Eggless Wholegrain Vanilla Fig Cake

Vanilla Fig Cake is an incredibly delicious cake with loads of fig bits in every bite. The crust comes out to be a beautiful brown and the crumb is super soft. This is a wonderful tea cake. It is delicious and healthy. 

Early summer in the hills is enthralling. The traces of Spring is still perceptible in the colours of wildflowers and in the luxuriance of ferns. Rhododendron is blooming in all glory in the oak forest.

The bunches of velvety red flowers in the midst of the grand Oaks break the green monotony. 

A hoard of wildflowers covers the ground in the orchard. These look like stars in the firmament. 

Bees and butterflies are busy foraging.  Small bees also called wild bees that throng the flowers are important for pollination. More bees mean more fruits in the orchard. Everything in the universe is interlinked.

The trail to our home that passes through the Oak thicket is a carpet of dry leaves and rhododendron petals. The scent of wildflowers and the incessant bird songs make it a pleasurable walk.  

Back home, we sliced the Vanilla Fig cake baked the previous day. With a cup of hot ginger tea, it seemed to be the best antidote to drive away the exhaustion.

This is an incredibly delicious cake with loads of fig bits in every bite. The crust comes out to be a beautiful brown and crumb is super soft. This is a wonderful tea cake. It is delicious and healthy.

Eggless Wholegrain Vanilla Fig Cake

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cup whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 pinch salt
• ¾ cup unrefined cane sugar
• 1 tablespoon flax meal
• 3 tablespoons water
• ½ cup oil
• ¾ cup warm milk
• 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 6 medium size dry figs

Instructions

1. In a deep bowl, mix the flax meal with 3 tablespoons water. Whisk and let rest for 10 minutes. It will become thick and gel-like.
2. With the help of kitchen scissors, cut figs into very small pieces. Make sure to cut fig into small pieces. Large pieces will sink in the bottom of the batter. Toss the chopped pieces in two teaspoons of flour, Keep aside.
3. Preheat oven to 170 degrees C. Grease and line one 7 inch round cake pan. (I recommend a round cake pan. I baked mine in a loaf pan and it took a very long time to bake)
4. Whisk together first four ingredients in a large bowl. Keep aside.
5. In another deep bowl, take oil, warm milk, and vanilla essence. Mix well. Add Flax gel and mix till you get a uniform mixture.
6. Add dry ingredients and mix well to get a smooth batter. Fold in chopped figs. Reserve some to sprinkle on top.
7. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Level the top. Sprinkle some chopped figs on top.
8. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the top turns golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
9. Remove from the pan. Cool in the rack. Slice the next day.