Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9-inch-round cake pan. Put the almonds on a sheet pan or pie plate and toast in the oven for 17 minutes, or until browned but not too dark. Remove and coarsely chop.

Beat the eggs until frothy. Mix in the butter and 3/4 cup sugar. Combine the all-purpose flour and almond flour, baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the fennel seeds in a separate bowl. Mix into the eggs alternately with the milk. Pour the batter into the cake pan.

Bake until a skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven. (Leave the oven turned on.) Let the cake cool in the pan, then unmold. Cover with plastic wrap.

While the cake cools, cut the tops from the figs and slice in half lengthwise. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of sugar on a sheet pan. Lay the figs skin side down, on top of the sugar. Sprinkle with the lemon zest and the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the honey.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until the sugar caramelizes and is pale gold in color. Remove the pan from the oven and transfer the figs to a tray or platter lightly sprayed with cooking oil spray. Let cool to room temperature, uncovered. Reserve any honey-sugar syrup left over from baking for garnish.

Combine the mascarpone, the remaining 1-1/2 tablespoons of honey, and a pinch of salt in a mixing bowl. Add the heavy cream and whisk until the mixture begins to thicken. Stir in half of the almonds.

To serve, slice the cake horizontally into 2 equally thick layers. Cut each layer into 6 wedges. Place a wedge of cake on each of 6 plates, layer with the cream mixture, then top with a second wedge. Place the figs around the cake and spoon some of the honey-sugar syrup over the figs. Top the cake with more of the cream mixture and sprinkle with the remaining almonds.