Orange Cardamom Coffee Cake

[RWood]

Orange Cardamom Coffee Cake

Serves 12.

This is a combination I came up with just because I love cardamom and orange together. Many of the Greeks in my stepfamily have said it tastes like Karidopeta, a honey walnut cake. It does for some reason, even though it's quiet different.

I'm a little iffy on the 9X13 pan size, it's been a while since I made it that way. The bundt pan is how I originally made it.

• 1-1/2 c chopped walnuts or pecans
  
• 1-1/2 c brown sugar
  
• 6 T flour
  
• 1 T ground cardamom
  
• 6 T unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
  
• zest of 2 oranges, minced
  
• Cake Batter
  
• 3 c flour
  
• 1-1/2 tsp baking powder
  
• 1-3/4 tsp baking soda
  
• 1/4 tsp salt
  
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  
• 6 oz unsalted butter, softened
  
• 1-1/2 c brown sugar
  
• 3 large eggs
  
• 1-1/2 tsp vanilla
  
• 1-1/2 c sour cream
  

Oven: 350

Butter and flour a 9X13 pan. This will work in a 10-cup bundt pan as as well, the layering will end with batter instead.

For the streusel: Combine all the dry ingredients, add the cold butter, and cut in until mixture still has pea size lumps of butter.

Cake:

Combine dry ingredients and mix well.

Cream butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, scraping bowl well.

Add sour cream and mix well.

Add dry ingredients all at once, and mix until smooth.

Spread half of the batter in pan, sprinkle with half the streusel. Spread remaining batter over, and top with streusel.

Bake until tests done. Lay a sheet of foil on top if the topping starts to brown to much before it is done.

( RG2167 )