Author Notes
The basis of this riff on a recipe by the wonderful Maida Heatter came about because I wanted a heavier cake with more texture, the nuttiness of whole wheat and pecans, and significant cardamom and lemon flavors. (To achieve the latter, I used my technique of grinding together the sugar,zest and spice.) I filled the cake with mangoes and blueberries, which remind me of the beautiful blue and yellow breakfast room at Monet's Givergny, where I wish I could have served him this as a breakfast coffee cake! —LeBec Fin
Ingredients
- Lemon Pecan Cardamom Cake:
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1/2 cup
whole wheat pastry flour, sifted
-
1 1/2 cups
AP white flour, sifted
-
2 teaspoons
baking powder
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1/4 teaspoon
kosher salt.
-
1/2 cup
white sugar
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zest of 2 lemons
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3 tablespoons
freshly ground cardamom
-
1/2 cup
white sugar
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1 teaspoon
vanilla
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1/3
packed light brown sugar
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2
large eggs, lightly beaten
-
8 ounces
( 2 sticks) of softened unsalted butter
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1 cup
sour cream
-
2/3 cup
toasted pecans, roughly ground
- Blueberry and Mango Fillings; Lemon Glaze
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1 cup
fresh blueberries
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3 tablespoons
sugar
-
1 teaspoon
cinnamon
-
1/4 teaspoon
freshly grated nutmeg
-
1 teaspoon
lemon juice.
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1 cup
ripe mangoes**( about 7 ounces gross weight) peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice, drained
-
2 tablespoons
sugar, optional
-
1 cup
powdered sugar
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2 tablespoons
lemon juice
-
hot water
Directions
- Lemon Pecan Cardamom Cake:
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Spray with non stick spray the bottom and insides of a 9" or 10" x 3" H cake pan with removable bottom. Place a parchment round on the bottom; spray.
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Combine the sifted whole wheat and white flours; sift again.Remove 2 cups and sift in baking powder and salt. (Add leftover flour mix back into white flour.)
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In a mini processor, grind together 1/2 c. white sugar, zest of 2 lemons, 3 T. freshly ground cardamom, til almost soupy. Transfer from machine to a bowl .
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Beat 2 sticks of softened unsalted butter in a mixer w/ a paddle until soft and light. Add above sugar mixture, remaining 1/2 cup white sugar, 1 tsp vanilla,1/3 cup packed light brown sugar. Add 2 lg.eggs while beating , just until incorporated.
Add 1 c. sour cream and beat til just incorporated.On low speed add the flour mixture and beat just until smooth. Add 2/3 c. roughly ground toasted pecans and mix very briefly.
-
Turn half the mixture into the pan, smooth the top, spoon the blueberry filling on top of it, keeping it 1/2 to 1 inch away from the pan edges.Repeat with a layer of the chopped mango. Turn the other half of the cake batter onto this. Smooth top.
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Bake about 40-60 min. for the 10" pan; more for the 9", til the top of the cake springs back when pressed lightly with a fingertip. and skewer comes out with no traces of batter . Remove from oven and let the cake stand on a rack for 15 minutes.
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Run knife around inside pan edge;push up base to remove cake from pan sides. Place on a rack .Spread glaze over cake and let it drip down the sides. Let it cool and set up. Taste improves overnight.
- Blueberry and Mango Fillings; Lemon Glaze
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In a colander, rinse and dry 1 c. fresh blueberries. In a bowl, combine berries, 3 T. granulated sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon ,1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg and 1 tsp lemon juice*. Stir. Let sit.
(* Before juicing the lemon, finely grate the peel of 2 lemons for the batter . Rasper/micro plane works best. )
In another bowl, combine the mangoes and sugar; let sit.
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While cake bakes, prepare the glaze .
In a bowl, combine 1 c. powdered sugar 2 T. lemon juice and just enough hot water til glaze is just thin enough to pour. Set aside.
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Note**- If you choose to use only blueberries,you can add another 1/2 cup.
My eating passions are Japanese, Indian, Mexican; with Italian and French following close behind. Turkish/Arabic/Mediterranean cuisines are my latest culinary fascination. My desert island ABCs are actually 4 Cs: citrus, cumin, cilantro, cardamom, and GARLIC! I am so excited by the level of sophistication that I see on Food52 and hope to contribute recipes that will inspire you like yours do me. I would like to ask a favor of all who do try a recipe of mine > Would you plse review it and tell me truthfully how it worked for you and/or how you think it would be better? I know many times we feel that we don't want to hurt someone's feelings, but. i really do want your honest feedback because it can only help me improve the recipe.Thanks so much.
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