Blood Orange Cardamom Cake

🧾 Ingredients

For the Cake:

• 1 ½ cups (190g) all-purpose flour
• ½ cup (60g) almond flour (or sub more AP flour)
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cardamom (freshly ground for best flavor)
• Zest of 2 blood oranges
• ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
• ½ cup (120ml) olive oil or neutral oil
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup (120g) Greek yogurt or sour cream
• ⅓ cup (80ml) blood orange juice (freshly squeezed)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

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Optional Blood Orange Glaze:

• 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar
• 2–3 tbsp blood orange juice
• Optional: a few drops of pink gel food coloring (to boost natural blush tone)

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👩‍🍳 Instructions

1. Prep:

• Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
• Grease and line a 9×5-inch loaf pan, or an 8-inch round cake pan.

2. Mix Dry Ingredients:

• In a large bowl, whisk together:
  • All-purpose flour
  • Almond flour
  • Baking powder
  • Baking soda
  • Salt
  • Cardamom
  • Blood orange zest

3. Mix Wet Ingredients:

• In a separate bowl, whisk:
  • Sugar
  • Eggs
  • Olive oil
  • Yogurt
  • Blood orange juice
  • Vanilla extract

4. Combine:

• Pour wet mixture into dry and fold gently until just combined (don’t overmix).
• Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the top.

5. Bake:

• Bake for 40–50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

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🍊 Make the Glaze (Optional):

1. In a bowl, whisk powdered sugar and blood orange juice until smooth and pourable.
2. Adjust thickness with more sugar or juice as needed.
3. Drizzle over cooled cake and let set.

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🍴 Serving Suggestions:

• Garnish with thin blood orange slices or candied orange peel
• Dust with crushed pistachios or a sprinkle of ground cardamom
• Serve with whipped cream or mascarpone

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🧊 Storage:

• Keeps well at room temp in an airtight container for 2–3 days
• Can be refrigerated for 4–5 days
• Freezes beautifully (slice and wrap for easy thawing)

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💡 Variations:

• Add ¼ tsp rose water for a floral Middle Eastern twist
• Substitute almond flour with finely ground hazelnuts
• Make it a layer cake with blood orange curd and cardamom frosting