Mini fig and walnut cakes with mascarpone recipe from Falafel for Breakfast

Mini fig and walnut cakes with mascarpone

Makes 8-10

The fig and walnut flavours go so well together in these lovely little cakes. You can make this recipe using a regular muffin or mini kugelhopf tray instead of the mini bundt tray we used here.

150g walnuts
110g self-raising flour
75g plain flour
250g unsalted butter, cut into cubes, at room temperature
100g castor sugar
80g fig jam
3 eggs

Topping

250g mascarpone cheese
250ml thin cream
50g icing sugar
5 fresh figs
50g honey

Preheat the oven to 180C. Thoroughly grease 10 holes of a mini bundt tray to prevent the cakes sticking when turned out.

Put the walnuts and self-raising and plain flours in a food processor and blend to a fine powder.

Using an electric mixer with the whisk attachment, cream the butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Add the jam and whisk for 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition, and then whisk for an extra 2 minutes, or until really well combined. Fold in the walnut powder and mix until just combined.

Spoon the mixture into the tray, filling the holes to two-thirds of the way up. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool for 2-3 minutes in the tray then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

To make the topping, put the mascarpone cheese, cream and icing sugar in a medium bowl and whisk until almost set, without overmixing.

Break the figs in half by hand. Spoon a dollop of cream onto each cake, and top with a fig half and a drizzle of honey.