Cardamom Coffee Cake (Printable)

A tender, aromatic cake infused with warming cardamom and topped with crunchy brown sugar streusel.

# What Goes In:

→ Streusel Topping

01 - 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
02 - 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
03 - 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
04 - 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
05 - 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
06 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cubed

→ Cake Batter

07 - 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
08 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
09 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
10 - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
11 - 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
12 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
13 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
14 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
15 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
16 - 2/3 cup sour cream
17 - 1/4 cup whole milk

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan and line with parchment paper, leaving overhang for easy removal.
02 - In a medium bowl, combine brown sugar, flour, cardamom, cinnamon, and salt. Add cold butter and rub with fingers or pastry cutter until mixture forms clumps. Refrigerate until ready to use.
03 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cardamom.
04 - In a large bowl, beat softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract.
05 - On low speed, add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, followed by sour cream and milk. Add remaining flour mixture and mix until just combined. Do not overmix.
06 - Spread batter evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle streusel topping evenly over batter.
07 - Bake for 38 to 42 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the top is golden brown.
08 - Cool cake in pan for 15 minutes, then use parchment overhang to lift out. Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It fills your whole kitchen with this mysterious, cozy smell that makes people ask what you're baking before they even see it.
  • The texture contrast between the soft cake and that buttery, crunchy streusel is honestly addictive—you'll find yourself cutting thicker slices than you planned.
  • It's forgiving enough for a beginner but feels impressive enough to serve when someone unexpected stops by.
02 -
  • Cold butter for streusel is non-negotiable if you want that crunchy texture; warm butter makes it melt into the cake and you lose all that contrast.
  • Don't skip the parchment paper overhang—it's the difference between lifting out a perfect cake and wrestling a crumbly mess.
  • Room temperature eggs and sour cream mix into the batter more smoothly, creating a finer crumb; cold ingredients from the fridge make everything lumpier.
03 -
  • Toast your cardamom seeds fresh or buy from a source with high turnover—stale cardamom tastes like dusty disappointment, and this cake deserves better.
  • If your streusel melts into the cake instead of staying crunchy, your butter wasn't cold enough; keep it in the freezer for ten minutes if needed.
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