Make this special cardamom naked cake recipe – with an orange blossom icing and mouth-watering moist sponge – the centrepiece of any celebration table.
Not quite what you’re looking for? How about this mango, cardamom and coconut cake?
Ingredients
- 550g unsalted butter, softened and cut into cubes
- 550g caster sugar
- 9 medium free-range eggs
- 400g ground almonds
- 150g plain flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- The seeds of 15 cardamon pods, crushed into a powder
For the buttercream
- 300g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 200g full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
- 500g icing sugar
- 1-2 tsp orange blossom water
You’ll also need…
- 2 x deep 20cm cake tins with removable bases, greased and fully lined with baking paper
- Flexible palette knife
Method
- Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4. Cream the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer. When light and fluffy, add the eggs, 2 at a time, beating well after each addition. In another bowl, mix the almonds, flour, baking powder and cardamom powder with a pinch of salt, then add to the butter mixture in thirds, folding in with either the mixer on the slowest speed, or with a metal spoon, until just combined. Divide between the cake tins, smooth the tops, then bake for 50 minutes or until risen, lightly golden and springy to the touch. Cover with foil if they start to brown too much. Cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then remove the cakes to wire racks and cool completely.
- To make the buttercream, put the butter and cream cheese in a mixing bowl (see tips) and beat with an electric mixer until combined and smooth. Sift in the icing sugar in batches, beating well between each addition until smooth. Stir in the orange blossom water (add to taste – some are stronger than others).
- To assemble, cut each cake in half horizontally using a long serrated knife (see how to slice a cake horizontally or see tips) to make 4 sponges. Put one sponge on a serving platter and spread with a layer of buttercream using a palette knife. Top with a second sponge and repeat until you have 4 layers. Spread the rest of the icing around the cake, scraping here and there with the palette knife to give a mottled design. Decorate (see know-how) to serve.
Nutrition
- 617kcals Calories
- 42.5g (21.1g saturated) Fat
- 8.5g Protein
- 50.2g (44.6g sugars) Carbs
- 0.2g Fibre
- 0.3g Salt
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