Maggie Beer’s Burnt Fig Jam and Almond Cake

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups self raising flour

1/2 tspn cinnamon, ground

1/2 tspn nutmeg, ground

1/2 tspn cloves, ground

1/2 tspn allspice, ground

1 cup caster sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup Burnt Fig Jam, plus a little extra jam for spreading on the cake

2 free range eggs

1/2 cup milk

1/2 tspn vanilla extract

1/2 cup almonds, roasted for 5 minutes at 180ºC then skins rubbed off

1 cup crème fraiche

4-6 fresh figs

Method

Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Grease and flour a 22cm round cake pan.

To prepare the cake, sift the flour and spices into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the sugar.

Using a mixer at medium speed, beat the butter, jam, eggs, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Stir in the almonds. Fold in the flour mix.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 30 – 40 minutes, until a wooden pick inserted near the centre comes out clean.

Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan to cool completely on a wire rack.

When cool, cut the cake in half horizontally. Spread the bottom layer with the extra Burnt Fig Jam and top with crème fraiche. Replace the top layer of cake and finish with more crème fraiche and halved fresh figs.

Serves 12 – 16