Ingredients

• 125g/4½oz ground almonds
• 50g/1¾oz caster sugar
• plus 2 tbsp for sprinkling
• 30g/1oz plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• pinch of salt
• 3 free-range eggs
• lightly beaten
• 4 tbsp butter
• melted and cooled
• plus extra for greasing
• ½ tsp almond extract
• 8 fresh figs
• stems removed
• cut in half
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 shallots
• finely diced
• 1 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 100g/3½oz sultanas
• 50g/1¾oz raisins
• 50g/1¾oz dark brown sugar
• 200ml/7fl oz cider vinegar
• 50g/1¾oz crystallised ginger
• finely sliced
• 310g/11oz dried figs
• cut in half
• 1 tsp ground allspice
• 400g/14oz cheddar cheese
• sliced

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5 and lightly grease a 23cm/9in fluted flan tin or cake tin that's 4cm/1½in deep.
• In one bowl
• mix together the ground almonds
• sugar
• plain flour
• baking powder
• cinnamon
• and salt.
• In another bowl
• whisk together the eggs
• butter
• and almond extract.
• Stir the dry ingredients into the wet
• and whisk until just mixed.
• Pour the batter into the prepared tin.
• Arrange the figs cut-side up over the batter
• pushing the figs gently into the batter.
• Sprinkle the remaining two tablespoons of sugar over the figs
• then bake for about 30 minutes
• or until the cake is set in the centre.
• Let the cake cool for ten minutes then turn it out of the tin onto a wire rack. Allow it to cool to room temperature before serving.
• For the dried fig chutney
• heat the oil in a saucepan. Once hot
• add the shallots and gently fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the rosemary
• sultanas
• raisins and sugar and fry until the fruit begins to caramelise. Add the rest of the ingredients
• bring to the boil
• reduce the heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
• Serve a slice of the cake on a plate with the chutney and slices of cheddar cheese.