Grease and line two 8inch/23cm tins with baking parchment. If you grease the tin first, it’s easier to get the paper to stick to the tin.

Begin by making the sponge: Add the eggs, a pinch of salt, red food colouring and sugar to the bowl of an electric mixer. Whisk on a medium speed for at least 10 minutes, until the mixture has trebled in size and has a light mousse-like appearance – don't be put off by its violent red colour.

Sieve the cocoa powder, spices and flour together. I do this three times, it aerates the flour, giving a much lighter finish. Using a metal spoon (metal is best as it cleanly cuts through the mixture without losing too much air), fold the sieved flour and cocoa powder into the whisked eggs and sugar.

Do this a little at a time, folding gently as each addition is incorporated. Pour the mixture into the prepared tins. Smooth the tops and bake in a pre-heated oven at 170 degrees/gas 3, for 20 minutes or so, until springy and coming away from the sides of the tins. Allow to cool in the tins for five minutes then carefully turn out on a wire rack, leaving the smooth bottom of the cakes facing up .

For the mousse: Soak the gelatine leaves in lukewarm water for about five minutes. Bring the milk to the boil, take it off the heat and stir in the white chocolate until melted. Squeeze any excess water from the gelatine and stir it into the white chocolate and milk mixture until dissolved. Allow it to cool, then fold in the cream. Chill for three hours. When the mousse is firm, loosen it up with a whisk and put some in a piping bag – you won't fit it all in, so you will have to refill the bag a few times.

For the sauce: Dissolve the sugar in the water over a low heat, then turn the heat up and cook until the colour turns to a dark caramel. Take off the heat and stir in the butter and cream until dissolved. Allow to cool.

To assemble: Firstly, line the tin in which you baked one of the cakes with cling film. If you oil the tin lightly first, it will give the cling film more purchase. Then line the sides of the tin with baking parchment. The parchment should come up at least an inch, or two and a half centimetres, over the top of the tin.

When the cakes are completely cool, divide each one in half – giving you four layers. Place a layer of cake into the base of the tin then pipe a layer of mousse (about a quarter of the mousse) over the bottom layer, then place the next layer of cake on the mousse and pipe on more mousse. Repeat until you put the final layer on top and pipe the final layer of mousse on top.

Leave in the fridge for a few hours, or better still, overnight, to set.

When you remove the cake from the fridge, gently ease it out of the tin, using the cling film. I decorated it with some baby figs and drizzled some butterscotch sauce over it.