Why I made these Cardamom Buns
For a long time, I have wanted to try a batch of these Homemade Swedish Cardamom buns out, but all the recipes make large batches of around 16 buns. This was always too much for me to take on myself. Even though they freeze well, there are so many interesting recipes I want to bake that I have at times found my freezer stuffed to the brim with great “freezable recipes”! With that in mind I looked at adjusting the recipe to make around 4 finished buns, which make for a slightly sweet, spicy, and aromatic component to a simple weekend brunch.
What is cardamom anyway?
For those who are not familiar with it, cardamom is a spice that I would call warm, aromatic, and slightly spicy. It is one of the central spices in chai tea recipes I have found and it is part of what makes chai tea so delicious. I find it to be very similar to cinnamon in the applications that it is suited for. In fact, I am surprised that there are not more recipes that highlight cardamom as an ingredient when compared to recipes that call for cinnamon.
Don’t get me wrong, I love cinnamon and use it liberally in everything from baked goods to topping a frothy coffee, but I think it is about time that cardamom got some more love and attention!
Cardamom can come in a few forms I have found, either in a green cardamom pod with the seeds inside, or as seeds only. Many recipes I found called for the full pod, but this was an early saturday morning whim and I only had the seeds on hand. Don’t worry, everything will work out in the end! Oftentimes they can be used interchangeably in recipes.
About the buns
Now for the main attraction! Let’s talk about these Swedish Cardamom Buns! I would describe them as a cousin to the cinnamon roll with less over-the-top frosting, a spicy and fragrant cardamom kick, all wrapped in a fancy bow (literally)!
The cardamom buns opt for a simple sugar / cardamom mixture as a topping as opposed to heavy icing which would hide the amazing flavors. The buns have a crunchy sugar coating which provides a nice textural element to contrast with the soft interior.
As listed the recipe will produce 4 buns, but it can be adjusted to any scale you wish! Most recipes for individual treats (ie cookies, muffins, cardamom buns, etc.) can be adjusted easily by multiplying or dividing the recipe to meet your needs. Larger portionable recipes (ie loaves of bread or cakes) have a harder time with that. The trickiest components are usually the eggs. If for example a recipe calls for 1 Egg, and I only wish to make a quarter of it, I can usually whisk the egg, use the portion I need, and then save the rest for scrambled eggs the next morning (but that’s another recipe 😉 ).
I hope you treat yourself to these Homemade Swedish Cardamom Buns and the aromas that accompany them! We could all use a bit more spice in our lives!
Swedish Cardamom Buns - AKA Kardemummabullar
Equipment
- Spice Grinder
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Rolling Pin
- Pizza Cutter
- Baking Sheet
- Sharp Paring Knife
- Parchment Paper or Silicone Mat
Ingredients
Dough
- 5/16 Cup Whole Milk (or 75 mL)
- 1/4 tsp Active Dry Yeast
- 1 Cup Flour
- 2 tbsp Sugar
- 1.5 tbsp Butter (Softened)
- 0.5 tbsp Ground Cardamom
- 1/4 tsp Salt
Filling
- 4.5 tbsp Butter
- 4 tbsp Sugar
- 1/2 tbsp Cardamom
- 1 pinch Salt
Topping
- 1 Egg (This is enough for 16 rolls, we will use 1/4)
- 1/2 tbsp Ground Cardamom
- 1 tbsp Sugar
Instructions
- Gently heat your milk. My preferred method of choice is slowly heating it in the microwave until it is just warm (around 110 degrees max). Pour your milk into a mixing bowl for your dough and add in the yeast. Stir mixture and let sit until foamy (about 5 minutes).
- Add in the flour, sugar, salt, butter, cardamom, and yeasty milk (from the previous step). Mix with a large spoon and then your hands until it forms a dough (about 3 minutes). Continue to knead for a couple more minutes until the dough becomes smooth and shiny.
- Flatten the dough out into a rectangular block about a half an inch thick. This step is merely to allow the dough to set up, the actual dimensions are not yet relevant. Score your dough a few times with a knife with shallow cuts to allow it to expand. Cover your sheet with plastic wrap (or damp towel) and store in the fridge for a couple hours to chill.
- Prepare the filling. Grab a medium sized bowl and add all your ingredients together (butter, sugar, cardamom, and salt). Mix thoroughly with a fork until the mixture becomes homogenized and then stop mixing, no need to overmix.
- Take your dough out of the refrigerator and place it on a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough out to a rectangle about 4x18 inches and about ⅛ inch thick.
- Prepare your baking sheet with your choice of parchment paper or silicone mats (I have heard parchment paper leads to crunchier bottoms, but I have not tested between both methods).
- Now is the time to top your dough with your filling you made earlier. Place dollops of the filling across the dough and smooth it out to an even layer all over the dough.
- Now is time to make some layers! Fold the top third of the long side of the dough over the middle third and then fold the bottom third on top of that. This will create those delicious layers of cardamom throughout the dough.
- Roll out the dough again so that it measured about 4x12 inches. Try not to roll out too much of the filling but just know it will be ok if some filling comes out.
- Using a pizza cutter cut your 4x12 inch dough into 4 1x12 inch rectangles. Next, one at a time cut a line down the middle of your 1x12 inch rectangle up to about 11 inches up the dough. Now pick up the dough by the connected end and with your other hand grab the loose ends. Twist the loose ends of the dough a few times and then with your hands holding the loose ends, wrap around your fingers holding the connected end two times and then bring the loose ends up through the bottom of the dough to tie it off. This takes a bit of practice but even questionable looking rolls turn out great in the end. After forming each bun, place them on your baking sheet with some spacing between them to allow them to grow.
- Cover and let proof for about an hour or until puffed up. Preheat your oven to 450℉ during this time.
- In a small bowl, beat your egg with a splash of water until frothy. Next combine your ground cardamom and sugar. Next Brush your buns with the egg mixture and then sprinkle on the cardamom and sugar mixture to top. (This is the secret to a crispy topping).
- Bake buns in the oven at the high heat for about 8 minutes and then lower the temperature to 375℉ and continue baking for an additional 10-12 minutes until the buns are a nice golden brown.
- The hardest part now. Wait until the buns have had a chance to cool before eating to let the crispy sugary coating solidify. Now, go enjoy your delicious treats, you deserve it!
