Janet's Cardamom Cake with Brown Sugar Icing

for the cardamom cake

• 1 cup butter, softened slightly
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground cardamom seed
• 8 ounces sour cream (regular, not non-fat)

for the brown sugar icing

• 2 cups brown sugar
• 6 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup confectioner's sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 275 F and butter and flour a bundt cake pan or tube pan. Cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar.
2. Beat in the eggs one at a time, and then beat in the vanilla.
3. Sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and cardamom in a small bowl.
4. Add sour cream to the butter/egg/sugar mixture, then add flour mixture and gently fold wet and dry ingredients together until blended.
5. Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes at 275 F, then turn up the oven to 300 F for another 30 minutes, or until the top is lightly golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Do not overbake!
6. Remove pan from oven and let sit for 15 minutes. Invert onto a rack to cool.
7. For the icing, heat brown sugar, cream, and butter in a heavy saucepan until the mixture reaches a rolling boil, stirring all the while.
8. Remove pan from heat and stir in the vanilla and then sift in the confectioner's sugar and stir with a whisk to remove any remaining clumps.
9. Pour icing onto the completely cooled cake, allowing it to run down the sides freely. The icing will harden quickly, so pour it steadily while moving the pan in a circle to cover the whole top. Allow icing to harden for at least half an hour before serving.