Put the bread cubes in a 3-quart / 3 L mixing bowl. Warm the milk in a 2-quart / 1.9 L saucepan over medium heat for about 3 minutes until steaming but not boiling, pour it over the bread and toss. Leave to soak for 30 minutes, stirring once or twice, until a cube squeezed in your hand has no dry core.

While the bread soaks, stir the raisins into the grappa or warm water for 10 minutes. Peel and dice the apples and pears into 1 cm cubes, chop the figs, and toss the fruit with the lemon zest. Heat the oven to 180 C / 350 F, butter a 24 cm / 9.5-inch springform pan with the 10 g of butter, dust it with the breadcrumbs and set it on a 33 x 46 cm / 13 x 18-inch sheet pan.

Whisk the eggs with the 90 g sugar, flour, melted butter, cinnamon and salt until smooth. Mash the soaked bread lightly with a fork, leaving some small chunks, then pour in the egg mixture and stir until combined.

Drain the raisins and fold them in with the diced fruit, figs and pine nuts. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan, press it level, and sprinkle the top with the 1 tbsp sugar.

Bake for 55 minutes until the top is deep golden, the edges pull from the pan, and a knife in the center comes out with moist crumbs and no wet batter. Don't pull it early: if the knife is wet, bake 10 minutes more, because an underbaked center slumps and the wedges fall apart. Tent with foil at 40 minutes if the top darkens too fast.

Cool the cake in the pan on a rack for 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edge, release the springform and cut into 8 wedges. Serve warm or at room temperature.