Cake · Baking

Fig and Salted Caramel Oolong Cake

I start by slicing up the figs and macerating them in sugar, then set them aside so all those juices can come out while I make the cake. The oolong gets ground right into the batter. I used a salted caramel oolong, but regular oolong works just as well, and honestly it is a really easy bake, nothing fancy.

That fig juice goes into the cream cheese frosting, which is my favourite part because nothing goes to waste. Then I cover the cake with the macerated figs, add the frosting, top it with fresh figs and drizzle the rest of the fig juice over everything.

Ingredients

Macerated Figs

• 8 fresh figs, sliced
• 2 tbsp sugar

Cake

• 150g butter
• 200g sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract or paste
• 100g yogurt
• 2 tsp salted caramel oolong loose leaf tea, ground
• 200g all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder

Fig Cream Cheese Frosting

• 226g cream cheese, room temperature
• 360g powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp salt
• Fig juice from macerated figs (reserve some for drizzling)

To Finish

• Fresh figs, halved, for topping

Method

1. 1 Slice the figs and toss them with 2 tbsp of sugar. Set aside to macerate while you make the cake. The juices that come out will go into the frosting and the drizzle.
2. 2 Preheat oven to 350°F and line an 8-inch cake pan with parchment paper.
3. 3 Grind the oolong tea leaves into a fine powder using a spice grinder or blender.
4. 4 Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then mix in the vanilla and yogurt.
5. 5 In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and ground oolong. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined.
6. 6 Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely before assembling.
7. 7 Make the frosting: Beat cream cheese until creamy. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt, then whip until fluffy. Stir in a few tablespoons of the fig juice to taste.
8. 8 Assemble: Cover the top of the cake with the macerated figs, then spread or dollop the frosting over top. Finish with fresh fig halves and drizzle the remaining fig juice over everything.

Tips & Notes

• Make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature before you begin. This applies to the butter, cream cheese, eggs, and yogurt for the cake, and the cream cheese for the frosting.
• Regular oolong works just as well if you cannot find salted caramel oolong. The fig and cream cheese do a lot of the flavour work on their own.