John Whaite’s fig upside-down sandwich cake

John Whaite’s fig upside-down sandwich cake

Studded with fresh figs, raspberries, pistachios and Turkish delight – John Whaite’s double upside-down cake is refreshingly different for afternoon tea.

John Whaite’s fig upside-down sandwich cake

And upside down is the right way up with our brilliant upside-down cake recipes.

  • Serves icon Serves 8-10
  • Time icon Hands-on time 25 min, oven time 30-35 min, plus cooling

Studded with fresh figs, raspberries, pistachios and Turkish delight – John Whaite’s double upside-down cake is refreshingly different for afternoon tea.

And upside down is the right way up with our brilliant upside-down cake recipes.

Nutrition: For 10

Calories
568kcals
Fat
29.5g (15.6g saturated)
Protein
11g
Carbohydrates
63.1g (44.5g sugars)
Fibre
3g
Salt
0.5g

Ingredients

For the cake

  • 8 ripe figs
  • 225g raspberries
  • 75g pistachio kernels, plus extra to decorate
  • 170g rose and lemon turkish delight, chopped into 1cm cubes
  • 125g unsalted butter, softened
  • 115g full-fat greek yogurt (the food team likes Total)
  • 225g caster sugar
  • Finely grated zest 1 large orange
  • 4 large free-range eggs
  • 225g self-raising flour
  • Icing sugar to dust

For the filling

  • 200ml double cream
  • 150g full-fat greek yogurt
  • 3 tbsp clear honey

You’ll also need…

  • 2 x 20cm sandwich tins, greased and base-lined with non-stick baking paper
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Method

  1. Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 6. For the cake, slice the figs in half, then arrange them, cut-side-down and in a single layer, in the base of the cake tins. Divide the raspberries between the tins along with the 75g pistachios and the turkish delight.
  2. Beat together the butter, yogurt, caster sugar and orange zest until the sugar is more or less entirely dissolved (I do this in my freestanding mixer with paddle attachment, but it can just as easily be done with a handheld mixer in a mixing bowl). Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition – if the mixture splits, don’t worry, it’s just because the fat of the butter and the fat of the egg yolks haven’t emulsified, but it won’t make any difference to the finished cake. Sift the flour, then fold it into the mixture using a large spoon until smooth and combined.
  3. Divide the batter between the cake tins, spreading it over the topping ingredients – be careful not to displace them. Bake for 30-35 minutes until a skewer pushed into the centre of each cake comes out clean. There might be a little raspberry mush on the skewer, but don’t let that fool you. Allow the cakes to cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.
  4. To make the filling, whip the double cream to soft, floppy peaks using a whisk or electric mixer, then whisk in the yogurt and honey. Make sure the cakes are completely cool, to avoid oozing, then place one cake (the least pretty) on a plate or cake stand with the cut-side of the figs facing upwards. Spread the filling over the cake, then top with the second cake, again with the figs facing upwards. Roughly chop a few more pistachio kernels and scatter them over the top, then sift over a light dusting of icing sugar and serve straightaway.

Nutrition

Calories
568kcals
Fat
29.5g (15.6g saturated)
Protein
11g
Carbohydrates
63.1g (44.5g sugars)
Fibre
3g
Salt
0.5g

delicious. tips

  1. Make the sponges up to 12 hours in advance, cool and keep in an airtight tin. Make the filling just before serving.

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