Fragrant Cardamom Coffee Cake

Fragrant Cardamom Coffee Cake is a simple, delicious snacking cake for coffee, dessert, or gifting to a friend.  A tender yellow cake base is layered with a cardamom- and ginger-scented crumb that does double duty as a golden topping.  This crumb cake packs loads of flavor into a serving and is perfect for cold weather months.

Testing this recipe was a joy. Once I got the yellow cake layer down it was so fun to work out the best combination of spices to bring a distinct flavor and intoxicating aroma.  Pop this cardamom coffee cake in the oven before friends arrive for a coffee date and the buttery, spiced perfume will have them eagerly anticipating a bite!

Cardamom is a spice that is often overlooked in sweet recipes, but it’s a favorite of mine!  If you love it as much as I do, try these Soft Orange Cardamom Cookies next!

Ingredients

I include ingredient notes here when I think they’ll be helpful, including ways to source, any preparation tips, or why I've chosen a particular ingredient. Be sure to check out the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and their quantities!

• Salted Butter - Salted butter is used in the cardamom crumb, add an additional ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt to the mixture if you only have unsalted butter on hand.
• Brown Sugar - Brown sugar brings depth of flavor to the crumb cake topping.
• All-Purpose Flour - This everyday flour does double duty in this recipe in both the crumb topping and the yellow cake base.
• Ground Ginger - The dominant flavor for the crumb topping is cardamom, but a bit of ground ginger adds a spicy note that is so complimentary.
• Ground Cardamom - Ground cardamom is generally from green cardamom pods.  It has a floral, citrusy, and maybe a bit minty flavor that defies description but isn’t like anything else in your spice cabinet.
• Vegetable Oil - Using vegetable oil in your yellow cake ensures it will be moist, tender, and snackable for a few days after baking.
• Greek Yogurt - Adding a bit of tang for flavor and acid to help boost the rise of your cake, Greek yogurt is a baking staple always have on hand.
• Milk -  Just a bit of milk helps loosen the batter for a lighter cake layer.  Use any variety of dairy or plant based milk here.
• Large Eggs - Two eggs help to bring structure to the cake so it can hold up that flavorful crumb layer.
• Sugar - Use granulated sugar in the yellow cake for a clear sweetness that isn’t overpowering.
• Vanilla Extract - The yellow cake layer has a subtle hint of vanilla thanks to a dash (or two) of vanilla extract.
• Baking Powder - Baking powder does the heavy lifting as the leavener in this cardamom coffee cake.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F and gather your ingredients.

Spray an 8- or 9-inch square pan evenly with cooking spray.

Prepare the cardamom crumb by adding the room temperature butter, brown sugar, 1 cup of flour, ½ teaspoon of salt, ginger, and cardamom to a medium bowl.

Mix the crumb mixture well (clean hands are the best tool for this) until the butter is well incorporated and there are both small and large pieces of the crumb.  Set the cardamom crumb aside.

In a large bowl, add the oil, yogurt, milk, eggs, sugar, and vanilla and whisk the wet ingredients until smooth.

Sprinkle the flour, salt, and baking powder over the wet ingredients.  I use this cheat method often to avoid any extra bowls in preparation of cakes and quick breads.

Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until there are no streaks of dry flour visible.  Don’t over mix your batter and it will stay tender once baked.

Pour half of the yellow cake base into the prepared pan. Sprinkle it with half of the cardamom crumb mixture.

Drizzle over the remaining yellow cake batter, and use a spatula or knife to spread it evenly over the crumb layer.  It doesn’t have to be too pretty!

Sprinkle the remaining crumb over the cake layer as evenly as possible.

Bake for 35-45 minutes, until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.  If you are baking in an 8-inch pan you may need a bit longer for the cardamom coffee cake to bake through.

Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 25-30 minutes before slicing into 12 even pieces.  Serve and admire those pretty layers and that knockout aroma!

Substitutions and Variations

The substitutions listed below have been tested in this recipe and work well. If you successfully make any other ingredient substitutions, let us know in the comments!

• Change the Spice - Substitute pumpkin pie spice for the cardamom and ginger for a simple swap that gives fall vibes to your coffee cake.
• Add Nuts - Very finely chopped pistachios or walnuts can be stirred into the cardamom crumb for an extra special coffee cake.  About ½ cup of chopped nuts is a good amount.
• Sour Cream Coffee Cake - Use sour cream in place of the Greek Yogurt for an extra rich cardamom coffee cake.

Equipment

Use a 8- or 9-inch square pan for easy slicing and serving.  You can swap pans for a 9-inch round pan and bake for approximately the same amount of time. Slice your cardamom coffee cake into wedges for serving.

Serving Suggestions

This crumb cake is perfect at breakfast for guests, as an afternoon coffee break treat, an after-school snack, or as a dessert with a scoop of ice cream.  It’s versatile and delicious and won’t last the day if you have a house full of guests.

Make this Recipe Kid Friendly

Kids love this tender and lightly sweet yellow cake base, but mine are split on the cardamom and ginger flavor.  To introduce this new spice to pickier kids, use half the recipe amounts of ginger and cardamom or replace these spices with cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice.