When I close my eyes and think of winter, I think of rosemary. It is a breath of frigid air, boots crunching over a crust of frost and fallen pine needles, and leaning into the tree to hang an ornament—it is all of that wrapped up in a little herb. The mountains here are known for their Christmas trees—our cousins drive theirs home on top of the car when they visit for Thanksgiving—and getting the tree is a tradition that has stood longer than the firs themselves. The day after Thanksgiving, we brave the winter chill and traipse through the rows of firs for the fattest, fullest, most perfect tree. We huddle by our chosen tree, guarding it, and wait for the farmers with the chainsaws to cut it down. Then comes the best part: steaming mugs of hot chocolate in the barn while the tree is tied to the car.

The smell of pine mingling with chocolate and the hint of spice that seems to linger everywhere around Christmas…that is the flavor of this cake, as cozy and festive as that winter day itself. The rosemary buttercream is sweet and soothing; the chocolate spice cake is lavish and warming; and the dried cranberries and candied pecans add a chewy, crunchy, sweet-tart twist. This is a true taste of Appalachian winter: fir, spices, hot cocoa, and cold, cold, cold.

Enjoy

Based on recipes by Two Cups Flour and The Little Epicurean.

Ingredients

Chocolate Spice Cake:

• 1 and 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup cake flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 12 tablespoons salted butter, melted
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder
• 1 cup whole milk, warm, divided
• 1 and 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
• 4 eggs, room temperature

Rosemary Buttercream:

• 1 cup salted butter (bring rosemary infused butter to room temperature before making frosting)
• 6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 3-4 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 3 and 1/3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream or milk

Others:

• Dried cranberries
• Candied pecans, chopped
• Rosemary sprigs for decorating (optional)

Directions

Chocolate Spice Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Trace the bottom of two 9-inch cake pan on parchment paper then cut them out and place them in the bottoms of the pans (keeps the bottoms from sticking). Grease the sides of the cake pans well
2. In a large bowl, whisk flours, spices, baking powder, baking soda, and salt
3. In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, mix melted butter, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and 1/2 cup warm milk on medium speed until smooth
4. Add dark brown sugar and mix on medium until smooth
5. Spoon in flour mixture alternating with milk, beginning and ending with the flour, mixing on medium
6. Add eggs one at a time just until batter is smooth (do not over mix)
7. Divide batter between the two pans and bake 18-22 min or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean (make sure the pans aren’t touching in the oven and are an even distance from the walls)
8. Set pans on cooling rack for 5 min, then remove from pans and finish cooling on cooling rack
9. Optional: after cooling, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze 10-15 min before frosting to make them easier to frost

Rosemary Buttercream:

1. In a small saucepan, heat butter and rosemary over medium heat until it begins to boil lightly. Boil for 1 min, then remove from heat and let steel 60-90 min. Strain out rosemary, cover, and chill
2. In a large bowl using a hand mixer, combine room temperature rosemary infused butter and cream cheese until fluffy
3. Add salt and milk or cream, then add powdered sugar in three batches, mixing until smooth before adding the next

Assembly:

1. If your cakes are domed, evenly slice off a small amount of the dome of one of them so that the other layer doesn’t slide off
2. Frost cake to your liking and top with cranberries, candied pecans, and sprigs of rosemary