Caramelized fig cake with lemon anglaise

Whisk all of the ingredients together in a small saucepan until the arrowroot is dissolved. Place over medium heat and simmer until slightly thickened, about 7 minutes. The mixture does not need to boil.

Remove from heat and let the lemon zest steep for 10 minutes. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer. Let it cool, uncovered, in the refrigerator. ( You can store it, covered, in the refrigerator for up to one week. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.)

Brush a 9-inch round cake pan with 1 teaspoon of the canola oil, and line it with parchment paper. Sprinkle the Sucanat onto the parchment and top with the sliced figs, fanning them out decoratively.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Using a spice grinder or food processor, grind the almonds to a meal. Place in a bowl. Sift the white flour, pastry flour, baking powder, baking soda, egg replacer and salt into the bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk the almond milk, agave, remaining 3 tablespoons of canola oil, vanilla extract, almond extract, lemon juice, sherry and lemon zest. Pour the wet ingredients into the almond mixture and whisk just until smooth.

Pour the mixture on top of the figs in the prepared pan. Carefully smooth out the batter with a spatula (being careful not to disturb the fan of figs on the bottom of the pan). Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is lightly browned and a toothpick or small knife inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then invert it onto a serving plate. Remove parchment paper. (You can store, wrapped tightly, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. After 2 days, you will need to rewarm it for the best flavor.)

To serve, cut the cake into 8 pieces. Spoon some of the lemon sauce on each plate and place a slice of warm cake on top.