Looking for a simple, moist bundt cake bursting with cardamom flavor to go with your afternoon cup of coffee? This recipe is for you! Cardamom Cake (Kardemummakaka) is a popular everyday fika treat in Sweden and for good reason. Buttery with a tender crumb, this cake comes together in no time and is sure to please all of the cardamom lovers in your life.
With its straightforward and easy preparation and just a dusting of powdered sugar this Cardamom Cake will captivate you with its elegant simplicity.
Why This Recipe Works
- It contains simple, straightforward ingredients, most of which you probably already have on hand;
- It's baked in a bundt pan which makes for a lovely cake with very little effort; and
- It includes just the right amount of cardamom to give it that authentic Swedish flavor.
The Ingredients
Our grocery list is short, sweet and straightforward:
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder and baking soda
- Fine salt
- Ground cardamom
- Granulated sugar
- Unsalted butter
- Buttermilk
- 3 eggs and 1 egg yolk
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice
How To Make This Recipe
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease and flour a 10 cup capacity bundt pan (alternatively you can spray the interior of the pan with a baking spray....a particularly good thing to do when working with a bundt pan to prevent sticking).
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cardamom together in a medium bowl. Set aside. Combine the buttermilk and lemon juice together. Set aside.
- Combine the butter and sugar in the work bowl of a stand mixer. Use the paddle attachment to cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally.
- Add the eggs one at a time, making sure each one is fully incorporated before adding the next. Finish with the egg yolk.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low. Add one-third of the flour mixture followed by one-half of the buttermilk and lemon juice mixture. Repeat with another third of the flour mixture and the last half of the buttermilk and lemon juice mixture. Finally, add the the last third of the flour mixture. Mix until JUST combined.
- Transfer the cake batter to the prepared bundt pan. Smooth the top and give it a few good taps on the countertop to eliminate any bubbles. Place the filled pan on a baking sheet and slide it into the oven. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Place a wire rack on top of the cake and flip it over, removing the pan and leaving the cake behind on the rack. Let it cool to room temperature.
- Dust with powdered sugar and enjoy!
Expert Tips
Baking a deliciously simple cake is both an art and a science. Here are a few tips and tricks for ensuring Swedish Cardamom Cake success every time:
- Thoroughly grease and flour the pan OR use a baking spray to coat the interior. Bundt pans tend to contain nooks and crannies which, if not properly greased and floured (or coated with baking spray), can cause the cake to stick to the pan. Take the time upfront to ensure that your cake will come out cleanly.
- Don't over mix the batter. One of the keys to making a tender and moist cake is not over mixing once the flour has been introduced into the batter. Keep the mixer on low and mix until everything is JUST combined.
- Once you've transferred the batter to the cake pan, tap it on the counter a few times. This helps the thick batter settle into the pan and eliminates air bubbles.
- Flip the cake after 10 minutes of cooling time in the pan. 10 minutes is the magic amount of time needed for the baked cake to settle prior to flipping it out onto a cooling rack. Check to make sure that the edges are loose by giving it a little shake up and down. The cake should not be stuck to the pan and should move up and down as you shake it. If the cake seems to be stuck in spots, use a butter knife to carefully loosen the cake around the sides (and around the sides of the center hole) prior to inverting it. When you are ready to flip, simply place a wire rack over the top of the pan, invert the whole thing and set it on the counter. Tap the pan a few times to ensure that the cake has fully released and then carefully lift up the pan, leaving the cake behind.
FAQs
The bundt pan was originally designed by the Nordic Ware company of Minneapolis in 1950 at the specific request of a group of Jewish women who were looking to recreate traditional Eastern European cakes that had a hole in the center. But the popularity of the bundt pan didn't really take off until 1966 when the Tunnel of Fudge bundt cake won second place in the annual Pillsbury Bake-Off. Demand for these unique pans suddenly skyrocketed as women all across America wanted to bake their own versions of this gooey chocolate cake. Today, there are as many bundt cake variations as there are bakers, and the Nordic Ware company continues to manufacture the beautifully-shaped pans that bake them.
An easy trick for bring your eggs to room temperature in no time at all: Simply place the eggs in a bowl and cover them with warm (not hot) water. Let them sit for about 10-15 minutes. Remove the eggs from the warm water and they will be ready to crack and use in your recipe!
This cake will keep for a couple of days at room temperature. Just be sure it is tightly wrapped after it cools completely.
Yes! This cake freezes very well. Once it has completely cooled, tightly wrap it in plastic wrap and seal in a freezer bag. It will keep in the freezer for a couple of months.
Related Recipes
Looking for more simple Scandinavian-inspired cakes to enjoy with an afternoon cup of coffee? I've got several for you here on the blog:
Swedish Cardamom Cake (Kardemummakaka)
Equipment
- 10 cup capacity bundt pan
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon ground cardamom
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon freshly-squeezed lemon juice
- 18 tablespoons 2 ¼ sticks unsalted butter
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 egg yolk room temperature
- Powdered sugar for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-cup capacity bundt pan OR spray the interior or the pan with baking spray. Set aside.
- Whisk flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cardamom together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Combine buttermilk and lemon juice in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Combine butter and granulated sugar in the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add eggs and egg yolk one at a time, allowing each one to fully incorporate into the batter before adding the next.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low. Add one third of the flour mixture, followed by one half of the buttermilk mixture. Repeat, finishing with the flour mixture (do not over mix). Transfer the batter to the prepared bundt pan and smooth out the top with a rubber spatula. Tap the pan on the counter a few tims to eliminate any air bubbles. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes. Lay a wire cooling rack over the top of the pan and invert the cake onto the rack. Remove the pan, leaving the cake behind. Cool the cake to room temperature and dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
If you loved this recipe, give it a star review! Also, snap a picture of your Swedish Cardamom Cake and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #truenorthkitchen and tagging me @true_north_kitchen.
I do not have a Bundt pan here in the UK Can I I use cake tines?
Hi Donna,
Thanks for your question! You can use 2 9-inch cake pans or 2 9 x 5 loaf pans instead of the bundt pan. They will not take as long to bake though so make sure you are checking the cakes for doneness around the 30 minute mark or so. Hope this helps!
Kristi