This orange and cardamom cake with a orange and cardamom whipped cream has been one year in the posting. Since last Christmas when my sister (on a visit from Kenya) and I ate every single slice over a three day period. Oh yeah.
We caught up, played with the kiddoes, played endless rounds of bananagrams, decorating the Christmas tree (including with Freddy Krueger), exchanged the best presents ever, singing Sierra Leonean Christmas carols, spent hours with our other sister comparing Christmas eats via what’s app, wrapped up ward during our long long walk, shopped till we dropped in the Christmas sales, all in between eating slices of this cardamom cake, spiced orange shortbread and drinking chai tea. The perfect Christmas right?
The cardamom and orange flavours in this sponge cake are perfectly complemented by the lightly flavoured whipped cream. Plus it is such fun for the kiddoes to decorate it with the pomegranate and orange peel. I miss last Christmas.
Sadly my sister will not be visiting this year. However, I intend to bake this cake, eat a few slices and reminisce about that perfect time I had with my sister. Just one way to make this Christmas even better.
Happy baking.
This is the first recipe in my pantry staple spotlight in cardamom. Please be sure to check the other recipes out.
- 175 g (6oz) self-raising flour sifted
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp ground cardamom
- Zest of 2 oranges
- 175 g (6oz) very soft butter
- 175 g (6oz) caster sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 480 ml (2 cups) whipped cream
- 2 tbsp orange juice
- 1 tbsp orange zest
- 1-2 tbsp icing sugar
- Large pinch ground cardamom
- Seeds from half a pomegranate and Orange peel slices, to decorate
- Preheat the oven to fan assisted 150 C / 170C / 325F / gas 3 and line and grease two 20 cm / 8 in cake tins.
- Mix the flour, baking powder, cardamom and orange zest in a large bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix with an electric hand mixer until well combined and very smooth. The mixture should be of a dropping consistency but if it is not, add a little water.
- Divide the cake batter between the two cake tins and gently level with a spatula. Bake for 30-35 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.
- Allow to stand for 5 minutes before turning them on to a wire rack to cool.
- Make the whipped cream by mixing all the ingredients together in a large bowl and whipping till the cream forms soft peaks
- Then transfer one cake onto the serving tray and spread half of the cardamom and orange cream on top. Then place the second cake on top and spread the remaining whipped cream on top. Then decorate with pomegranate seed and orange peel strips and serve.
This makes a lot of whipped cream so you can easily reduce the amount by a third.
Oh heavens, look at all that gorgeous whipped cream frosting! I just want to jump in and start eating!
Hahaha – make it yourself and then you can.
Such a wonderful cake Bintu! Cardamom and orange is a very interesting combination, I would love to try that!
Thank you. It is one of my fall back combos for desserts.
I love these flavours toherhter in both sweet and savury dishes. This cake must be super tasty and so festive too!
I would love to try this flavour combo in a savoury dish.
What a delicious looking cake! Your photos are stunning Bintu. I’m a huge fan of cardamom in cakes so this is right up my street – I’ve never tried it with orange though this is a new combination for me. Thanks for sharing.
Foodie blushing in the corner Emma. Do try and and see what you think.
I guess all Christmases can’s be the best ever, but I reckon this cake might help. It looks fab and I love the combination of orange and cardamom.
It certainly does help Choclette.
You had me at Cardamon! My new favorite of mine. It does wonders to baked goods.
It is one of my fav spices too Immaculate.
Oops! I meant to say a new favorite of mine!
😀
Orange and cardamon our wonderful flavors together; in this gorgeous cake they are taken to a completely new level! Very nicely done!!
What a beautiful cake! I love the orange and cardamom flavours together and that whipped cream (in the middle) looks to die for! And that sweet story about eating it and spending time with your sister and family, that’s what makes the holidays so special. 🙂
I was pretty much licking the whipped cream off the cake Elsa.
love the link between cake and cream flavors!
Yeah this one works well.
So pretty. Love the way you topped the cake with pomegranate and orange peels.
Thanks Noor.
Looks beautiful… that’s just the right amount of whipped cream to cake ratio for me!
😀
Orange and cardamom -= one of my favourite flavour combinations! I can see why you were unable to resist multiple slices ;o)
Hahaha. My sister did not help with all her urging me on.
What a great and classic flavor combination, pinning to my Cake Ideas board, thank you for sharing this recipe!
Thank you Sara. Much appreciated.
I’m loving the gorgeous colours Bintu! The cake looks so good!
😀
What a lovely looking cake! I hope you still have a wonderful Christmas even if you don’t get to spend it with your sister eating tons of yummy cake!
Oh I am so sad for you that your sister isn’t visiting this year, but so happy for you that you have these great memories (and cake) to remember your last christmas with her 🙂
Cake + whipped cream = amazing!
i had a try at making this cake, unfortunatly didnt come out as nice as yours.
In the oven baking as I’m typing. Thank you – looking forward to tasting this.