Required: A round sponge cake. One pound of dried figs. One pint of hot water. Half a pound of loaf sugar. The juice and rind of a lemon. One inch of cinnamon. Three tablespoonfuls of apricot jam. A quarter of an ounce of leaf gelatine. Half a pint of cream. Pistachio nuts or coloured sugar.

Take a plain round sponge cake which is not too new, remove the centre neatly, and put the cake on a glass dish.

Wash and carefully pick over the figs. Put them in a stewpan with the water, sugar, juice and rind of the lemon, and the cinnamon. Cook slowly till the figs are quite tender and can be easily pierced with a skewer. Strain off the liquid, and let the figs cool.

Add to the syrup the jam and gelatine, and warm carefully to be sure the gelatine is melted, stirring well to prevent it from sticking. When heated, it should be as thick as fairly thick cream. If it is too thick, add more water. Let this cool a little, and when it is rather stiff, but not quite set, put the figs in the hollow of the cake and pour the syrup slowly over the whole.

Whip the cream, sweeten and flavour it nicely, heap it over the cake, and sprinkle with chopped pistachio nuts or coloured sugar.

Cost, 2s. 10d.

If preferred, the cream may be omitted, and the cook may use instead the whites of two eggs whipped to a stiff froth and nicely flavoured with castor sugar and some essence. The cost would then be somewhat under 2s.