Method

• 1.
  Preheat the oven to 160°C/140*C fan-forced. Grease a 22cm round springform cake pan and line with baking paper.

• 2.
  Place butter, sugar and vanilla seeds in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat for 5 minutes, or until thick and pale. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Fold in flour, baking powder and a pinch of fine salt until just combined. Transfer to a separate bowl and set aside.
• 3.
  Clean and dry mixer bowl. Add the egg whites and a pinch of fine salt to bowl. Return to stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on high until soft peaks form. Stir one-third of the egg white into cake batter to loosen, then gently fold in remaining egg white until combined.
• 4.
  Spread half the batter into prepared pan. Press fig, cut-side down, into batter. Add remaining batter and smooth with a palette knife. Bake for 90 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of cake comes out clean. Set aside to cool in pan.
• 5.
  For the sticky figs, grease a baking tray and line with baking paper. Increase oven to 250°C/230*C fan-forced. Toss fig in a bowl with grappa and maple syrup. Place fig, cut-side up, on prepared tray. Sprinkle with sugar and bake for 10-12 minutes or until fig is golden and bubbling. Set aside to cool slightly.
• 6.
  Meanwhile, for the zabaglione, place egg yolks, sugar and grappa in a heatproof bowl and whisk until well combined. Set over a saucepan of simmering water (don’t let base of bowl touch the water) and whisk for 5-8 minutes, until you can draw a figure 8 that holds for a few seconds. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
• 7.
  When cool, place sour cream in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk until soft peaks form. Add half the zabaglione and fold through, then, with the motor running, add the remaining zabaglione until well combined. Whisk on high until stiff peaks form.
• 8.
  Spoon cream onto cake and top with sticky figs. Drizzle over any sticky fig juices to serve.