With weather swinging from sunny and below freezing to dumping rain in the 60s, April in Maryland has already been a wild ride. We have family visiting nearly every weekend, so it’s shaping up to be a month full of with laughter, exploring new areas, and showing loved ones our new stomping grounds.
It’s also a month filled with hosting. I like to have a little sweet treat on hand to share with guests — a little something to say, “welcome, we’re glad you’re here!” We took my parents to Bakehouse (a gem of a bakery in Frederick), and I was wowed by their coffee cake. I immediately got to work on my own version of it. Bakehouse is only open Thursday through Sunday, and they often sell out. So I wanted a pastry I could have any time!
This cardamom spiced coffee cake is perfect for brunch, sharing with guests when you’re hosting, or for any time you just want a sweet treat. It’s ready in under 45 minutes and uses pantry staples you likely already have on hand!
ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Kosher salt
- Unsalted butter
- Granulated sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla extract
- Cardamom
- Plain, full-fat yogurt
- Brown sugar
- Powdered sugar
- Milk
how to make cardamom spiced coffee cake
step one
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9” square baking dish and line with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt, and set aside. Using a hand mixer, or in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg, vanilla, and cardamom, and beat until combined. Add half of the flour, then beat slowly to combine. Add the yogurt and again beat slowly to combine. Add the remaining flour and beat until combined. The batter should be fairly thick and lump-free. Spread in the prepared pan.
step two
Make the streusel. In the now-empty bowl you used for the dry cake ingredients, mix the flour, brown sugar, cardamom, and salt with a fork. Add the butter and combine with clean hands or a fork until it’s the consistency of lumpy, wet sand.
step three
Top the cake with the streusel, starting with the edges and working toward the center. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
step four
While the cake is cooling, make the glaze. Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. It should be smooth and fairly thick, but still pourable. Once the cake has fully cooled, drizzle the glaze over the top. Serve and enjoy!
tasting notes
- If you only have salted butter on hand, use it! Just omit the salt in the cake batter and streusel topping.
- This will keep for about three days in an airtight container at room temperature. If you don’t think you’ll eat it all in that time, wrap individual portions and freeze them! Pull them out a few hours before you’d like to eat them so they have time to come to room temperature.
cardamom spiced coffee cake
Ingredients
For the cake
- 1 ½ cups (180 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 4 tbsp (55 grams) unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cardamom
- ⅔ cup (155 grams) plain, full-fat yogurt
For the streusel topping
- ½ cup (60 grams) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (100 grams) brown sugar
- ½ tsp cardamom
- ¼ tsp salt
- 5 tbsp (70 grams) unsalted butter, cold cut into small cubes
For the vanilla glaze
- 1 cup (120 grams) powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp milk
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9” square baking dish and line with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt, and set aside. Using a hand mixer, or in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg, vanilla, and cardamom, and beat until combined. Add half of the flour, then beat slowly to combine. Add the yogurt and again beat slowly to combine. Add the remaining flour and beat until combined. The batter should be fairly thick and lump-free. Spread in the prepared pan.
- Make the streusel. In the now-empty bowl you used for the dry cake ingredients, mix the flour, brown sugar, cardamom, and salt with a fork. Add the butter and combine with clean hands or a fork until it’s the consistency of lumpy, wet sand.
- Top the cake with the streusel, starting with the edges and working toward the center. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- While the cake is cooling, make the glaze. Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. It should be smooth and fairly thick, but still pourable. Once the cake has fully cooled, drizzle the glaze over the top. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- If you only have salted butter on hand, use it! Just omit the salt in the cake batter and streusel topping.
- This will keep for about three days in an airtight container at room temperature. If you don’t think you’ll eat it all in that time, wrap individual portions and freeze them! Pull them out a few hours before you’d like to eat them so they have time to come to room temperature.
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