Ocracoke Island is a tiny community in North Carolina’s storied and stunningly beautiful Outer Banks (often called OBX). It’s reachable only by ferry so each trip over feels like an adventure. The island is brimming with several varieties of fig bushes, some dating back well over 200 years. Figs somehow thrive in the sandy ground and salty air, withstanding even hurricanes. It stands to reason that any place blessed by an abundance of figs will have a long list of recipes that use them but none more renowned than the legendary Ocracoke fig cake. Other communities up and down the Outer Banks have their own signature fig cake traditions, made from similar recipes with enough differences to convey hometown pride.
Figs are so important to Ocracoke life that the town hosts an annual Fig Festival that includes recipe contests, including a traditional fig cake category, which Trudy Austin (a ninth-generation Ocracoker) has won more than once. Her Bundt cake is a bit like a spice cake made sweet with homemade preserved figs. Given her success, I don’t blame Trudy one bit for not revealing all of the secrets to her prize-winning recipe, such as how she makes her syrupy preserved figs and the glaze that goes on top of the cake. So, although I wouldn’t attempt to compete with her expertise, I did take the liberty of sharing my recipes for fig preserves and two glaze recipes I’ve used on my own fig cakes. They’re not the same, but they’re tasty.
Makes one 10-inch Bundt cake, or 12 to 16 servings
RECIPE NOTEDuring fig season each year, Trudy and her husband, John, use an old family recipe to preserve figs in sugar syrup. They put up hundreds of jars. Her preserves are chunky, which is why she finely chops them before adding them to her cake batter. If you are using regular fig preserves, whether homemade or store-bought, there is no need to chop them. |
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease (with shortening) and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan, or mist it thoroughly with a nonstick spray that contains flour, such as Baker’s Joy.
Whisk the eggs in a large bowl until well-beaten. Add the sugar and oil, and whisk until smooth.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice.
Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture in thirds, alternating with half of the buttermilk, whisking only until the batter is smooth after each addition. Whisk in the vanilla.
Fold in the fig preserves and nuts.
Pour into the prepared pan. Bake in the center of the oven until a tester inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes, and then turn out onto the rack to cool completely. Glaze the cooled cake, if desired.
If you lack a family recipe for homemade fig preserves, you can use mine, excerpted from my New Southern Garden Cookbook. Fig preserves are perhaps the easiest of all homemade preserves. When made in small batches and stored in glass jars with tight-fitting lids, they keep in the fridge for weeks. Preserves are a good way to use dead-ripe figs that are too soft and split for many recipes. The color of the preserves can range from light golden to dark purple, depending on the type of fig.
Makes about 2 cups
Stir together the figs, sugar and juice in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. If the figs are not fully ripe and the mixture is dry, add a little water, as needed. Reduce the heat and simmer until the figs collapse into a soft, thickened stew, about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The preserves should fall off the spoon in thick, heavy drops.
Pour into one 1-pint jar or two 1-cup jars that have been sterilized in boiling water. Close with tight-fitting lids and let stand undisturbed until the preserves cool to room temperature. Store in the refrigerator for up to three months.
Trudy glazes her prize-winning cake before serving but prefers to keep her glaze recipe a secret. However, here are a couple of glazes that I think work well on a fig cake.
Melt the butter in a medium, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar, granulated sugar and salt. Stir until smooth and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the cream, bring to a boil and cook until the glaze thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Slowly pour the glaze over the cooled cake.
Stir together the sugar, cornstarch, baking soda, buttermilk, butter and corn syrup in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and cook until the glaze is thick and opaque, about 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat, stir in vanilla and let stand until cooled to room temperature. The glaze will thicken as it cools. Drizzle over the cooled cake.
Sheri joins Trudy Austin in the kitchen and learns the secrets to a prized fig cake.
A lifelong native, Trudy Austin is a “fig deal” on Ocracoke Island. Trudy is known for her award-winning fig cakes and preserves that take center stage at the annual Ocracoke Fig Festival held in August. When the figs are ripe, you can find Trudy at work, day and night, making fig preserves, cakes, and even fig BBQ sauce to sell at the market. Trudy’s family has lived on Ocracoke for generations and she volunteers with several local organizations.
In addition to her fig cooking, she is also a professional photographer. Trudy captures surfing, island and nature scenes, weddings, school events and family portraits.
Sheri Castle, award-winning food writer and cooking teacher, is known for melding culinary expertise, storytelling and humor, so she can tell a tale while making a memorable meal. Her creative, well-crafted recipes and practical advice inspire people to cook with confidence and enthusiasm. She's written a tall stack of cookbooks and her work appears in dozens of magazines. In 2019, the Southern Foodways Alliance named Sheri among Twenty Living Legends of Southern Food, calling her The Storyteller.
Sheri says that she's fueled by great ingredients and the endless pursuit of intriguing stories, usually about the role that food plays in our lives, families, communities and culture.
When she steps away from the kitchen or a local farm, Sheri enjoys spending quiet time at her home near Chapel Hill. She hails from the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.
In each episode of "The Key Ingredient," Sheri Castle features one local ingredient, tracing its journey from source to kitchen. The renowned food writer and cooking teacher will introduce us to local farmers, growers, fisherman and chefs and share approachable home cooking recipes and tips. Join Sheri & friends to learn the stories behind some of North Carolina's most beloved ingredients.