Orange Cardamom Coffee Cake
The combination of flavors in this brown butter Orange Cardamom Coffee Cake creates a delicious fragrance that fills your kitchen long before the cake is done baking. It’s the kind of recipe that feels familiar yet completely new, and it delivers a bakery-quality result without complicated steps.
What makes this recipe special is the balance. This one uses Greek yogurt for that signature coffee cake density, browned butter for depth, orange for sweetness and cardamom for warmth that ties everything together. I love orange as a natural sweetener, like in my Orange Date Coconut Macaroons.
The generous crumble layer adds texture without overpowering the delicate flavor of the cake, just like in my Pumpkin Blueberry Bread. And that glaze? It ties it all together. Each bite offers brightness, spice, and richness, all working together instead of competing.
Jump to:
Why this Orange cardamom coffee cake is a hit:
- Depth of flavor from the brown butter, orange, cardamom, and cinnamon.
- A naturally moist crumb thanks to Greek yogurt and fresh orange juice.
- The crumble layer creates contrast in flavor and texture without being overly sweet.
- Easy, approachable steps that guarantee consistent results.
Ingredients
- Butter – Browned for depth, nuttiness, and a caramel-like aroma that enhances both the cake and the crumble.
- Greek yogurt – Provides moisture and acidity for a tender, soft crumb.
- Eggs – Bind the batter and help the cake rise evenly.
- Sugar – Adds moisture and a subtle sweetness to the cake and crumble flavor.
- Vanilla – Rounds out the citrus and spice with warm sweetness.
- Oranges – Zest for the fragrant citrus flavor and the juice for moisture and sweetness. Used in the cake and the icing!
- Dry Ingredients– All-purpose flour, baking powder, and baking soda.
- Cardamom – Adds a warm, citrusy spice that complements orange beautifully.
- Cinnamon – Adds warmth and rounds out the cardamom in the crumble.
- Icing sugar – Makes a smooth, glossy icing drizzle.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make Orange Cardamom Coffee cake
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- Brown the butter – Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat, stirring until golden and nutty. Divide it in half: half for the crumble, half for the batter. Let cool slightly.
- Make the crumble topping – In a bowl, add the crumble ingredients and combine. Refrigerate to firm it while preparing the cake.
- Make the cake – Mix together the wet ingredients, then fold in the dry. The batter will be thick.
- Assemble the cake – Pour half the batter into a prepared baking pan. Top with one-third to half of the crumble. Spoon the remaining batter over it, then finish with the remaining crumble.
- Bake, add icing, and serve – Bake at 350°F until golden. Meanwhile making the icing. Cool completely then drizzle the icing. Slice and serve.
Substitutions and Variations
- Replace Greek yogurt with sour cream for an even richer crumb.
- Swap cardamom with a mix of cinnamon and nutmeg if you prefer warmer, more familiar spices.
- Use regular melted butter if browning isn’t your thing
Equipment
I love using this 8×8 baking tin! You’ll also need a few mixing bowls, a spatula, parchment paper, and measuring cups/spoons or a scale.
Storing Orange Cardamom Coffee Cake
To make ahead:
You can make the crumble a few days in advance to make things easier (including browning the butter for the cake). Alternatively, bake the cake one day in advance, keep it covered at room temperature, and drizzle the icing just before serving.
To store:
Cover tightly and store at room temperature for 3 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days.
To freeze:
Freeze slices (iced or un-iced) for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Rate This Recipe
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Orange Cardamom Coffee Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- ½ cup salted butter
- 3 tablespoon brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon cardamom
- Zest of 3 oranges about 3 tbsp
- Juice of 3 oranges about ¾ cup
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt less if using table salt
For the Crumble:
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt less if using table salt
- ½ cup butter browned
For the Icing:
- ½ cup icing sugar
- 2 tablespoon orange juice (reserved from cake juice)
- ⅛ teaspoon orange zest (a pinch reserved from cake zest)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste (can substitute for vanilla extract) NOTE 1
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line a 9×9 baking tin with parchment paper and set aside.
- Brown all the butter: In a light-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, melt 1 cup of butter (from the Cake and Crumble sections), stirring occasionally with a heatproof spatula. As the butter melts, it will begin to bubble gently and then more wildly. Keep stirring and scraping along the bottom to prevent burning. Within a few minutes, the bubbles will grow smaller, the foam will turn golden, and you’ll notice a rich, nutty aroma. As soon as you start to see brown specks at the bottom, remove from heat immediately. It can burn fast from here. Divide the butter exactly in half. Set aside.
- Make the crumble topping: In a bowl, mix the brown sugar, white sugar, flour, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt. Stir in half of the browned butter until the mixture resembles damp sand and forms clumps. Refrigerate to firm it slightly.
- Combine the wet ingredients: – In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining browned butter, brown sugar, orange zest, and cardamom. Then incorporate the Greek yogurt, eggs, vanilla extract, and orange juice and whisk until mostly smooth.
- Mix in the dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt until well combined. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir just until combined. Avoid overmixing for a soft, tender crumb.
- Assemble the cake: Pour half the batter into a prepared baking pan. It will be a little thick, so you will need to use your spatula to spread the batter down. Remove the crumble from the fridge and sprinkle about half (or a little less than half) of the crumble over the first layer of cake. Then, spoon the remaining batter over the first layer of crumble. Again, the batter will be thick so harder to spread. Don't worry about being perfect. Sprinkle the remaining crumble, making sure some clumps are larger than others.
- Bake the cake: Bake at 350°F until golden and a toothpick comes out clean, and the center is no longer wiggly, about 40–50 minutes. Cool completely before icing and slicing to allow the crumb to set.
- Make the icing – Whisk the icing sugar, orange juice, a pinch of orange zest, and vanilla bean paste (or extract) until smooth. Don't use too much orange zest as it can make the icing bitter – just use enough to get the visual speckles of orange zest. Drizzle over the cooled cake.
