Fresh Fig, Aniseed and Pinenut Cake

Grease a 24 cm loose based cake tin and line the base and sides with non-stick foil or baking paper

Preheat the oven to 170˚C.

Rip the bread into walnut sized pieces and place in a large bowl with the milk and cream.
Turn to coat in the liquid and leave for 30 minutes, turning occasionally to ensure all the bread is well soaked.
Heat the butter in a large sauté pan then add the sugar, aniseed and apples and cook over a high heat for 5 minutes until the apples have softened and the juices are reduced and syrupy. Add the figs, lemon zest and juice and cook for 1-2 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes.
Whisk the eggs, flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and vanilla extract together in a large bowl. Scrape in the apple mixture with all the pan juices then add the soaked bread with any liquid. Gently fold everything together, trying not to mash the bread too much.
Tip into the cake tin then top with the figs and pine nuts. Drizzle with the butter then sprinkle over the sugar.
Bake for 1 hour, turning the tin for even browning and loosely covering the top with foil after 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for at least 20 minutes before removing from the tin. Transfer to a serving plate and serve warm or at room temperature with softly whipped cream or mascarpone. Serves 8-10

*You will need a large sourdough loaf as approximately half the weight will be lost when the crust has been removed.

Aniseed is not the same as star anise. Aniseed is the spice used to make the French drink Pastis and is widely used in Europe and the Middle East to flavour breads and cakes.
Star anise is a small star-shaped spice with 5-6 points each containing a seed. It is used in Chinese 5-spice and many Asian recipes.