In Waco, our HEB had a bulk section where I could purchase just enough of a spice I needed for a recipe and pay a measly $0.27 for it.  Here, I have to purchase an entire jar of a spice when I only need 2 teaspoons, and pay $5.99.  A jar of cardamom was such a purchase, so I decided to use some of it instead of neglecting it in the spice cabinet and letting my $5.99 go to waste.

This recipe is from Martha Stewart.  In addition to the cardamom, the use of semolina flour and almond flour drew me to this cake because I had both of those ingredients.  What are the chances?  These were purchased as specialty ingredients in other recipes and I was glad to be able to use them.

The cake is dense and rich, as a pound cake should be.  The texture is more complex than your everyday plain pound cake, which is to be expected due to the use of the coarse almond flour.  The cardamom is definitely noticeable, but not overwhelming.  When a recipe says “room temperature” you should have those ingredients at room temperature.  This is an easy task.  Just leave them out of the fridge for a few hours.  It does make a difference in a pound cake, and most recipes.  The ingredients come together much more easily, and the texture seems better.  I know there is some science behind it, and I have even read an article about it, but I can’t explain all of that to you.  I just know that I’ve done it both ways and having your butter, eggs and other wet ingredients like milk, buttermilk, sour cream, etc, makes for better cakes.

Cardamom Pound Cake (courtesy of Martha Stewart)

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
• 3/4 cup almond flour
• 3/4 cup semolina flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt
• 1 ¼  teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 sticks (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 6 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup plain yogurt, preferably Greek

1. Preheat oven to 325. Butter two 9-by-5-inch loaf pans. Sugar the pans as you would with flour, and tap out excess. Whisk together flours, salt, cardamom, and baking soda.
2. Beat butter and granulated sugar with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Raise speed to high, and beat until smooth and glossy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low, and beat in flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with yogurt. Divide batter between pans.
3. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean, about 1 hour, 15 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack 20 minutes. Run a knife around edges of cakes to loosen, and turn out cakes onto rack. Turn right side up, and let cool completely. (Cakes can be wrapped in plastic and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.)