Cinnamon Cake with Rosemary & Fig

Cinnamon olive oil sponge brushed with brown sugar cake soak, filled with rosemary-infused vanilla bean mousse, and frosted in a cinnamon fig Swiss meringue buttercream. The Pisces cake.

Happy (almost) Pisces season, my beautiful friends! Here, we have a cake I feel encapsulates the Piscesian aura. As for all my astrology cakes, I look at the traditional correspondences for each sign in terms of colors, fruits, flavors etc, and develop the cake from there, adding my own personal interpretations. For Pisces, I drew inspiration on fig and early spring correspondences which brings us the cake we have here.

This cake is a cinnamon sugar olive oil sponge brushed with a brown sugar cake soak. The sponge is my Vanilla Bean Olive Oil Cake with a bit of additional sugar and the addition of ground cinnamon. Try to find Ceylon cinnamon when possible, as this is the highest quality available. The cake is then brushed with a brown sugar cake soak for extra moisture and sweetness.

The filling of this cake is a rosemary-infused vanilla bean mousse. This mousse is light, fluffy, and subtly woody from the rosemary that pairs beautifully with the fig Swiss meringue buttercream. I would start the mousse the day before baking to allow the rosemary adequate time to infuse. The Swiss meringue buttercream is loaded with fig preserves. You can use fresh figs here, but the cooked figs break down into the frosting so much more easily. I dont mind the chunks of figs in this frosting but if you want a smoother finish, blend and strain your preserves before adding.

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Cinnamon Cake with Rosemary & Fig

Makes one 6-inch triple tier cake

Ingredients:

For the cake:

• 1 batch Vanilla Bean Olive Oil Cake

• 50g granulated sugar

• 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon

For the cake soak:

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 1/2 cup water

For the mousse:

• 3/4 cups heavy cream

• 2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary

• 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste

• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar

• 3/4 teaspoon unflavored gelatin powder

• 1 tablespoon water

For the buttercream:

• 1 batch Swiss Meringue Buttercream

• 3/4 cup good quality fig preserves

• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

Method:

For the cake:

1. Add the sugar and cinnamon to the dry ingredients. Whisk to combine.

2. Bake the cake as directed in the recipe. Let cool entirely before proceeding with the recipe.

For the cake soak:

3. Combine all ingredients in a heatproof bowl or mug.

4. Microwave for 1-2 minutes or until sugar has completely dissolved.

5. Set aside in the fridge until ready to use. (You can also make this in a small saucepan on the stovetop but I’ve found this method to be faster and easier with an identical result.)

For the mousse:

6. A few hours (preferably, day) before baking, add the heavy cream and rosemary to a small saucepan over medium-high heat.

7. Bring the cream to just under a boil, then remove from the heat. Let the cream stand off the heat until it comes to room temperature.

8. Transfer to a container and refrigerate until ready to use. The cream must be cold before continuing with the recipe. Discard of the rosemary just before utilizing.

9. In a small heat-proof bowl or cup, add the water. Sprinkle the gelatin on top and allow it to bloom for about 5 minutes. Set aside.

10. In a chilled bowl, beat together the heavy cream, vanilla bean paste, and powdered sugar. Beat this mixture on medium high until soft peaks form.

11. Microwave the gelatin for about 5-10 seconds, just until melted. Do not let the gelatin boil.

12. While the mixer or hand mixer is still going, stream the gelatin into the heavy cream mixture. Continue beating until stiff peaks form.

13. Chill the mousse for at least an hour before assembling.

For the buttercream:

14. Follow the recipe as written, adding the fig preserves and cinnamon after the butter has been fully incorporated. Taste and adjust salt as desired.

Assembly:

15. Place your first layer of cake on a cake board or serving dish.

16. Brush the cake liberally with your cake soak and allow it to sit for a minute or 2 to absorb.

17. Add a thin, even layer of buttercream to the top of your cake layer.

18. Remove your mousse from the fridge. Beat the mousse on high for a moment to make it fluffy and spreadable.

19. Add a spoonful of your mousse on top of the buttercream, spreading with an offset spatula to create an even layer.

20. Place your next cake layer gently on top, pressing down slightly.

21. Repeat steps 17-20.

22. Now that you have your top layer on the cake, brush the layer with the cake soak and allow it to absorb for a few moments.

23. Add a large dollop of the buttercream and coat the entire cake in a thin, even layer.

24. Place the entire cake into the refrigerator for about 15 minutes to solidify the crumb coat.

25. Once the crumb coat has hardened, add another scoop of buttercream, coating again in an even layer. This is where you can decorate! I chose to do some piping, but do whatever you’d like here.

26. Garnish your cake as desired (I chose to garnish with rosemary and sugared red grapes) and enjoy!