I have abstained from baking, particularly cakes for the last few weeks. Well one can only abstain for so long! It was a long weekend here last week and I wanted to make a cake! You would imagine that I would have known exactly what to bake but that was not the case, choosing which cake proved to be a hard decision. Lots of recipe perusing left me with a craving for an orange cake, lots more perusing led me to the discovery of orange and cardamom cakes! After all this perusing I was out of time and now didn’t have all the ingredients for any of the cakes I found so I improvised, using my Lemon Olive Oil cake recipe but swapping orange and cardamom for lemon and making my own buttermilk as I forgot to buy yoghurt! I could not have been more disorganised if Id tried!
Despite my disorganisation this cake was a triumph! Orange and cardamom are a match made in heaven! The smell of the fresh ground cardamom and the orange zest is amazing, if ever I get around to making my own body scrub this will be the scent I use! The cake is light and fluffy and very moist.
note : Making your own buttermilk, if you don’t have any, is really easy! Just stir 1 tbsp of lemon juice into 1 cup of milk, it will begin to thicken almost immediately, leave for 10 minutes and use instead buttermilk
Orange Cardamom Cake
ingredients
- 200 grams (1 cup) caster sugar (I use unrefined)
- zest of 1 large orange (unwaxed if you can)
- 3 cardamom pods
- 2 eggs
- 220 grams (1.5 cups) self-raising flour
- 20o mls (3/4 cup) buttermilk
- 155 mls (2/3 cup) olive oil
method
- Pre heat your oven to 180 C, 350 F, Gas 4. Grease and base line a loaf tin.
- Remove the seeds from the cardamom pods and grind until powdery using a pestle and mortar. Add to the sugar with the orange zest and using your fingers mix together well, this releases the oils in the zest and makes a wonderful fragrant mix.
- Whisk together the orange, cardamom sugar and the eggs, adding the eggs one at a time. I use my stand mixer for this.
- Mix in the buttermilk.
- Mix in the olive oil.
- Fold in the flour.
- Pour into prepared loaf tin and bake for 45 minutes.
- Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out to cool completely.
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#1 by bakeaffairs on May 31, 2013 - 16:25
I love cardamom and this recipe sounds very tasty! Great pictures!
#2 by Liz on May 31, 2013 - 16:43
nummy num. love how you came to create this recipe🙂 Looks so pretty and tasty. Also liking your polka dot tablecloth–pretty.
#3 by Wendy Read (@Sunchowder) on May 31, 2013 - 17:36
Ummmm Cardamom🙂 I adore loaf cakes..yours looks delightful. I never have buttermilk around, I always have to make it with milk and cider vinegar before I bake!
#4 by Jayne on June 1, 2013 - 19:34
It’s such a good tip to have under your belt isn’t it?
#5 by Barb | Creative Culinary on May 31, 2013 - 20:01
I do believe we need to share this with a spot of tea Jayne. I’ll be over forthwith.🙂
Seriously then…sounds wonderful;just love the flavor combination.
#6 by Jayne on June 1, 2013 - 19:34
Thank you! Oh I do wish you could pop over!
#7 by traceinthekitchen on June 1, 2013 - 20:08
these looks scrumptious! would be perfect with a cup of tea in the morning. i made an orange loaf recently that also called for an icing that i kinda botched, wahwah…i’m gonna try this!!!
#8 by Jayne on June 6, 2013 - 21:04
Thank you! I wonder what happened to your icing? Cakes without icing are much easier!
#9 by Vanesther on June 2, 2013 - 08:09
Love, love, love the look of this! Cardamom has to be one of my favourite spices, especially in sweet things…
#10 by Jayne on June 6, 2013 - 21:05
Thank you! I’m a cardamom convert!
#11 by Chez Foti on June 6, 2013 - 10:17
I’m with the others on the wonderfully fragrant cardamom addition, looks like such a gorgeous cake! Loving the use of olive oil too :))
#12 by Jayne on June 6, 2013 - 21:05
Thank you! I love using olive oil in cakes, makes a great textured cake!
#13 by lizzygoodthings on June 8, 2013 - 02:18
I love the sound of orange and cardamom, Jayne….. ; )
#14 by Jayne on June 8, 2013 - 06:48
Thank you! Thanks for stopping by🙂
#15 by Maureen | Orgasmic Chef on June 11, 2013 - 06:48
Wow Jayne, this cake looks so good and the aroma in your kitchen must have been wonderful.
#16 by Jayne on June 11, 2013 - 21:05
Thank you! Indeed, the aroma was fabulous!
#17 by Jacqueline @How to be a Gourmand on June 16, 2013 - 15:28
Jayne thank you for provide inspiration in such well matched flavours. Another great way to use olive oil in cakes🙂
Thanks also for the tip re buttermilk – I would never have known it was that simple!
#18 by Jayne on June 16, 2013 - 16:18
Thank you! Yes, another olive oil cake! Your hazelnut one sounds amazing, can’t wait to try it!