Cardamom seems to be one of those spices that people either love or hate; I’m of the former camp, of course. I regularly enjoy a generous amount in my coffee, and it’s flat-out fantastic in Scandinavian baked delights like Julekake (cardamom and candied fruit or citron!) and cardamom bread. In baked doughnuts, too, this spice is outstanding.
It was time to break out the new doughnut pans again. There’s something about the smooth, sinuous shape of a doughnut that is undeniably appealing. Cake doughnuts, in particular, tickle my fancy: it’s cake in a beautiful, single-serve ring! No glazes, frostings, or other toppings are needed (though the recipe includes instructions for a cinnamon sugar topping) – I didn’t want anything to detract from the singular experience of eating that unembellished doughnut.
Making these doughnuts was pretty simple: basically, whisk the dry ingredients together, whisk the wet ingredients together (egg and sugar separately from milk and butter), then whisk dry into wet. Once mixed, spoon the batter into the pans.
The recipe suggests filling the doughnut pan cavities 1/2-3/4 full; I would definitely fill 3/4 full. I would also pipe the batter into the cavities next time, rather than spooning it in – piping results in a much cleaner finished doughnut. The recipe says it makes 9 doughnuts, but I ended up with 6.
The finished doughnuts were tasty, and the cardamom flavor was pleasingly prominent. They didn’t quite achieve the moist “cake” crumb that I was seeking, but I suspect that additional fat – oil or butter – or a very moist ingredient like applesauce or pumpkin could help in this regard. I’ll update the blog with future adjustments to the recipe, for those who also like a very cake-y cake doughnut.
Besides its delightful and unique flavor, cardamom also has health benefits…just another reason to enjoy this special spice!
Comments are closed.