Cardamom Coffee Cake (Print Version)

Tender coffee cake infused with cardamom and topped with a crunchy brown sugar streusel.

# What You'll Need:

→ Streusel Topping

01 - 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
02 - 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
03 - 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
04 - 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
05 - 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
06 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cubed

→ Cake Batter

07 - 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
08 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
09 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
10 - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
11 - 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
12 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
13 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
14 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
15 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
16 - 2/3 cup sour cream
17 - 1/4 cup whole milk

# Steps to Follow:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan and line with parchment paper, leaving overhang for easy removal.
02 - In a medium bowl, combine brown sugar, flour, cardamom, cinnamon, and salt. Add cold cubed butter and rub with your fingers or pastry cutter until mixture forms clumps. Refrigerate until ready to use.
03 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cardamom.
04 - In a large bowl, beat softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract.
05 - On low speed, add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, followed by the sour cream and milk. Add the remaining flour mixture and mix just until combined. Do not overmix.
06 - Spread batter evenly into the prepared pan. Sprinkle streusel topping evenly over the batter.
07 - Bake for 38 to 42 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the top is golden brown.
08 - Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes, then use the parchment overhang to lift it out. Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • The cardamom flavor is gentle and sophisticated without tasting like a spice cupboard exploded.
  • One mixing bowl method means less cleanup and more time actually enjoying the thing you baked.
  • It's tender enough to eat with coffee but structured enough to pack for a picnic.
02 -
  • Room temperature eggs and softened butter are not suggestions—cold ingredients won't emulsify properly and your batter will look grainy and sad.
  • That 15-minute cool-down in the pan is the difference between a cake that holds together and one that crumbles; it lets the structure set without cooling too much.
03 -
  • Don't peek in the oven before 35 minutes—opening the door drops the temperature and can cause the center to underbake while the edges get tough.
  • Keep cardamom seeds separate from the pods in your spice drawer and grind them when you need them; the flavor difference between fresh-ground and old ground cardamom is actually shocking.
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