This Cardamom Cake recipe is fluffy and moist spiced cake layered with salted maple buttercream! Each bite is bursting with cardamom flavor with creamy hint of maple for a delightfully cozy dessert. Enjoy with a scoop of ice cream for a delightful dessert!
For more cake recipes, try this Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting, Chocolate Ganache Cake and Peach Cobbler Pound Cake!
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I have a strong affinity for cardamom. It's one of those spices that is SO delicious and cozy and makes everything so much better. So, I decided to give cardamom some love and make a Cardamom Cake. This cake is so fragrant and fluffy and moist - it truly has a luxurious texture that's like eating velvet.
It's a great cake with plenty of cardamom without being overbearing. Also, the different flavors of maple and cardamom really pair well together to make this lovely cake. If you're looking for something different for the holidays, save this simple cake recipe. Everyone will be fighting over the last slice.
What You'll Need
- 3 8-inch baking pans
- Mixing Bowls
- Stand Mixer or Electric Hand Mixer
- Cake Stand
Ingredient Notes
Cardamom Cake
Cardamom: be sure to use ground cardamom as opposed to cardamom pods.
Sour Cream: the sour cream makes this a very moist cake that's soft and flavorful. It's a must.
All purpose flour: to bind everything together!
Cornstarch: this may seem like an interesting ingredient, but the cornstarch allows this cake to be tender and soft.
Leaveners: baking powder and baking soda give this cake lift!
Salted butter: I like using salted butter for flavor but unsalted butter works here too. Just make sure your butter is at room temperature.
Sugar: brown sugar and sugar add a lot of flavor and sweetness that really compliment the cardamom.
Vanilla Extract: what's a cake recipe without vanilla extract?! It's a must. Always.
Eggs: for structure and moisture.
Oil and Milk: oil and milk add a lot of moisture and attribute to this cake's soft texture.
Maple Buttercream
The maple buttercream is essentially a rich cream cheese frosting with a little maple extract. Here's what you'll need:
Salted butter: I love the salty flavor that the butter provides.
Maple extract: the maple extract is key in getting that true maple flavor. Maple and cardamom recipes go together like peanut butter and jelly. It's so good, you'll be licking the bottom of the bowl.
Powdered Sugar: the powdered sugar adds sweetness and structure to the buttercream.
Cream Cheese: the cream cheese gives this buttercream a rich, smooth, and luxurious mouth feel and taste.
Variations
There are so many ways to customize this layer cake recipe. I personally love adding a little caramel sauce on top of mine, but this is only when I want a little decadence. This cake is absolutely as is, however, see the variations below to spice things up a bit!
- Add a little almond extract (about ½ tsp) to make this into an almond cardamom cake! Garnish with sliced almonds for a nice crunch.
- Use orange zest for an orange cardamom cake. Orange is a great addition to this cake for a little citrus flavor.
- Add in nuts, especially chopped pecans - it pairs well with the maple and cardamom and adds a nice nutty texture.
Tips
- Let the cake cool completely prior to adding the buttercream. If the cakes are warm, the buttercream will melt.
- This cake is an easy peasy recipe, just be sure not to overmix the cake batter. Rule of thumb, mix the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined.
How to make Cardamom Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, mix together dry ingredients - all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cornstarch, kosher salt, and ground cardamom. Whisk together.
- In a separate bowl or bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream room temperature butter and vegetable oil together for 2 minutes, then add brown sugar and sugar and continue to mix for another 3 minutes.
- Then add vanilla extract and eggs, one at a time - making sure each egg is fully incorporated prior to adding the next. Then add sour cream and ½ cup of whole milk. Mix wet ingredients until fully combined.
- Add half of the dry ingredients and mix together and then add remaining ½ cup of milk. Then add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until fully incorporated, about 15-20 seconds.
- Spray 3 8-inch cake pan with nonstick cooking spray. Divide batter into 3 8-inch cake pans. Tap the cake pans onto the countertop to remove any air bubbles. Bake for 20-22 minutes, until a toothpick or wooden skewer comes out clean.
- Allow the cakes to cool completely on a wire rack.
- While the cakes are cooling, make the maple frosting.
- Add room temperature butter to a large bowl and beat on high speed until fluffy and lighter in color. Begin adding confectioners’ sugar 1 cup at a time, beginning on low speed and increasing to high speed once powdered sugar is fully incorporated.
- Add maple extract, heavy cream, and kosher salt and continue to mix together until smooth.
- Add one of the cakes to a cake stand and add about ¾ cup of buttercream to the top of the cake. Place the second cake on top and repeat.
- Place the third cake on top and add a thin layer of maple buttercream all around the cake. Allow the cake to set in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Add remaining buttercream to the rest of the cake.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, cardamom is a great spice to use in baking. It provides a fragrant minty flavor to your baked goods and goes well with other spices and by itself.
I really enjoy eating this cake by itself or with a scoop of ice cream. You can also serve with fresh raspberries, nuts, caramel sauce, or fresh strawberries.
More Cake Recipes
- The BEST Coconut Cake Recipe
- Red Velvet Bundt Cake
- Strawberry Crunch Cake
- Black Velvet Cake
- Gingerbread Pound Cake
- Orange cake with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
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Cardamom Cake
Equipment
- Stand Mixer or Electric Hand Mixer
- Mixing Bowls
- Cake stand
- 3 8-inch cake pans
Ingredients
- 3 cup All Purpose Flour
- ¼ cup Cornstarch
- 1 tbsp Ground Cardamom
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- ½ tsp Baking Soda
- ½ tsp Kosher Salt
- ½ cup Salted Butter (room temperature)
- ½ cup Vegetable Oil
- 1 cup Brown Sugar
- ½ cup Sugar
- 1 tbsp Vanilla Extract Â
- 4 Large Eggs (room temperature)
- ½ cup Sour Cream1 (room temperature)
- 1 cup Whole Milk
Salted Maple Cream Cheese Buttercream
- ½ cup Salted Butter (room temperature)
- 4 oz Cream Cheese (room temperature)
- 4 cups Powdered Sugar
- 2 tbsps Heavy Cream
- 2 tsp Maple Extract
- Pinch Kosher Salt
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, mix together dry ingredients - all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cornstarch, kosher salt, and ground cardamom. Whisk together.
- In a separate bowl or bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream room temperature butter and vegetable oil together for 2 minutes, then add brown sugar and sugar and continue to mix for another 3 minutes. Then add vanilla extract and eggs, one at a time - making sure each egg is fully incorporated prior to adding the next. Then add sour cream and ½ cup of whole milk. Mix wet ingredients until fully combined.
- Add half of the dry ingredients and mix together and then add remaining ½ cup of milk. Then add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until fully incorporated, about 15-20 seconds.
- Spray 3 8-inch cake pan with nonstick cooking spray. Divide batter into 3 8-inch cake pans. Tap the cake pans onto the countertop to remove any air bubbles. Bake for 20-22 minutes, until a toothpick or wooden skewer comes out clean.
- Allow the cakes to cool completely on a wire rack.
- While the cakes are cooling, make the maple frosting. Add room temperature butter to a large bowl and beat on high speed until fluffy and lighter in color. Then add cream cheese and begin adding confectioners’ sugar 1 cup at a time, beginning on low speed and increasing to high speed once powdered sugar is fully incorporated.
- Add maple extract, heavy cream, and kosher salt and continue to mix together until smooth.
- Add one of the cakes to a cake stand and add about ¾ cup of buttercream to the top of the cake. Place the second cake on top and repeat.Place the third cake on top and add a thin layer of maple buttercream all around the cake. Allow the cake to set in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Add remaining buttercream to the rest of the cake.
Excited to try this. I am not an advanced baker and don't have many cake pans. If I were to do this with one big pan is the bake time the same? Thinking a long rectangle like a 6 x 12.
I haven't tested this recipe in a different cake pan but a 9x13 pan would be best for a single layer cake.
Hello again. I made the cake and used one full orange of zest and decreased the vanilla extract by half. It was amazing and I got many compliments. I was sure to share your recipe!
Also, it got me second place in our work baking competition. Thank you so much. Tastes and looks lovely!
That's incredible! I'm so happy to hear that you enjoyed it AND placed in a baking competition, so so cool!
Hello. How much orange zest would I add if I wanted to make it orange cardamon.
And would the orange conflict with the maple buttercream taste?
Would you be adding it to the cake itself or the buttercream? If adding to the buttercream, the flavors might conflict but I think that it would be delicious in the actual cake! I'd use a tbsp to start, taste as you go. Rub the orange zest and the sugar together prior to adding to the cake to really bring out all of the citrus flavor 🙂 let me know how it comes out!
I really enjoyed it, the cake was good and the maple and cardamom flavors went well together. Made this for my cousin's bday and it was delicious.
Thank you!
Great recipe! Tasted amazing. Any cake soaks you recommend?
So glad to hear that! A normal simple syrup cake soak would be great! Because the cardamom is so strong, I'd keep it simple if adding a cake soak!
Ami missing the amount of cream in the frosting?
You'll need 2 tablespoons. Thank you!