By Jonathan Hayes Surbhi Sahni, Pastry Chef, Devi, New York City I

By Jonathan Hayes Surbhi Sahni, pastry chef, Devi, New York City I was raised Hindu in Delhi by a conservative Brahmin mother, but my father was very open- minded, so I went to a Catholic school and had many Indian Catholic friends. I loved that they celebrated Christmas very much the way we celebrated Diwali, the Festival of the Lights, with candles and fireworks. I'd sneak off to their houses and eat Christmas cake filled with candied fruit, being sure to hide the crumbs before I went home. One day my brother brought home a plastic Christmas tree—he was braver than I was. After that, we began to celebrate Christmas. I've made my friend's mom's Christmas cake from memory, adding dried figs because they're so delicious, and more of the warm, spicy ginger we love so much in India. Bring an exotic Indian flavor straight to your family table with the warm, spicy ginger in this delicious holiday dessert. Fig Cake Recipe Courtesy of Surbhi Sahni Servings: Makes one 6-inch cake (about 12 servings) You can use a 6-inch ovenproof soufflé dish or straight-sided casserole in place of the cake pan, if necessary. Ingredients Cake: • 2 cups finely chopped dried Calimyrna figs (about 10 ounces) • 1 Tbsp. freshly grated ginger • 1/4 cup rum • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (about 1 medium orange) • 8 Tbsp. (1 stick) butter , room temperature, plus more for pan • 1 cup flour , plus more for pan • 1 tsp. baking powder • Pinch salt • 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar • 1/4 cup honey • 3 eggs , room temperature • 1 tsp. vanilla extract • 2 Tbsp. sour cream • Fresh figs , for garnish • Creme fraiche , for garnish Glaze: • 5 Tbsp. freshly grated ginger (or enough to yield a scant 2 Tbsp. juice) • 2 Tbsp. honey • 2 Tbsp. rum Caramel sauce: • 1/4 cup sour cream • 1 Tbsp. rum • 1 Tbsp. reserved ginger juice (see glaze instructions) • 3/4 cup sugar • 1/4 cup heavy cream To make cake: In a medium saucepan, combine figs, ginger, rum, and orange juice. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook 6 minutes, or until figs are soft and almost all the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and set aside to cool completely. Preheat oven to 300°, positioning rack in lower third of oven. Line bottom of a 6" x 3" cake pan with parchment paper. Grease and flour parchment paper and sides of pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt until combined; set aside. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar on high speed for 2 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low, add honey and beat until blended. Beat in eggs one at a time; then add vanilla, occasionally scraping mixture down sides of bowl. Add flour mixture and beat until just combined. Using a rubber spatula, fold in fig mixture and sour cream until just combined. Scrape batter into prepared pan and spread level. Bake 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in center comes out clean. Transfer pan to a rack and let cool 10 minutes. Run a thin- bladed knife around edge of cake to loosen; invert onto rack and remove parchment paper. Turn cake upright on rack; let cool completely. To make glaze: Place grated ginger in a small sieve set over a small dish. Press ginger with the back of a spoon to extract juice; discard solids and reserve juice. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine 2 teaspoons ginger juice, honey, and rum; bring to a bare simmer, stirring until blended. Remove from heat and immediately brush on top and sides of cake. Cool cake at least 20 more minutes. To make caramel sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together sour cream, rum, and remaining 1 tablespoon ginger juice; set aside. Place 2 tablespoons water in a medium-size, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Sprinkle sugar evenly on top. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook about 6 minutes, or until golden brown, occasionally swirling pan to prevent crystals from forming. Remove from heat and slowly add heavy cream, taking care not to spatter; stir until blended. Add sour cream mixture; stir until combined. Serve cake warm or at room temperature, garnished with fresh figs, crème fraîche, and caramel sauce (warm or room temperature). .

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