Kuchen in kitchen with Figs - Oh well! Its a Vegan Fig kuchen (Crumb cake)

Vegan Fig Streuselkuchen (Crumble / Crumb Cake)

This Season there is an abundance of figs in Thane market. I used to eye the fresh piles longingly on my way to office but they would get over by the time I returned in the evening. Last weekend I decided to go in the morning all the way to the market just to get these thinking I would make icecream. You know I am crazy about fruits so one by one all the figs ended up the same way - destemmed, washed and chomped raw! P loves apples, Jr.H and I love oranges, Jr.P loves bananas and I love all kinds of fruits. All in all, it is difficult to save up fruits for desserts!

At last I devised a fool proof plan to make a fig kuchen! I kept the ingredients for the base and the crumble ready some evenings back and then asked P to get the figs. They were quartered and pressed into the dough and tasted great when baked. I made a second batch next morning for my friends at work. They loved it and could not guess it was vegan! In fact even the crumbs did not last and I had shared my recipe by the end of the day.

I found the recipe for my kuchen in Alpineberry and veganized it adapting it along the way. The original recipe contains plums and walnuts and does not have a crumble on the top. I like walnuts only with chocolate and do not like the imported plum variety that we get these days so mine became a fig kuchen. I also made this because I like the sound of the word 'kuchen'. The name makes all the difference in my kitchen!

Kuchen it appears is actually a yeasted/non-yeasted sweet crust filled with a creamy custard. This however is not custard like but is more akin to a tea-cake with a tasty crust.

The result was very very good. I only wished I could find vegan butter or margarine. Shoprite has stopped stocking it!

Dish: Fig Kuchen (that is koo-kan or koo-gan or coo-hen)
Category: Dessert, Cake, Bread, Tea Cake, Vegan
Serves: 8-10 pieces
Oven temperature: 180 deg. Celsius
Tin: 9 inch round pan

Ingredients:
7-8 fresh figs washed, de-stemmed and quartered
2 cups All purpose flour
2tsps. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar ground with 1/2 a vanilla stick (is it bad to grind up the stick? I do not know!)
1/2 cup canned coconut milk + 1/4 cup if needed
1/2 cup sunflower oil or any other oil

for the crumble topping :
1/2 cup APF + 2 tbsp sugar + 1 tbsp oil

That is the texture

Method:
Put the flour, baking powder, salt and ground sugar in an airtight container twice in volume and shake up well to aerate the flour and mix up everything. Empty the flour mix in a mixing bowl.

Blend the oil and half of the coconut milk together in a mixer till it forms a thick yolky cream.

Pour this in the dry mixture and mix well with a wooden ladle in a cut and fold pattern.

If needed add the rest of the coconut milk (a tbsp. at a time) till the dough moves from a crumbly texture to a soft batter (not pourable but one that will fall in a single plop).

Pour this into the prepared tin and with wet fingers spread it evenly.

Arrange the figs pressing them a little.

Optional: Mix the crumble ingredients together with your fingertips till they just gather when held and break when left, into breadcrumbs.

Sprinkle this evenly on top of the cake.

Bake in pre-heated oven for 40-50minutes till golden on the sides and lightly brown on the top. The scent of figs are sure to pervade your rooms to let you know they are done!

Cool completely before cutting to wedges.

You could serve with cream or ice-cream for a dessert, but they are extremely good just like that.

The next day I distributed the batter in little rings and tart moulds instead of a pan. They make cute bite sized desserts then.

This goes to Mahima's event inviting cakes and cookies from all bloggers.