarantee it won’t last that long and hope it becomes a family favorite in your house, too. 

Follow my page, @Michele7533, for more inspired recipes, holiday menus and Italian classics with my updated twist. You can also message me if there’s a recipe that you want to see in an upcoming installment of Mondays with Michele.

Fig Cake with Olive Oil and Honey

Recipe by Michele Sessa
0.0 from 0 votes
Serv8-10ings

8-10

servings
Prep time

15

minutes
Cooking time

35

minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup 1 fine almond flour

  • 1 tsp. 1 ground cinnamon

  • 1/2 cup 1/2 AP flour, regular or gluten free

  • 1/4 tsp. 1/4 baking soda

  • 1/4 tsp. 1/4 kosher salt

  • 1/3 cup 1/3 Greek yogurt or sour cream

  • 1/2 cup 1/2 honey plus more for serving

  • zest of one lemon

  • 2 large 2 room temperature eggs

  • 7-8 7-8 fresh figs, quartered

  • 1/4 cup 1/4 slivered almonds

  • 1 tbsp. 1 granulated sugar, to top

Directions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 F and lightly oil a 9-inch fluted tart pan with false bottom or round 9-inch cake pan.
  • Whisk together both flours, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, olive oil, honey, eggs and zest then add dry ingredients, folding with a spoon.
  • Scrape the batter into the baking pan and scatter the figs, press them into the batter.
  • Sprinkle the cake with the almonds and sugar.
  • Put the pan on a baking sheet and bake for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on wire rack and release from the pan.

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