Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Place the figs in a baking dish cut-side up, then sprinkle over the sugar and squeeze over the orange juice. Bake for 10 mins until the figs have softened and are juicy but still holding their shape. Leave to cool.

Cut the ginger cake into 1cm-thick slices, then use these to line the base of a 1.5-litre trifle bowl in a single layer (you may need to cut these to fit; reserve any pieces you don’t use). Arrange the figs around the edge so the cut sides can be seen through the glass (reserve a few figs for the top). Pour most of the the roasting juices from the figs over the cake layer along with the rum, if using. Mix the caramel with the stem ginger and gently spread half of this over the cake layer using the back of a spoon or a spatula.

Pour the cream and ginger syrup into a large bowl and whisk until the cream is lightly whipped and just holding its shape. Spread half the whipped cream over the caramel layer, then top with any remaining ginger cake pieces, the rest of the caramel and remaining cream. Top with the reserved figs and drizzle over any remaining roasting juices. Will keep chilled for up to 24 hrs.