Fig preserves shine in this fall-inspired layer cake.
Refrigerate the frosting in an airtight container up to five days.
Frost cake up to a day in advance and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Credit: Charles Walton; Styling: Cindy Manning Barr
Bring to room temperature before serving.
Beat first 3 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended.
Add buttermilk and vanilla; beat well.
Fold in fig preserves, applesauce, and pecans.
(Batter will be thin.)
Divide batter between 2 greased and floured 8-inch round cake pans.
Cool on wire racks 10 minutes; invert cakes, and cool completely on wire racks.
Frost cake:
Spread frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake.
Garnish, if desired.
Frequently Asked Questions
Applesauce helps keep cakes moist after baking.
It also lends a hint of apple flavor to this cake, which complements the fig preserves.
Mix cake batter only until combined when adding dry ingredients to avoid this result.
Note that cakes made with applesauce and preserves may be more dense and moist than traditional sponges.
verify your cake layers are completely cool before stacking to keep from warming the cream cheese frosting.
If in doubt, refrigerate or freeze layers for 15 to 30 minutes before frosting.
Larger cake pans will yield thinner cake layers, depending on the size.
double-check to shorten the baking time and bake only until a wooden pick inserted comes out clean.
