Spiced Lemon Cake

This cake is moist and delicious! The 'spiced' part of this cake comes from ground cardamom (I love cardamom). 

The cardamom lends a warm note to the cake that pairs really well with the lemon flavor. The zesty lemon glaze almost takes away from the delicate flavor of the cake, but gives it a nice punch and makes the cake overall more interesting. 

My mom and I enjoyed a slice of this today and we couldn't help but have another slice with coffee. Yum.

This cake is super easy to make and would be great for brunch or an after dinner dessert or with coffee in the morning. I thought the coffee really brought out the flavor of the cardamom. Might just be me?

I wouldn't recommend substituting cinnamon for the cardamom. Cardamom has a more subtle sweet flavor than cinnamon and is really tasty with the lemon.

Recipe Source: Martha Stewart Living, Oct. 2010 Issue

Spiced Lemon Cake

1 stick unsalted butter, room temp.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest plus 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 2 lemons)

3/4 tsp. ground cardamom

2 large eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 375. Butter and flour an 8-inch round cake pan. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat butter, sugar, zest and cardamom with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in 3 tablespoons lemon juice. Reduce speed to medium-low; beat in flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour. Pour batter into cake pan.

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack. Let cool, top side up. Whisk confectioners' sugar with remaining 3 tablespoons lemon juice until smooth; pour over cooled cake.