Fig Cake

175ml (6fl oz) port, marsala or madeira

Juice of half a lemon

1 lemon zest

1 sprig rosemary

250g (9oz) runny honey

12 figs

175g (6oz) butter

30g (1¼oz) soft light-brown sugar

½ tsp vanilla extract

zest of ? lemon, grated

3 eggs, lightly beaten

225g (8oz) plain flour

2tsp baking powder

50g (1¾oz) ground walnuts

crème fraîche, to serve

Method

1. Put the alcohol, lemon juice, strip of zest and rosemary into a pan with half the honey and bring gently to the boil.

2. Snip the stalks off the figs and halve them lengthways.

3. Poach the figs in the alcohol and honey for about five minutes or until they are just slightly soft – turn them over a little during this time. The figs will be cooked more later, this just helps impart some of their flavour to the liquid.

4. Lift the figs out of the poaching liquid and leave them to cool.

5. Boil the poaching liquor until it is has thickened a little and is becoming slightly syrupy (it will thicken more as it cools). Set aside.

6. Butter and line a 23cm (9in) spring-form tin, then lightly flour it and tap out the excess.

7. Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then beat in the other half of the honey, plus the vanilla and grated lemon zest.

8. Gradually add the egg, a little at a time, beating well after each addition.

9. Sift the flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt together. Fold this in, along with the ground nuts, until well combined.

10. Scrape this into your prepared tin – it will seem as if you don't have much batter but this is a rich cake and shouldn't be too deep.

11. Carefully set the drained figs on top of the batter, cut-side up.

12. Put into an oven preheated to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4 and bake for 45 to 50 minutes. A skewer inserted into the centre of the cake should come out clean.

13. Leave the cake in the tin for about 15 minutes, then carefully release the spring and remove it, peeling off the paper from the base.

14. Paint the top of the cake with the reserved syrup and leave this to settle for a while before serving.

15. This is good served slightly warm (though it's more crumbly then) or at room temperature. Serve with crème fraîche – it needs a bit of sharpness alongside.