Preheat your oven to 350°F. While it heats, combine the all-purpose flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, ground cloves, ground nutmeg, ground cardamom, ground cinnamon, and sea salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk these together thoroughly to distribute the leavening agents and spices evenly—this ensures consistent rise and flavor throughout the bread. Crush the walnuts into varied sizes (some larger pieces, some finer) and fold them into the dry mixture.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, milk, room temperature eggs, and vanilla extract until well combined and slightly emulsified. The room temperature eggs are important here—they blend more smoothly and create a more tender crumb. Dice the dried figs (removing their stems first) into roughly 1/4-inch pieces, then fold them into the wet mixture. I like to coat the figs lightly in the wet mixture to prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the bread during baking.

Pour the wet ingredient mixture from Step 2 into the dry ingredient mixture from Step 1. Fold them together gently using a spatula or wooden spoon—don't overmix, as this can develop gluten and make the bread tough. A few lumps are fine; stop folding as soon as you don't see dry flour. Grease your baking pan (either a bundt pan or loaf pans) with butter or cooking spray, then pour the batter in, smoothing the top gently with a spatula.

Bake the bread in your preheated oven for 1 hour if using a bundt pan, or 45 minutes if using loaf pans, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. The bread should be golden brown on top and spring back lightly when touched. Baking times can vary based on your oven, so start checking around 40 minutes for loaf pans.

Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes—this allows the structure to set enough to handle without falling apart. While the bread cools, whisk together the melted butter, honey, and fresh orange zest in a small bowl to create a light glaze.

Turn the bread out of the pan onto a wire cooling rack. While the top is still warm, brush the butter-honey-orange glaze over the surface—the warmth helps the glaze absorb into the bread, adding subtle citrus flavor and a light sheen. Allow the bread to cool completely on the rack before slicing, which usually takes about 30 minutes. I find that letting the bread cool fully helps it hold together better when sliced, preventing crumbling.