Last week I had an order for some adorable little cakes for a client that she was intending to gift to some moms in her daughter’s school class. Thus began my season of holiday baking.

I love the holidays most for this reason. I have a specific fondness and affinity for baking during the holidays. I grew up baking cookies and pies with my Maw-Maw that she would give away or sell to neighbors, and it always invokes nostalgia for the simpler times, captivating scents and warm feelings I still foster and embody in my cooking everyday.

Yesterday, we had our Boisset team meeting, which is basically a get together of my fellow wine ambassadors where we drink wine paired with amazing food and discuss how best to showcase our wines to our clients in their homes with their friends. I typically will bring a delectable treat to share, and after the fanfare I received from these little cakes, I was inevitably drawn to sharing them again.

I decided to try my hand at a large format version that could be sliced and plated, and one that would be a delightful addition to any holiday feast table. The cake turned out beautifully, and I intend to include it in my company’s holiday baking offerings along with the mini versions.

In the spirit of the giving season, I would like to share this lovely recipe with all of you, so that you can bake one for yourself, your friends, your families. And if baking isn’t your cup of tea, a pdf of my price list for baked goods is below.

Happy baking!

Day

Tangerine-Fig Spice Cake

~Ingredients~

3 Tangerine
2 ½ cups sugar, divided
1 cup preserved figs, finely chopped with juices
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup butter, melted
3 eggs, room temperature
½ cup milk
1 tsp vanilla

~Instructions~

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan.

Thinly slice the tangerines, peels intact. In a medium saucepan stir together 1 1/2 cups of the sugar and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add tangerine slices to the liquid and allow to simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl whisk together the flour, spice, salt, and baking soda. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the remaining cup of sugar, eggs, milk, and vanilla. Drizzle in melted butter, whisking until combined. Fold in chopped figs and liquid.

Remove tangerine slices from pan and set aside to cool, reserving the syrup. Arrange candied tangerines in the bottom of the pan.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove and cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

Loosen sides of cakes and invert onto serving platter or cake stand. Spoon the reserved tangerine syrup over the cake. Serve warm.

*NOTE: This cake can also be made in a bundt cake pan if desired.

*Wine pairing: Buena Vista 2017 Russian River Valley French Colombard

Daily Squares Holiday Pricing List