Cardamom Cake with Cinnamon Streusel

Cardamom is generally associated with Indian desserts. What would it taste like in a cake?  This is the result of my attempt to answer this question. Popular opinion indicates it is a raving hit – die hard believers that cakes without  egg are not cakes at all have changed their opinion after trying this one. 

As a fan of cinnamon strudel,  I somehow thought a marriage might work,  and hence the streusel wave with this complimentary yet completely different spice. 

The cardamom here was hand pounded on a traditional rolling stone grinder – the lack of heat in the grinding process accentuates and brings forth the full essence of the freshly deseeded pods. 

Do try the recipe and leave your comments. 

Preheat oven to  180 degrees Celsius or 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and flour a deep round cake pan with at least 9 cup capacity.  Bundt pans work well too. All measures are standard American ones – 1 cup is 237 ml, 1 tsp is 5 ml and 1 tbsp is 15 ml. As with all baking recipes, correct measurements AND measuring utensils are crucial. And dry ingredients, particularly flour, should be spooned in loosely and lightly leveled – NEVER packed, unless specifically stated.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups fine granulated sugar (in India, most sugar is not fine – in that case, run it through a blender and powder it slightly – not to fine powder – before using)

220 gms (1/2 lb or 1 cup) butter, at room temperature -Amul Salted Butter strongly recommended in India.

Dry ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour (maida) 

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt (if using unsalted butter, increase salt to 1/2 tsp)

1 1/2 tsp cardamom (elaichi) powder

Liquid ingredients:

3/4 cup milk – at room temperature 

3/4 cup plain yoghurt (ideally home made) – at room temperature 

2 tsp vanilla extract/essence

For streusel:

Mix 1/4 cup brown sugar with 1 tbsp cinnamon powder

Method:

Cream butter and sugar separately until fluffy. Add yoghurt,  milk and vanilla to butter mixture and mix as homogeneously as possible – some lumps are ok.  Add all dry ingredients. Mix well. 

Pour half the batter into cake pan.  Sprinkle dry streusel mixture evenly.  Top with remaining cake batter.  Level. 

Bake in centre of oven for 35 to 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes clean. 

Use oven mitts to remove and set on wire rack (for airflow above and below) to cool until pan is still hot but touchable with naked hands. At this stage,  upturn unto a plate.  

As minor as this step sounds,  it is crucial for a presentable result. If upturned too early,  part of the cake will stick to the pan.  If overcooled,  it will not dislodge itself from the pan. 

Serve by itself or paired with cardamom gelato.  

Variations:

1. You can skip the cardamom entirely and use just the cinnamon streusel.
2. You can skip both spices and make it an absolutely scrumptious plain vanilla (literally) cake.