Make the fig jam:

• Place the chopped figs in a medium-sized saucepan and stir them together with the ½ cup of the sugar, the lemon slices and the ⅔ cup of water. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to medium-low.
• Cover and simmer the mixture for about 10 minutes until it is thickened, stirring it often to prevent the figs from sticking to the bottom. Remove the pan from heat and discard the lemon slices.
• Pour the contents into a heatproof bowl and allow the jam to cool. This will make about 1½ cups (13 ounces) of quicky fig jam.

Make the cake batter:

• Preheat oven to 350° F. Thouroughly grease and flour a 10-inch tube or Bundt pan.
• Beat the eggs in a stand mixer until they're frothy and light yellow. Add in the 1 cup of the granulated sugar, the oil, and the 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Mix until everything is combined.
• Mix together in a separate bowl the flour, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, salt, black pepper, and the 1 teaspoon of baking soda. Add the dry mix to the egg mixture in two or three additions, alternating with the ½ cup of buttermilk. Mix just until the ingredients are combined.
• Slowly mix the fig jam into the batter. (If you're using walnuts, add them now.) Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it into an even layer.
• Bake the cake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a tester inserted in the cake comes out clean. Remove the pan to a cooling rack for 15 minutes.

Make the glaze:

• While the cake bakes, make the glaze. Combine the ½ cup of buttermilk, the ½ cup of sugar, melted butter, corn starch, and the ¼ teaspoon of baking soda in a medium-sized saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.
• Once it comes to a boil, immediately remove the pan from heat and keep stirring. It will be foamy and will escape the pan if not stirred!
• Stir in 1 teaspoon of vanilla and then let the glaze sit to wait for the cake.

Finish the cake:

• Have a serving platter ready for the cake: the platter should have enough room and high-enough edges to hold excess glaze.
• After the cake has cooled for 15 minutes, run a knife around the edges and the center column to loosen it from the pan. Invert the pan onto the serving platter and gently remove the pan from the cake.
• Pour the warm glaze evenly over the top of the still-warm cake.
• Allow the cake to cool for another 10 to 15 minutes. Then slice it and serve!
• Makes 10 generous slices

Option: Use Fresh Figs

One of my readers, Sybil, made this recipe with fresh figs (Thanks Sybil!) Here is how to she recommends using fresh figs in this recipe:

• For the fig jam step, omit the dried figs and the ⅔ cup of water. Use 3 cups of sliced, fresh figs instead.
• Cook them in the saucepan with the lemon slices and sugar as directed above until the quicky jam has thickened; this may take a little longer than the 10 minutes.
• Use this fig jam and continue with the recipe!

Option: Use Mini Loaf Pans

• To make mini loaves of this Fig Cake, divide the batter between five greased and floured mini loaf pans (6-inch size.) Bake the mini loaves for about 35 minutes until a tester inserted in the centers comes out clean.