John Whaite’s fig upside-down sandwich cake

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.
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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.