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Never mind what the calendar says about the autumn equinox — I go on other seasonal cues to know that summer is over in a week. Mother nature isn’t that mysterious. For example, I just saw my first horse chestnut of the season, and that means it’s almost time to switch from flip-flops to clogs. Time to dust off the old canner and food dehydrator.

It feels so good to seize that big corn moon energy (formerly known locally as the salmon-spawning moon, or samon-mash-tanas-moon in Chinuk Wawa). Do some chorin’ while the choring’s good, then knock back a frosty flagon of cold-pressed apple cider. It’s important to also pop something rich and cinnamon-y in the oven, especially if you spent the better part of an hour up in a fig tree. Bonus points if you stayed on the ladder while taking damage from a yellowjacket who’s been getting turnt on fermenting fruit (they’re mean drunks).

As anyone walking through the formerly Italian sections of Southeast Portland can attest, the figs are going bonkers right now, dispensing much of their crop onto the sidewalks. My one small tree is in fruit production overdrive, and the relatively dry summer we’ve had means the fruit is all super sweet, even a day before it’s fully ripened. The only problem is, I still have a lot of last year’s crop in the coffers — tubs of roasted puree in the freezer, jar upon jar of dried figs, compotes and conserves — all taking up space that should be reserved for this year’s superabundance.

This recipe doesn’t use up a ton of fresh fruit (I was able to fit three, sliced thinly, on top of the torte), but it will help you run through a bit of your dried backstock. It’s rich but not too sweet, with a fudgy texture and a subtly West Asian flavor. Makes 9-12 servings

Note: This is also outstanding with almond flour instead of wheat flour.

Ingredients

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

¾ cup sugar

1 teaspoon coarse sea salt

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ cup flour

¼ cup Dutch process cocoa powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon cardamom

¾ cup dark chocolate chips, melted

1 cup chopped dried figs

½ coarsely chopped hazelnuts (optional)

Sliced fresh figs to scatter across the top

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch tart or springform pan (add a slip of parchment to the bottom if you’re nervous about sticking).
2. Beat the butter, sugar and salt together until light and fluffy, then beat in the eggs (one at a time) and the vanilla.
3. In another bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, cocoa, cinnamon and cardamom. Beat the mixture into the butter and sugar, then fold in the melted chocolate.
4. Stir in the chopped dried fig and hazelnuts (if using), then scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Evenly arrange the sliced figs on top.
5. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35-40 minutes.
6. Allow the torte to cool for 15 minutes before serving. Optional: drizzle more melted chocolate across the top.

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News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2025/09/12/recipe-superabundant-chocolate-fig-torte-autumn/