A few years ago, I discovered Swedish cardamom buns and immediately fell in love. The process of grinding the cardamom seeds yourself and shaping the buns is incredibly therapeutic and the beautiful floral aroma and warmth from the cardamom is unbeatable. This year, I wanted to take the tried and true cardamom bun recipe I usually make from Fix Feast Flair and sprinkle in a touch of holiday flair to create festive cardamom buns perfect for breakfast during the holidays or as mid-day snacks.
The beautiful thing about cardamom buns is they’re not too sweet so they make for a perfect breakfast bun with a cup of tea or coffee. My orange cardamom buns are inspired by the classic Swedish cardamom buns but are infused with orange flavor and a hint of black pepper. Freshly ground cardamom sings through every component, and the brown sugar and cardamom slightly ooze out to create a crisp caramelized bottom that adds a delightful crunch and caramely note to the light and fluffy bun.
For my recipe, I also use the tangzhong method of taking a bit of flour and milk from the dough and cooking it into a paste, which leads to a fluffy, moist dough that won’t dry out as quickly. Since the holidays (or any time of year) tend to be busy, I also made sure that this recipe is flexible to allow you to make the whole thing in one day, or to make the dough the night before and finish the buns in the morning.
Grinding your own cardamom is really essential for getting that beautifully complex and aromatic cardamom flavor. I often find that green cardamom pods are pretty affordable at Indian grocery stores. I have made this recipe using both a coffee grinder/spice grinder and grinding the cardamom by hand with a mortar and pestle or using the bottom of a glass. While the process of removing the seeds from the pods and grinding them takes a little bit of time, I truly mean it when I say that it’s a stress-relieving process (several of my friends can attest to this after helping me prep for cardamom buns!). It’s also a great activity to do with a group while chatting and spending time together or while watching your favorite show. The smell of that fresh cardamom makes it all very worthwhile.
Lastly, the process of shaping cardamom buns can be a bit tricky. The good news is, even if your shapes turn out to be unconventional, they will still taste delicious so the stakes are low! But if you’re a visual person like me, I recommend checking out this video for helpful shaping instructions (instructions start at 12:38).
If you have never tried a cardamom bun before, these will change your life in the best way possible. And if you’ve fallen in love with the process of making buns, give my earl grey latte buns or masala chai cinnamon rolls a try!
Orange cardamom buns
Course: BreadDifficulty: Weekend baking project18
buns1
hour30
minutes8
minutesThese orange cardamom buns are light and fluffy and are made with a fragrant orange zest and cardamom-infused dough, a buttery cardamom brown sugar filling, and a shimmering orange syrup. They are perfect anytime of year and make a particularly special breakfast during the holidays.
Ingredients
- For the tangzhong
3 Tbsp (24g) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (115g) whole milk
- For the dough
3/4 cup + 1 Tbsp (185g) whole milk
1 envelope (7g) instant yeast
1/3 cup (67g) light brown sugar
3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp orange zest
1 tsp freshly ground cardamom
5 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- For the filling
5 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup (67g) light brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp freshly ground cardamom
5-7 grinds of freshly cracked black pepper
pinch of salt
- For the topping
1/8 cup (24g) light brown sugar
1 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
1/2 tsp orange zest
1/4 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
1 tsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp cardamom
2-3 turns ground pepper
Instructions
- Make the dough
- Start by preparing the cardamom for the full recipe. Remove the seeds from green cardamom pods until you have about 1 Tbsp of seeds. Grind in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle and set aside.
- Make the tangzhong. In a small saucepan, add the 3 Tbsp of flour and 1/2 cup of milk. Heat over medium heat, whisking constantly until the full mixture has transformed into a thick paste. Immediately remove from the heat and scrape into a mixing bowl.
- To the mixing bowl add the remaining milk (3/4 cup + 1 tbsp), and whisk together to dissolve some of the tangzhong. Then add the yeast, brown sugar, flour, salt, orange zest, and ground cardamom. Stir together to form a dough. Knead with your hands for 2-3 minutes until the dough fully comes together–you can also use a stand mixer for this step.
- Then, add the softened butter 1 Tbsp at a time, kneading well to fully incorporate before adding the next tablespoon, about 8-10 minutes in total, or a bit less if using a stand mixer. The dough may be quite sticky at the beginning but once you start mixing in the first tablespoon of butter, the dough should become smooth and be much easier to knead. Once the dough is smooth and slightly tacky but not sticky, tuck the sides underneath to make a little bun or ball shape, place back in the mixing bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. If using the dough right away, let rest for about one hour, or until close to doubled in size. Otherwise, let rest for about 30 minutes until it has grown by about half, and then cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight.
- Make the filling and assemble
- In a small bowl with a fork, mix together the softened butter, brown sugar, cardamom, black pepper and salt to form a smooth paste. Set aside.
- Remove your dough from the mixing bowl (either at room temperature or work with it directly from the fridge if resting overnight), and place it on a lightly floured surface. Roll out to a 13″ by 21″ rectangle, using your hands to help square off the corners.
- Spoon the filling all over the rolled dough. Using a knife or offset spatula, spread to cover the entire dough, including the edges. The layer of filling will be very thin–that is normal.
- Then, fold the dough into thirds on the 21″ inch side, like a letter. Start by folding the left side into the middle, and folding the right side over the left side. Lightly roll the dough to make it slightly wider, moving the rolling pin back and forth between the folded sides (not the open sides).
- Slightly trim the open ends of the dough to create straight lines. Then, using a knife and ruler, mark off every 2 cm on the long side of the dough. Using the markings as a guide, cut 2 cm-wide strips. You should get about 15-20.
- To shape the buns, hold the ends of a strip with each hand and lightly slap on the counter a handful of times to help elongate the strip. With one palm facing up, place one end of the strip on your index finger and drape across your middle finger. Wrap around the back of your fingers to complete the loop, and then loop one more time. At the end of the second loop, when the dough is between your two fingers, take the strip up and over, and then tuck it underneath. In the text of the blog, I have included a video that I found particularly helpful for shaping. Also if you don’t get the shape down, that’s totally fine—-just try your best and they will turn out delicious regardless.
- Place the completed buns on a baking sheet, loosely cover with plastic and let rise for another 30 minutes.
- Bake and glaze the buns
- Preheat the oven to 435F.
- While you wait, in a small saucepan, mix together the water, orange zest, orange juice, and brown sugar. Heat until the brown sugar has dissolved. Then mix in the vanilla. Set aside.
- In a small bowl or ramekin, mix together 1 tsp of sugar with 1/2 tsp ground cardamom and the black pepper. Set aside.
- After the buns have rested for 30 minutes, bake them for 7-8 minutes until the tops turn golden brown. Once out of the oven, immediately brush with the syrup mixture and sprinkle the cardamom-sugar mixture on top. Let cool completely before serving.
Notes
- To make ahead, you can make the dough the night before and chill it overnight after allowing it to rise for about 30 minutes. Then continue with the recipe as written. Alternatively, you can make the dough, fill, and shape the buns the night before. Cover and refrigerate the shaped buns overnight, and in the morning set on the counter to come up to room temperature and then bake.
- These buns are best if eaten with a couple of days. You can warm them at 350 in the oven or for a few seconds in the microwave to revive them to their soft and fluffy state.
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