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.
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.
Glaze ingredients:
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.
How to make it:
See full ingredient amounts and instructions in the recipe card below!
- Cut a piece of parchment paper. Fit it 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 flour into the pan and 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.
- 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.
- In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together lemon juice, yogurt, milk and vanilla extract.
- 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.
Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how you liked it in the comments below! Thank you!
Full Recipe
Lemon Cardamom Cake
Equipment:
- measuring cups and spoons
- citrus zester
- citrus juicer
- knife and cutting board
- parchment paper
- 9 inch by 5 inch by 2 ½ inch loaf pan
- mixing bowls
- whisk
- standing mixer or handheld mixer
- liquid measuring cup (optional)
- rubber spatula
- toothpick
- knife
Ingredients:
For the cake:
- vegetable shortening to grease the loaf pan
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon 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
For the glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 5 teaspoons lemon juice, or more, depending on the humidity in your kitchen
- chopped pistachios
Instructions:
For the cake:
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Cut a piece of parchment paper. Fit it into the bottom of a 9-inch by 5-inch by 2 ½-inch loaf pan. Secure it to the bottom of the pan with a few dabs of vegetable shortening.
- Grease the pan well with vegetable shortening (including the surface of the parchment bottom).*** Sprinkle flour into the pan and shake out the excess.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and soda, salt and cardamom. Set aside.1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 to 2 teaspoons ground cardamom*
- Whip butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes).8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, 1 cup granulated sugar
- Add the eggs and continue to whip until well incorporated and smooth.2 large eggs
- Whip in the lemon zest, then set aside for a moment.1 ½ tablespoons lemon zest (you need 3 large or 4 to 5 small lemons for that)
- In a separate bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk lemon juice, yogurt, milk and vanilla together. Set aside.6 tablespoons lemon juice, ¼ cup + 2 teaspoons plain, whole milk yogurt**, 4 teaspoons milk, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Whip the dry and wet ingredients into the butter mix, little by little, alternating between the two. (Start with the dry ingredients.) Whip for a few minutes on high speed until you have a very smooth and creamy-looking batter.
- Fill the batter into the loaf pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out completely clean (45 to 60 minutes). (Check in several spots along the center length of the cake to make sure that the cake is fully baked.) If you're using Greek yogurt, the baking time will be on the shorter end of the range. If you're using regular yogurt, it will be on the longer end.
- Once the pan is cool enough to handle, run a knife around the edges to loosen the cake from the sides of the pan. Unmold the cake and then let it cool completely.
For the glaze:
- Whisk powdered sugar and lemon juice together. Keep adding lemon juice until you have a slow-moving icing. (If the icing ends up too runny, whisk in a little more powdered sugar).1 cup powdered sugar, 5 teaspoons lemon juice, or more, depending on the humidity in your kitchen
- Drizzle the icing on the cake and sprinkle the chopped pistachios on.
Notes:
More delicious cardamom desserts:
- Cardamom Donuts with Cinnamon Sugar25 Minutes
- Cardamom Meringue Cookies1 Hours 55 Minutes
- Blackberry Sauce for Cheesecake15 Minutes
- Apple Cranberry Frangipane Tart1 Hours 20 Minutes
Cathy Stanley says
I used this recipe for a birthday cake and it is fabulous! I wish I could include a photo, because I doubled the recipe and used 3 round pans for a triple layer! I also used half plain Greek and half vanilla Greek, because it's what I had, and it's such a light and lovely texture.
I think I would add just a touch more cardamom next time, because there will definitely be a next time for this delight! Thanks for sharing it!
Nicole B. says
Hi Cathy, Thank you so very much for your lovely comment!! I am so happy you enjoyed the cake!
Edward says
Can I change the pistachios, for nuts? Or it’s not the same. Thanks Again!!
Nicole B. says
Hi there! I have not tried that but honestly I don't think it would work as well. I would rather recommend to just leave the pistachios out and make just the cake with the glaze. All the best! nicole
Glenn says
This is the 4th to tried to make this, and it still doesn’t turn out well. I followed the receipe spot on and it seems to never bake well in the centre. At step 9 it is never smooth and creamy lookin batter, at is always so thick; on my 3th try, I added a bit more milk and it did not cook all the way through,
Will get a another receipe to try
Nicole B. says
Hi Glenn, I'm sorry to hear that you didn't have a good experience with this cake. I have made it many times and it has always turned out great for me. I've also received very good feedback from other readers about this cake, so unfortunately I'm not sure why it didn't turn out well for you.
Anna says
Tried it for the first time last night and didn't have any issues with it. Do you think it might be your oven? The texture of the cake is excellent.
caprituss says
Use a meat thermometer instead. At 93-97 Celsius, it'll be just perfect (200-ish Fahrenheit).
Nicole B. says
Love that idea!
khristina says
This was really delicious as a cake, but I wanted to try cupcakes with this recipe, any tips?
Nicole B. says
Hi Khristina,
So happy to hear that you enjoyed the cake! I haven't made cupcakes with this recipe yet but another reader did and reported that it worked well. :)
All the best,
nicole
Edward. says
Hello !! How much more Cardamom could I put in my cake? The Recipe says one teaspoon, could you add two? How many do you recommend? Thanks!
Nicole B. says
Hi Edward,
After I saw your question I went ahead and baked this cake again, this time with 2 teaspoons of ground cardamom. It tasted great! So, yes, you can definitely use 2 teaspoons for a strong cardamom flavor. I'll add that option to the recipe.
All the best,
nicole
Giuliana says
Made this tonight ! The cake itself is moist and fluffy. There is a LOT of lemon flavour, which I LOVE. I find the cardamom to be a bit lacking. I may try to increase the cardamom next time. but would definitely make again!
Nicole B. says
That's great to hear, Giuliana! Thanks much for coming back and leaving feedback, it's much appreciated! :)
Rachel says
A refreshingly excellent cake! I've fallen in love with cardamom over the past few years and this is an exemplary way to use it!!!! I went with two tsp. of freshly ground cardamom and it's there, but not overpowering and blends sooo wonderfully with the lemon. I accidentally added 1 1/3 cup of flour instead of 1 1/2 cups, so it needed about 75 min to bake, oh dear... But it's moist and delicious and not the least bit overbaked! I used half the glaze recipe since I love the cake so much I didn't want to overshadow it. Thank you so much for this recipe! I think I'll rework it into a lemon poppyseed loaf as well because it's simply splendid!
Nicole B. says
That’s wonderful to hear, I'm so happy you liked the cake, Rachel!! Thank you so much for making this recipe and for coming back and leaving such a great review, I really appreciate that! You made my day! :)
Rachel says
Oh and I almost forgot the 5 stars this deserves!
Nicole B. says
Thank you so much, Rachel! Hope you're having a wonderful day. :)
Anna says
I would actually suggest that there's still not enough cardamom/too much lemon. Obviously it's up to personal taste so I'll be making this again with less lemon. Tips for how to replace the lemon juice welcome ;)
Melissa says
I'm excited to try this recipe - cardamom is my favorite spice. My son has a pistachio allergy - is there a different nut you could recommend to replace the pistachios on top? Almonds maybe?
Nicole B. says
Hi Melissa,
I haven’t tried the cake with almonds but I think that would be a terrific substitute. I would go with sliced almonds. If you make it that way, I'd love to know how you liked it!
All the best,
nicole
Micole says
Love the recipe, although, can you use oil instead of butter?
Nicole B. says
Hi Micole,
I have never tried to use oil instead of butter in this recipe so I don't know if that would work.
Micole says
OK, thanks.
Alex says
This cake was extremely lemony. I could not taste the cardamom at all. Once I tried it, it was a huge lemon punch. I literally thought it was soaked in plain lemon juice. And the crumb is so weird: the outer layer was starting to crip a lot and the interior falls apart like it's wet sand. I really had high hopes for this one. ?
Nicole B. says
Hi Alex, I'm very sorry that you didn't have a good experience with this recipe! I have made this cake many times and it has always turned out great for me with a nice and tender crumb. I've also had very good feedback from readers about this cake, so unfortunately I'm not sure what happened when you made it.
Laura says
Delicious! I baked this in a muffin pan at 350 for 20 minutes. It made 12 cupcakes. Great flavour. My family enjoyed them. I was planning on doing the lemon glaze icing, but they got eaten too quickly. Next time I will double the recipe. Thank you!
Nicole B. says
That's wonderful to hear, Laura! What a great idea to make cupcakes! Thank you so much for coming back and leaving feedback, I really appreciate that. :)
Stephanie says
This was a delicious, light, refreshing cake. Perfect for mid-day brunch in spring/ summer. Only difficulty I had was with the icing, did not lay correctly across the cake in an "icing" fashion... kind of just sunk in, delicious, just not on top! Thank you for the recipe will definitely be making again!
Nicole B. says
Hi Stephanie, thank you so much for the feedback! It sounds like the icing may have just been a little too thin, you might want to try using a little less lemon juice next time to get a less runny consistency. But I'm very glad you like the cake, that's wonderful to hear! :)
Isha Parwani says
Can I make this without the icing?
Nicole B. says
Yes, definitely. I've made the cake without the icing and it's quite good that way.
P.S.: I've added that info into the post, thanks for the question!
Moray says
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,
Nicole B. says
That is incredible to hear, Moray! Thank you SO much for leaving such a wonderful comment, I really appreciate it. :)
Linda whitney says
What kind of yogurt do you use in the recipe?
Nicole B. says
I like to use full-fat, plain Greek yogurt.
Linda whitney says
Thank you for your reply.