Genius Recipes

The One Recipe Alice Waters Can't Live Without

Niloufer Ichaporia King’s unforgettable, easy-fancy cake is this week’s Genius Recipe.

April 21, 2021

Every week in Genius Recipes—often with your help!—Food52 Founding Editor and lifelong Genius-hunter Kristen Miglore is unearthing recipes that will change the way you cook.


Picture yourself at a backyard wedding celebration in Berkeley in 1987. (Feels good, right? Wait—come back.)

It’s a potluck, naturally. A simple loaf cake is passed around. “I took one mouthful and my jaw dropped,” Niloufer Ichaporia King told me. “It was one of those extraordinary moments in my tasting life.”

A textile artist named Ragnhild Langlet had baked the cake to share. (Since tasting it, King no longer bothers remembering what she brought.) Each slice was golden fluff, with a warm floral lilt occasionally interrupted by the coy pop of a whole cardamom seed. Langlet generously shared the recipe—“her modular cake,” as she called it, since it was easily multiplied in thirds—and King has found herself rarely able to make another for birthdays and dinner parties since.

Jaw-droppers. Photo by Linda Xiao. Food Stylist: Anna Billingskog. Prop Stylist: Veronica Olson.

“I must say, that cake was a life-changer—it’s become everyone’s favorite,” King told me. But in spite of the cake’s vaunted reputation, it’s as simple as any to make, and perhaps simpler, since the butter can be pulled from the fridge and melted, rather than waiting for it to be just soft enough—but not too soft—to cream. Without leaveners like baking powder or soda, an electric mixer will help fluff the eggs and sugar to ultimate glory, but a strong whisking arm (or four) can get you nearly as far.

Join The Conversation

Top Comment:
“I used a regular cake pan, with parchment paper and it turned out great. I opened about 8 green cardamom pods, and gently bruised them with my chef's knife. In addition, I added a 1/4 tsp of ground cardamom. The result was very enjoyable and aligned with my Saturday night baking patience levels, I am sure full pod-age patience would have worked well. I did make modifications as I am a Celiac. I used Bob Red Mills 1 to 1 flour replacement for 1 cup, then almond flour for 1/3 cup residual. Also added cacao nibs and a sprinkling of almond flour instead of slivered almonds. The cacao nibs added a great nuttiness and texture variation. After flip-age, I noticed great caramelization! I also used 1/2 cup swerve sugar replacement and 1/2 cup cane sugar total (nixed 1/3 cup total "sugar"). Thank you for sharing this recipe! We all bow humbly to Alice Waters...”
— Olive O.
Comment

The whole cardamom seeds in particular were a revelation to me, like hitting the jackpot in a pint of chocolate chip or chasing every pomegranate seed to the bottom of the salad bowl. Other places you might encounter them close to their natural form: Indian sweets like the flaky confection soan papdi and creamy gajar halwa, and the knotted Swedish buns kardemummabullar. (Let us know if you’ve seen others!)

In the decades since, King has taken the texture extremes further, morphing the cake from a sturdy loaf into a more festive 9-inch round, and added a crackly almond topping, simply by shaking sugar and sliced almonds into the bottom of the pan before smoothing in the airy batter. It can no longer pass for unassuming.

Although Langlet's cake was Swedish in origin, King now considers it honorary Parsi, both because of the cardamom and perhaps how deeply linked it is to her own life. This is the version she included in her cookbook My Bombay Kitchen in 2007, and the one that her friend Alice Waters fell in love with.

In fact, when The Guardian asked Waters what one recipe she couldn’t live without, it wasn’t tender baby lettuces or nectarines just-plucked from a tree—it was this one. “To me, a cake has to be moist and it has to be interesting—Niloufer’s cake is both,” she wrote. “There is magic to it.”

Correction 4/25/21: Niloufer's book My Bombay Kitchen was the first Parsi cookbook by a Parsi author published in the United States. (In the video, Kristen failed to say "published in the United States.") To learn even more on Parsi cooking from authors worldwide, check out Niloufer's bibliography in My Bombay Kitchen.

Got a genius recipe to share—from a classic cookbook, an online source, or anywhere, really? Perhaps something perfect for beginners? Please send it my way (and tell me what's so smart about it) at [email protected].

This post contains products independently chosen (and loved) by our editors and writers. As an Amazon Associate, Food52 earns an affiliate commission on qualifying purchases of the products we link to.
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I'm an ex-economist, lifelong-Californian who moved to New York to work in food media in 2007, before returning to the land of Dutch Crunch bread and tri-tip barbecues in 2020. Dodgy career choices aside, I can't help but apply the rational tendencies of my former life to things like: recipe tweaking, digging up obscure facts about pizza, and deciding how many pastries to put in my purse for "later."

106 Comments

s July 17, 2024
I love this cake and make it all the time. Whenever I serve it, people rave! I do need help though...the top of my cake is never as pretty as the photo. I've tried no almonds, almonds, ground almonds, parchment, no parchment. The cake is always delicious, it just isn't pretty!! It's fine to serve at home, but I would like a prettier top!!
 
Rosanne December 23, 2022
I just didn’t get this cake. It looked great, smelled great but the taste….meh! I didn’t like the consistency, too airy, too light, almost nothing to savor.
 
MFFRD December 23, 2022
All I can say is ?? I make this cake every month. Light and airy it is not. Cardamom is not everyone’s go to taste but this cake is always greeted with”why such a small slice?” “ can I have another?”
 
Thomas May 19, 2023
We make it every chance we get, and have adapted it with hazelnut/almond flour and brown rice/oat flour to a version I think is better than the original. It literally has enhanced our life.
 
Diane B. December 19, 2022
Fantastic recipe! I didn't find cardamon pods, so I used ground cardamon and added a good teaspoon of lemon zest -- a great combo! I watched the helpful video first and followed instructions exactly (which I rarely do), and everything came together beautifully and quickly. No leaking butter from the springform pan; I wrapped the removable bottom in parchment. I'm now making a cake for each of my neighbors this week (days ahead of Christmas), and I know they'll appreciate this gift. Thanks for a keeper recipe!
 
Bonnie G. December 19, 2022
I absolutely know why Ms. Waters can't live without this recipe! The first time I made it, I was sold -- but not so with a couple of my friends, who weren't wowed by the flavor. But when my bestie came to town, I made it for her, and she LOVED it, just like me! It's now a ritual every time she comes to visit, and we manage to polish off the whole thing.
 
Marguerite T. December 18, 2022
I make this cake frequently. It's wonderful! Everyone I have served it to loves it as well!
 
MFFRD December 18, 2022
I make this cake almost every month when my husband says “what! No more cardamom cake.” So easy and so spectacular. Guests think I am a wonder at baking, which I am not
 
Deborah December 18, 2022
Where is the recipe?
 
Emily December 18, 2022
Near the end of the article, there is a photo of the cake and just below is a “view the recipe” button. Hope you try it! It really is a wonderful cake.
 
Deborah December 18, 2022
At the end of the article on my screen there is only a link to a butter cookie. Clicking on genius recipes did not yield results either.
 
Smaug December 18, 2022
Try again; it was there the second time I scrolled down. Or you could do a recipe search.
 
Emily December 18, 2022
When I just do a google search for “cardamom cake,” it is the first result that comes up. It takes me to a page on Food52 with a “jump to recipe” button at the top. Hope this helps.
 
Raphaelle C. July 7, 2021
I substituted 1 TBS of Swedish Pearl Sugar when lining the cake pan (sprinkled in last) and omitted the almonds. I also added a small amount of Persian Rose Water (1.5 tsp) to the mix. Otherwise I followed the recipe exactly and had zero problems with a leaky springform, (maybe the bottom was placed incorrectly?) cooking time, or deflation of the cake. It is fabulous! I will try it with GF flour next time.
 
Christyv June 15, 2021
I have been no vet and over “the one recipe Alice Waters can’t live without” but I never found the written recipe. 20 minutes and I can’t find it. I have better things to do. Sand SORRY: I don’t do videos. I just want an easy to find recipe . Why make it so hard?
 
[email protected] June 15, 2021
Just touch the band with the recipe name to quickly access the recipe. Wish they had an easy to spot “Jump to Recipe” .
 
Kate P. June 15, 2021
Money as in advertisement…marketing!!!
 
Emily June 16, 2021
In my browser, it displays with a photo of cake slices just at the end of the article.
 
Beau May 1, 2021
I have to say This is one of the very best cake recipes ever! It took me quite awhile to separate the seeds from the pods to get to a TBSP. But it was soooo worth it! Such a wonderful savory/sweet sensation, and I love crunching the seeds in my mouth at the end of a bite. The sugar/almond crust is divine! I printed the recipe up immediately for a friend also, and when she tasted it she loved it too. Amazing recipe, thank you so much for sharing! Kudos to Food52
 
cramberry June 12, 2021
A few people have commented how tedious it was to extract the seeds. The easiest way to do this is to use a pair of scissors to gently cut the pods in half and then remove the seeds. No need to get this with your fingers or as shown in the video in the mortar and pestle.
 
Marguerite T. December 18, 2022
You can by the cardamom seeds (without the pod) on Amazon. Worth the price!
 
Emily May 1, 2021
Thank you! This was the finest Cale I’ve ever baked. I had only whole wheat flour, but it still turned out wonderfully! My new favorite!
 
Emily May 1, 2021
Oops! Cakes! One of the finest cakes I’ve ever baked.
 
Sean R. April 25, 2021
Re the butter....similar to a classic genoise. I didn't se if anyone mentioned already...sorry if this is a repeat
 
[email protected] April 25, 2021
I made this last night & it is a pleasure to prepare! Comes together fast with amazing result. I followed recipe & used a springform pan which did NOT leak, thank goodness. My only contention is with the salt as called for: for a precisely worded recipe that lists ingredients by weight, why ever would the writer just list “two pinches”?!? Two small pinches proved too much. Also I would cut back on the Cardamon seeds although they are wonderful. I used 1 tablespoon but believe if we weighed that it would exceed the right amount. The cake was done after 30 minutes & did not collapse. P.S. Had to beat eggs & sugar closer to 8-9 minutes to get full volume.
 
Olive O. April 25, 2021
This was so wonderful! I used a regular cake pan, with parchment paper and it turned out great.

I opened about 8 green cardamom pods, and gently bruised them with my chef's knife. In addition, I added a 1/4 tsp of ground cardamom. The result was very enjoyable and aligned with my Saturday night baking patience levels, I am sure full pod-age patience would have worked well.

I did make modifications as I am a Celiac. I used Bob Red Mills 1 to 1 flour replacement for 1 cup, then almond flour for 1/3 cup residual.

Also added cacao nibs and a sprinkling of almond flour instead of slivered almonds. The cacao nibs added a great nuttiness and texture variation. After flip-age, I noticed great caramelization!

I also used 1/2 cup swerve sugar replacement and 1/2 cup cane sugar total (nixed 1/3 cup total "sugar").

Thank you for sharing this recipe! We all bow humbly to Alice Waters...
 
caramelqueen April 24, 2021
Do not use a springform pan--with this much liquid butter in the batter, it leaks badly. Thankfully, I baked it in a Breville Smart Oven, and when I smelled the smoke, from the burning of the leaking butter, I put another pan underneath. Clean-up only took about a half hour. Cake is a little tough, but good otherwise.
 
Sharon K. April 26, 2021
I used a springform pan with no issues. I did use parchment paper on the bottom.
 
Toni April 24, 2021
Two comments: First, the "unusual" batter method is a classic genoise. Whip eggs and sugar until tripled, fold in flour, then fold in melted butter. No artificial leavening. I learned it as a new bride and baker in 1978, from Paula Peck's "Art of Fine Baking". Thanks to Kristen for bringing this technique back to the table.

Second, I made the rookie mistake of using a volume measurement for the cardamon seeds, instead of weighing them. It was too pungent for myself and two other tasters. I will try this again today, with half the weight of cardamon, crushed a little more to distribute through the batter.

BTW, I tested a half quantity recipe in an 8 x 4 loaf pan. Perfect amount of batter. Same amount of bake time.

 
jpriddy December 18, 2022
Yes, Paula Peck's "Art of Fine Baking"! You remind me! I learned to bake pound cakes from her book.
 
Smaug April 24, 2021
RIP Ranghild- I knew her slightly, she was close to a couple of friends of mine, largely through her connection to sailing- a very interesting person. She lost her sense of smell completely and spent her final years without.
 
Lisa P. April 24, 2021
On the cake rake cooling. Smells divine. A slightly collapsed middle but acceptable. Can’t wait to cut. Partner hovering. I’m fending
 
Kelli H. April 23, 2021
kRISTEN, was also wondering if tosring the almonds might not add more flavor, since i pretty much toast the nuts i use 4 baking!!
thx so very much, loved watching your little girl with anything sweet.lol :): kelli
 
Thomas May 19, 2023
Crushed mac nuts are also excellent - enhances the buttery flavor!
 
Thomas May 19, 2023
We've always used a round cake pan lined with buttered parchment paper. No issues at all..
 
Susan A. April 23, 2021
I would strongly recommend not using a springform pan for this cake. I just made it. Butter leaked out onto the bottom of the oven floor. Burning butter smoked up the whole house. Ok - so I open all the windows. Problem solved. But then I spent the next 2.5 hours scrubbing the butter/sugar/caramel off the bottom of my Wolf oven. Called Wolf customer care to see if they had any fancy advice.
I don’t see the need for a springform pan that can leak. The whole idea is to have the butter and sugar and nuts caramelize. Wouldn’t a 9” cake pan with 2” sides, with the bottom lined with parchment, do a better job?
It’s a nice cake. Once I get over my PTSD, I’ll try again with a regular 9” cake pan.
 
Matt April 25, 2021
Springform pans should not leak. If your pan is leaking then throw it away and buy a new one.

I'm more concerned that you said "butter leaked out", though. When you mix all the ingredients together, you form a homogeneous mixture. If you think butter is leaking out of your broken pan, then that suggests you didn't mix the ingredients together properly in the first place…
 
Susan A. April 25, 2021
I do suspect you are correct that the melted butter was not all fully incorporated. That said, it’s an expensive springform pan that I’ve not had issues with in the past. Based on another reader’s input, I did a lot of research yesterday on ‘genoise sponges’. I think there are a few techniques missing is this recipe that could ensure success. In any case, I know all sorts of ways to caramel off an oven floor!
 
Sharon K. April 26, 2021
I agree the pan should not leak.
I also had some butter that did not fully incorporate, but was able to mix it in while in the pan. The texture was perfect. I would have preferred the cake less sweet, thus would decrease, at least the amount of sugar in the pan.
It is a lovely cake.
 
Matt April 29, 2021
That is suspicious.

Personally I always dislike springform pans, just cause they seem to deform themselves as soon as your place them in the cabinet and turn your back on them.
 
Susan A. April 29, 2021
Lol!!