Bake
Cardamom Cake From Niloufer Ichaporia King
Popular on Food52
370 Reviews
Lucy
May 22, 2024
Wow! So good!! I used chopped pistachios instead of the almonds and it was amazing! Will definitely make it again
Cheri K.
May 19, 2024
Have not made this one yet, but am of Scandinavian heritage so cardamom is a must in a lot of my baking. I have been making a Swedish tea cake for 40 years and that uses the same method of melting butter and folding it in after the folding flour step. I also use almond extract in my recipe and it is baked in an 8x8 pan. I always get rave reviews on it but I can’t wait to try this cardamom version!
jmk2022
April 17, 2024
Love love love this cake. I will be making it for the third time today. If you just need a little cake for a small celebration, making a half recipe and using a 6 inch springform pan is perfect. I am of Norwegian descent and love freshly ground cardamom in cakes, cookies, waffles, bread, dutch babies - I have a dedicated electric coffee grinder (thank you Goodwill) just for cardamom. Tip: I always test for doneness in cakes or breads with an instant read thermometer. For this cake, look for 210 F internal temp.
John V.
December 29, 2023
5 stars. Our local Penzeys carries a 79 gram jar of cardamom seeds (#50955) which are ready to bruise without the fragrant but tedious task of digging them out of the pods. Mine needed an extra five minutes (40 total) to fully bake in my oven. An easy to make, few ingredient, perfect cake to end a meal.
NancyKim
December 29, 2023
I realize I’m in the minority but I wasn’t crazy about it. It was on the bland side with a dry consistency. Without the sugared almond top it wouldn’t be edible. It was easy to make so I don’t regret trying it.
John V.
December 29, 2023
Maybe you need to try it with some ice cream - this cake with a scoop of vanilla is extraordinary. Making another one this evening to give to a person who may only remember me as "that guy who baked me the most delicious cake I've ever eaten". I can live with that...
gingerroot
December 20, 2023
This is an easy cake to love. Easy to make, complex in flavor, I can see why it would be the most requested cake in a home once everyone tried it.
Angela H.
December 4, 2023
First of all, I love cardamom, so I knew I had to try this cake. It was very simple to make with few ingredients, which is always appreciated. I had the opportunity to make a unique cake for a friend's birthday dinner. This choice was perfect. Just the right amount of sweetness and the cardamom shines. It was unanimously loved. I will be making this cake again and again. Thanks so much for sharing.
Justin G.
December 2, 2023
Made this cake yesterday for the first time . Had to leave in oven for extra time as center top was still soft . Have just cut a slice ( next day ) and cake is lovelly and the crust is amazing . I used spring pan lined with paper and the cake just popped out . A first time making a crusty outer cake and love it . Thanks for a great recipe .
Raphaelle C.
November 23, 2023
This cake is seriously delicious. No need for a springform pan. It works just as well with a cup for cup type replacement flour for baking; just watch the cooking time you may need an extra 5 minutes or so.
Chef G.
November 19, 2023
So no one is talking about the elephant in the room. This recipe says 1 -1/3 C of butter and then 160 grams. This does not equal 1- 1/3 cup butter. It is a disaster if you use the cup amount of butter. I found out the hard way and made this 2x. Someone needs to fix this mistake so we can all make a better cake. USE the Grams amount, it's will then work. 160 grams =2/3 Cup
Dawn F.
November 19, 2023
Thank you Chef G.!! I too thought something might be off with the butter as sometimes it seeps out. This makes more sense!! I LOVE this cake and give it as a gift sometimes --- always a show stopper!
MFFRD
November 19, 2023
I always use the gram weight when baking. With dry ingredients a lot depends on the humidity. I will weigh and measure butter when I get home.
Debbi
November 19, 2023
I make this cake frequently and the recipe I use says 1 1/3 STICKS of butter. Could that be the confusion?
Kati C.
November 25, 2023
Um, yeah. A stick of butter is 8 Tbsp = 4 oz. = half a cup, NOT 1 cup. So 1 + 1/3 stick = about 10.5 Tbsp = 2/3 Cup. The magnet on my fridge doesn't lie.
CApam
February 5, 2024
Agreed! Alternate calculation: 1 stick of butter is 1/4 pound, commonly marked as 113 g.
1-1/3 sticks (not cups) of butter x 113 g = 150.629 g, which is rounded down to 150 g by weight.
1-1/3 sticks (not cups) of butter x 113 g = 150.629 g, which is rounded down to 150 g by weight.
SixDegrees
November 7, 2023
Curious about a couple of things:
- Why is a springform pan used? It doesn't get sprung in the video; the cake just dumps right out. Is this just extra assurance?
- Surprised that a paddle attachment was used instead of a whisk attachment, since the point is to whip air into the mix. Is there a reason for using the paddle?
- Why is a springform pan used? It doesn't get sprung in the video; the cake just dumps right out. Is this just extra assurance?
- Surprised that a paddle attachment was used instead of a whisk attachment, since the point is to whip air into the mix. Is there a reason for using the paddle?
Melanie
November 21, 2023
I've made this cake many times - not once did I use a springform pan - not necessary at all. And honestly, I can't remember if I used paddle or whisk attachment - probably whatever was handy. It's a delightful cake that everyone loves.
Abigail T.
December 12, 2023
I think the first time I did it with the paddle but every other time I’ve done it with the whisk and I think it’s faster/incorporates air better.
Laura
October 24, 2023
Incredibly interesting and unique cake. I love cardamom and my husband and I both really enjoyed this cake. I wouldn’t say it’s my favorite cake ever, but I would make it again just because it’s so different. The crunchy almond topping and the caramelized sides really added great texture, along with the bits of cardamom. It’s also the very first egg leavened cake I’ve made that wasn’t dry or dense, but fluffy, soft, and tender. Awesome recipe you should at least try, especially if you’re a cardamom fan too.
Laura
October 24, 2023
Forgot to mention that you can get just the seeds from Penzeys online spice shop at a reasonable price, and they made making this super easy.
MFFRD
October 5, 2023
I don’t know what I am did wrong. I followed the recipe exactly, bake for 35 minutes in spring form pan, top springs back, skewer is clean. Cool on a rack. Turn cake onto a rack then transfer to plate and when I cut it (a few hours later) the center is soft and not cake like. I have been making this cake every month for a long time.
dizzylizzy
October 5, 2023
Quick and tasty. I used ground cardamom and whole grain rye flour (1c rye + 1/3c of all-purpose) and it came out great! The almonds are a really nice touch. I also used a regular (not springform) cake pan lined with parchment, and had no problems.
Jenn
October 2, 2023
Since the cake relies on the beaten egg yolks and sugar for volume (not baking powder ir soda) it might work.
bgore@411
September 30, 2023
Haven’t tried it yet, but the sugar seeped out of the springform pan and made a mess in my oven☹️. I didn’t see any comments about this in the reviews so I wasn’t worried. Wish I had gone w my gut instinct🫤
KarenSiena
September 30, 2023
I'm sorry that happened. I don't know why it didn't happen to me. I remember using parchment paper tho.
Janice H.
September 29, 2023
I'd like to make this, but just wondering if anyone has simply used ground cardamom instead of bruising the pods?? Thanks
KarenSiena
September 29, 2023
After struggling with cardamom pods, I just used 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cardamom from the spice aisle. I used the almonds with turbinado sugar on the bottom. Everyone at work loved it!
jmk2022
April 17, 2024
Glad ground cardamom worked, but freshly ground cardamom pods bring a flavor to breads, rolls, cookies, cakes that cannot be beat.
MFFRD
September 3, 2023
I have been making this cake almost every month for a long time. If there aren’t a few ski ices in the freezer my husband is not happy. I made it yesterday and the edges were firm and perfect and the center was soft and tacky/gooey. What could have gone wrong?
Tonya M.
October 12, 2023
Do you use a stand mixer to beat the eggs and sugar? It’s important it’s pale and tripled in volume.
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