Fig and Walnut Carrot Cake

PREPARE THE BATTER AND BAKE THREE SPONGES:
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / 350°F / Gas 4. Grease three 20cm (8-inch) round cake tins and line the bases with baking paper.
2. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk, whip the eggs, brown sugar and vanilla extract on high until tripled in volume and falling in thick ribbons - this is what gives the cake its lift.
3. With the mixer running, stream in the sunflower oil in a slow, steady trickle.
4. Fold in the grated carrots and the zest of 2 oranges by hand or on the mixer's lowest speed.
5. Swap to the paddle. Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, salt and ground almonds. Mix on the lowest speed until just combined.
6. Slowly pour in the orange juice. Divide the batter evenly between the three prepared tins - weigh for precision (roughly 560-580g per tin).
7. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean and the sponges spring back to a light touch.

COOL THE SPONGES COMPLETELY (non-negotiable):
8. Rest the sponges in their tins on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then turn out, peel off the baking paper, and place right-side up on the rack.
9. Cool at room temperature for a minimum of 90 minutes - the centre of each sponge must be completely cool to the touch. If the kitchen is warm, finish with 20-30 minutes uncovered in the fridge before assembly. Warmth in the sponge pulls jam and frosting into the crumb; this cooling step is the heart of the Fix-It.

MAKE THE FIG AND WALNUT JAM:
10. While the sponges bake, tip the quartered figs, orange zest, sugar and additional pectin into a heavy-based saucepan. Warm over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
11. Raise the heat and boil steadily for 10-12 minutes, until thickened and reluctant to fall off the spoon. A cold-plate test should give a jam that wrinkles clearly when pushed with a finger.
12. Remove from the heat and cool completely - it will set further as it cools. Only once fully cold, stir in the chopped walnuts (adding them to warm jam softens their crunch). Chill the jam in the fridge until assembly.

MAKE THE ORANGE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
13. In a stand mixer with the paddle, beat the softened butter and sifted icing sugar on medium for 3-5 minutes, until pale, fluffy and no longer sandy.
14. Add the vanilla bean paste and orange zest; beat briefly to combine.
15. Add the cold cream cheese and beat only until just incorporated - overmixing breaks the emulsion and the frosting goes loose, which is the enemy of the dam.
16. Transfer three-quarters of the frosting to a large piping bag. Divide the rest between a small piping bag fitted with a small star nozzle (for decoration) and a reserve for the dam. Chill both until needed.

MAKE THE CANDIED WALNUTS:
17. Toss the walnut halves in the maple syrup and spread in a single layer on a lined baking sheet. While the oven is still at 180°C / 350°F, bake for 20-25 minutes until deeply golden and fragrant. Leave to cool completely on the sheet - the syrup crystallises and crisps them as they cool.

MAKE THE CANDIED CARROT CURLS:
18. Peel the large carrot into long ribbons using a vegetable peeler or mandolin. Dissolve the caster sugar in the water in a small pan and bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer.
19. Add the carrot ribbons and poach for 15 minutes, until translucent and pliable. Lift out with a slotted spoon and drape each strip around the handle of a lightly greased wooden spoon to set the curl. Air-dry on the handles until fully crisp, then slide off gently.

ASSEMBLE WITH A FROSTING DAM:
20. Once the sponges are fully cold, anchor the first layer on a cake board or stand with a dot of frosting. Snip the tip of the large piping bag. Pipe a spiral of frosting over the top of the sponge and spread evenly with a palette knife.
21. Pipe a thick, continuous ring of frosting around the outer edge to form a dam. Fill the inside of the dam with half the cold fig and walnut jam, smoothing to the inside edge of the dam but not over it. The dam contains the jam mechanically and resists the migration of sugar-water into the cut face of the sponge.
22. Place the second sponge on top, pressing gently. Repeat: frosting layer, dam, remaining jam. Add the third sponge, top-side up. Optional belt-and-braces: chill the part-built cake for 15 minutes between layers to firm before adding the next sponge.

FINISH AND DECORATE:
23. Pipe a generous mound of frosting on top of the third sponge and smooth to an even layer with a palette knife. Pipe thick vertical stripes of frosting around the sides of the cake, then drag a cake scraper around, removing most of the frosting to leave a semi-naked effect in which the sponge shows through.
24. Chill the cake for at least 30 minutes to set the frosting before decorating.
25. Using the small star nozzle and reserved frosting, pipe a decorative crescent of kisses, swirls or small stars on top of the cake. Nestle the candied walnuts and candied carrot curls into and around the piped crescent.
26. Cut the fresh fig into 8 wedges and add to the decoration as close to serving as possible - the fresh figs soften quickly.

SERVE:
27. Serve at cool room temperature. A well-chilled cake benefits from 20-30 minutes out of the fridge to let the sponge soften and the flavours open. Cut with a long, sharp knife warmed under hot water and wiped between slices for clean sections that reveal the three defined layers and the fig-and-walnut jam bands.