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Orange Cardamom Bundt Cake with Pistachio Crumble

Print Recipe
Prep Time 1 hr 30 mins
Cook Time 1 hr
Course Dessert
Servings 12

Equipment

  • bundt cake pan

Ingredients
  

Cake

  • 2 tbsp vegetable shortening for coating the pan
  • 3 tbsp flour for dusting the pan
  • 2 sticks butter room temperature
  • 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 2 tbsp grated orange zest
  • 3/4 cup fresh orange juice about 2 oranges
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 4 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 tbsp pure vanilla paste or extract

Pistachio Crumble

  • 1/2 cup shelled roasted pistachios
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 tsp seal salt
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil of choice like grapeseed, safflower, or avocado
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup or agave or liquid sweetener of choice
  • 3/4 tsp lemon or orange zest

Glaze

  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 whole cloves
  • 2 cardamom pods
  • 1-2 tbsp dark rum (can be omitted)
  • 2-3 oranges

Whipped Cream Topping

  • 1 pint heavy whipping cream
  • 1 1/2 tbsp instant pudding mix vanilla or butterscotch
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar sifted
  • pinch salt
  • 1/8 tsp ground cardamom
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup (optional)
  • 1 tbsp orange zest
  • 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract

Instructions
 

Cake

  • For the Cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush a 10-to-15-cup Bundt pan with shortening; dust with flour, tapping out excess.
  • In a small bowl, stir together milk and orange juice. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cardamom to thoroughly combine.
  • Beat butter with sugar and orange zest on medium‐high speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then vanilla. Reduce speed to medium‐low and beat in flour mixture, alternating with milk mixture, each in two additions. Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top with a spatula.
  • In a high speed blender or food processor, grind the pistachios into a fine meal. Add flour and salt (only if nuts are not salted). Add oil, maple syrup, and lemon zest, and quickly pulse until you’ve got a sand-like texture. Sprinkle evenly over the top of the batter.
  • Bake until cake is puffed slightly and a wooden skewer inserted into center comes out clean, about 45-60 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for maximum of 15 minutes.

Orange glaze

  • Combine water, sugar, cloves and cardamom pods in a saucepan. Let come to a boil, then simmer for 6-8 minutes, swirling the pan every now and then, until syrup is slightly thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the rum.
  • Cut away the ends of the oranges, then cut down the sides to remove the peel and the white pith. Thinly slice the oranges and place them in a bowl. Pour the syrup over the orange slices
  • Use a pastry brush to cover the cake in the glaze. Reserve the orange slices for decoration and topping. (Discard the cloves and cardamom pods before serving.)

Whipped Cream

  • Whip cold heavy cream in a mixer or with a hand mixer along with pudding mix, powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, cardamom powder, maple syrup, and orange zest until stiff peaks form.
  • Serve slices of cake topped with marinated oranges and whipped cream.

Notes

This batter is for a larger bundt pan, but if using the smaller size it will still work, simply compress the cake gently as soon as it comes out of the oven.
Cover the cake with foil or parchment partway through the baking process to help flatten the base and prevent over-browning.
I didn't include candied orange peel in the recipe, but it can make a tasty addition.
Keyword bundt, cake, cardamom, citrus, glaze, orange, pistachio, whipped cream