Lemon Fig Cake

I had so much dried fig at home. While surfing the web I found this recipe and gave it a try. You can substitute other dried fruit, such as raisins, cherries, cranberries, or chopped prunes. I also added chopped walnut. And the good part of this recipe is using olive oil which is healthier than the or margarine.

1/2 cup olive oil, plus more for pan
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 package (10 ounces) dried figs, stemmed and coarsely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
1/2 cup chopped walnut (my addition to the recipe, optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Brush a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom (or a cake pan lined with parchment paper) with oil; set aside. I used a rectangular baking dish.
2. Using a sharp paring knife, remove any tough stems before chopping the dried figs.
3. In a medium bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together oil, milk, and egg; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt; add milk mixture, and stir with a rubber spatula just until smooth (do not overmix).
4. Gently fold in figs, lemon zest, and chopped walnut (optional).
5. Spread batter in prepared pan; set pan on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes.
6. Cool in pan 15 minutes before unmolding cake onto a wire rack to cool completely. Keep, wrapped in plastic, at room temperature up to 1 day. To serve, cut into wedges or squares depending on your baking pan shape.

Source: Martha Stewart