Coconut cardamom cake recipe

The nutty and slightly floral flavors of East African Mkate Mimina, a bouncy yeast rice cake, inspired this American-style take on a classic yellow cake. Here, the sweet buttery dough gets a kiss of coconut extract and floral ground cardamom. Think of the toasted coconut flakes that coat the tender cake like crumbles on steroids: they add both flavor and tons of crunchy texture. As always, make sure the cake is completely cool before frosting.

Depending on the climate, your buttercream may burst. To avoid this, make sure all buttercream ingredients are at the same temperature and resist the urge to use high speed; Keep the mixer on medium-high to ensure your emulsion stays together. If the mixture is still cracking, remove about ⅓ cup of the glaze and microwave until melted. Return to the rest of the buttercream and whisk together; the heat should help form a stable buttercream.