Made in a similar way to a sticky toffee pudding, the figgy sponge is deliciously rich in caramel-like flavour, which pairs brilliantly with the slightly savoury notes in the tahini buttercream.
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- 200 g dried figs, roughly chopped
- 1 tsp. bicarbonate of soda
- 175 g dark brown soft sugar
- 4 medium eggs
- 1 tsp. vanilla bean paste
- 200 g self-raising flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
For the tahini buttercream
- 150 g butter, softened
- 300 g icing sugar
- 2 1/2 Tbsp. tahini
- 1 Tbsp. milk
- 75 g sesame snaps, to decorate
- Step 1Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan) mark 4. Line
2 x 18cm round cake tins
with baking parchment.
Put the figs in a heatproof
bowl and sprinkle over
the bicarbonate of soda.
Cover the figs with
150ml just-boiled water
and set aside for 15min.
Blitz in a food processor
until smooth.
- Step 2In a stand mixer,
or a large bowl using
a handheld electric
whisk, beat the butter
and sugar for 3-4min,
until light and fluffy. Add
the eggs, one at a time,
beating well between
each addition. Beat in
the vanilla bean paste.
- Step 3Using a large spoon,
fold in the flour and
baking powder, followed
by the blitzed figs, until
well combined. Divide
the batter between the
prepared tins and smooth
to level. Bake for 30min,
until a skewer inserted
into the centre comes out
clean. Leave to cool in
the tins for 15min, then
turn out on to a wire rack
to cool completely.
- Step 4For the buttercream,
in a large bowl beat the
butter with a handheld
electric whisk for 1min to
soften. Sift in 1/2 the icing
sugar and whisk again
until well combined. Sift
in the remaining icing
sugar and whisk again
until smooth. Add the
tahini and milk and whisk
until you have a smooth,
spreadable consistency.
Add a splash more milk
if it’s too stiff.
- Step 5Cut 1/2 the sesame
snaps into shards, then
fi nely chop the remainder.
Put one of the cakes on a cake stand or serving
plate, and top with a layer
of the buttercream. Top
with the second cake
and then, using a palette
knife, cover the sides and
top of the cake with the
remaining buttercream.
Decorate the top of the
cake with the sesame
shards and finely
chopped sesame snaps.
TO STORE:
Cover and store at cool room temperature for up to 3 days.
Per serving:
- Calories: 628
- Protein: 8g
- Total fat: 34g
- Saturates: 18g
- Carbs: 72g
- Total sugars: 55g
- Fibre: 4g
Sarah is Good Housekeeping's Kitchen and Homes Director, looking after all things food and homes for the brand. Sarah started her career in journalism, then retrained as a chef 15 years ago following a lifelong dream to work in food. Since retraining, she has worked as a private chef, assisted on tv commercials, created recipes for some of the country's leading brands and became the go-to birthday and wedding cake baker in her friends and family network. In 2025, she was shortlisted for Cookery Writer of the Year by the Guild of Food Writers
The GH Kitchen Team are Good Housekeeping’s resident recipe developers and all-round food obsessives. GH Kitchen Director Sarah Akhurst is our resident hosting pro and loves nothing more than putting on a foodie feast for friends. Our GH Kitchen Manager Linzi Pucino is our very own Italian food expert (originally hailing from the North East of Scotland!) and can be found working her way through midweek recipes that cover all bases, from haggis to ragu! Our Kitchen Editor Nadine Brown loves digging into the stories behind her favourite foods and enjoys applying her eclectic tastes to more modern, flavour-forward recipes - just don't give her too much chilli! Our Junior Food Content Produce Frankie Prichard combines a love of beautiful presentation and flavour-led, seasonal cooking in her recipe development, along with a passion for bringing people together through food. With a wealth of professional kitchen experience between them, they’re dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work every single time
