Walnut Cake with Figs and Chocolate

Ingredients:

        1 cup walnut halves

        3/4 cup semolina flour

        1 cup all-purpose flour

        1+ 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

        1/4 teaspoon salt

        1 teaspoon butter softened

        1/4 cup honey

        1/4 cup sugar

        3 eggs

        1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla

        1/2 cup Mission figs finely chopped

        1/4 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

    Preparation:

   1- Preheat the oven to 300°

   2- Butter a 9-inch round cake pan. Line the bottom of the pan with wax paper and butter the paper. Flour the pan, tapping out the excess.

    3- Spread the walnut halves in a pie plate and toast them in the oven for 9 minutes, until fragrant. Let them cool completely.

   4- Combine process the walnuts with the semolina flour until finely ground. Add the baking powder and salt and process until incorporated.

5- Using a hand held electric mixer to beat the butter with the honey and sugar at medium speed until fluffy, in a large bowl, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between additions. Add the vanilla extract. Then beat in the semolina flour mixture.

 6- Add the chopped figs and chocolate chips and beat at low speed until evenly distributed or fold them in with a spoon.

 7- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake the cake on the middle rack of the oven for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

  8- Let the cake to cool completely. Peel off the wax paper and invert the cake onto a large serving plate.

    H.Zoghib