Pistachio Cardamom Fig Cake with Sweetened Yoghurt and Spiced Fig Syrup

I made this cake for my supper club with Sarah Rankin at the end of last year which celebrated everything autumnal. The cake has some of my all time favourite ingredients. Namely pistachios which I love in every form. You can switch out the fruit for whatever is in season, rhubarb would be delicious at this time of year. The cardamom adds a gentle background spice which works so well with the spices in the fig syrup, but if you don’t fancy making the syrup you could serve it with a drizzle of warmed pistachio cream instead which would also be delicious. I could eat the sweetened cream by the bowlful and it really does compliment the flavours of the cake nicely by adding a slight touch of cooling creaminess. Definitely a showstopper of a dessert which also freezes really well, and although the ingredients can be expensive to make, it is so worth it and an impressive finale to any dinner party.

For the cake:
200g unsalted butter, softened
160g golden caster sugar
3 medium egg whites and 1 medium egg
200g pistachio nuts, blitzed to a rough powder
80g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
50g full fat Greek yogurt
1 orange, zest (use the juice in the syrup)
1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
5/6 fresh figs, halved

For the spiced fig and orange syrup:
250g dried figs, roughly chopped
200g demerara sugar
240g water
Juice of the orange (from the cake above)
1 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
3 cloves

For the sweetened yoghurt:
200g full fat greek yoghurt
100g double cream
100g icing sugar, sieved
Few springs of fresh mint to serve

METHOD:

For the cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 170C fan/190C. Grease and line a 20cm round cake tin with greaseproof paper.

2. Cream the butter and sugar together in a stand mixer or use electric beaters for at least 5 minutes until very pale and fluffy. Add the egg whites and whole egg and mix again.

3. Tip in the pistachios, then sieve in the plain flour and add the cardamom, baking powder, yoghurt, orange zest, vanilla and salt. Gently fold through with a spatula or large metal spoon until the mixture is completely combined.

4. Spread the batter into the tin and arrange the fig slices on top cut side up, pushing them into the cake batter slightly.

5. Bake the cake in the middle of the oven for 45 mins to 1 hour, checking the cake every 5 mins after 45 mins until a skewer comes out clean. Cover the cake loosely with some tin foil if it is getting too brown.

6. Allow to cool for 10 mins in the tin before removing to a wire rack and allowing to cool completely.

For the syrup:

1. Combine figs, sugar, water, orange juice and spices in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer over a medium heat, stirring gently until the sugar is completely dissolved. Continue to simmer for 10 mins or until the figs are softened. Remove from heat, cover with a lid and allow to steep for 20 minutes.

2. Sieve the liquid reserving the softened figs for another use (they are great on top of yoghurt with some granola for breakfast).

3. Return the strained liquid to a saucepan and bring to a simmer over a medium heat. Continue to cook for around 15 mins, stirring occasionally, until the syrup is thickened and has reduced by about a third and is a syrupy consistency.

4. Allow to cool, then cover tightly and refrigerate until ready to use. It will keep in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

For the cream:

1. Add the yoghurt, cream and sieved icing sugar to a bowl. Whisk until it forms very, very soft peaks. Add more sugar to taste.

I like to serve the cake still warm from the oven, or you can reheat it very gently in a low oven at 100C fan/120C for 10-15 mins until just warmed through. Cut into slices, serves with a generous drizzle of the syrup and a generous dollop of the cream topped with a sprig of mint. Enjoy.

Photos by @scottishfoodgirl