Name: Lemon Cardamom Cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 75 min
Ingredients: vegetable shortening to grease the loaf pan; 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour; ¼ teaspoon baking powder; ¼ teaspoon baking soda; ¼ teaspoon table salt; 1 to 2 teaspoons ground cardamom*; 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature; 1 cup granulated sugar; 2 large eggs; 1 ½ tablespoons lemon zest (you need 3 large or 4 to 5 small lemons for that); 6 tablespoons lemon juice; ¼ cup + 2 teaspoons plain, whole milk yogurt**; 4 teaspoons milk; ½ teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 cup powdered sugar; 5 teaspoons lemon juice, or more, depending on the humidity in your kitchen; chopped pistachios

This easy lemon cardamom cake is delicate, moist, intensely citrusy and not overly sweet. Ground cardamom adds a subtle floral flavor to this light and airy cake. A sprinkle of chopped pistachios provides visual appeal and a great texture contrast.

User Review:

"Have made this cake many, many times. Love the recipe with the touch of cardamom with lemon. Beautiful loaf with a difference. I usually use Greek yogurt. Definitely a favourite recipe."

Cake batter ingredients and notes:

One teaspoon cardamom will give the cake a subtle cardamom flavor. If you prefer a stronger flavor, add 2 teaspoons ground cardamom.

Butter, vanilla extract, yogurt, milk, eggs, sugar, lemons, salt, flour, cardamom, baking powder and baking soda. — See ingredient amounts in the full recipe below.

Glaze ingredients:

Powdered sugar, pistachios and lemon. — See ingredient amounts in the full recipe below.

What kind of yogurt should I use?

You can use plain, whole milk Greek yogurt or plain, whole milk regular yogurt for this cake (use the same amounts). Both kinds will make a delicious cake but they will produce slightly different textures. Greek yogurt will produce a fine crumb while regular yogurt will produce a slightly coarser crumb.

I photographed a slice of each version of the cake and you can see the difference in the photos below.

Photos of the recipe process:

A greased and floured loaf pan on a table.

Fit a piece of parchment paper into the bottom of a 9-inch by 5-inch by 2 ½-inch loaf pan. Grease the pan (including the surface of the parchment bottom) well with vegetable shortening. Sprinkle in flour, then shake out the excess. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cardamom to a bowl. Whisk together, then set aside.

Creamed butter and sugar in a mixing bowl.

With an electric mixer or standing mixer, whip butter and sugar until fluffy.

Whip in eggs followed by lemon zest. Set aside for a moment.

Wet ingredients in a liquid measuring cup.

In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together lemon juice, yogurt, milk and vanilla extract.

Lemon cardamom cake batter in a mixing bowl.

With the mixer running, gradually whip the dry and wet ingredients into the batter, alternating between the two. (Start with the dry ingredients.) Whip the batter for a few minutes until it turns lighter in color and becomes firmer and smoother.

Fill the batter into the loaf pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out completely clean. Check in several spots along the center length of the cake to make sure the cake is fully baked.

Let the cake cool a bit in the pan on a wire rack. Run a knife around the edges of the pan, then turn the cake out and let it cool completely.
Whisk together powdered sugar and lemon juice. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake, then sprinkle chopped pistachios on.

How long is the baking time?

The baking time will be between 45 and 60 minutes and depends in part on what kind of yogurt you use. If you're using Greek yogurt, it will be toward the shorter end of the range. For regular yogurt it will be toward the longer end.

How to store the cake:

You can let the cake sit out at room temperature, covered loosely with aluminum foil, for 1 day.

How to freeze it:

Transfer the glazed cake into a freezer bag and freeze. To thaw, let the cake sit on the kitchen counter for about 2 hours.

Full Recipe