Orange Cardamom Muffins
This post may contain affiliate links. Please check our disclosure policy.
Orange and cardamom are one of those flavor combinations that sound a bit fancy but work every single time. These orange cardamom muffins are light and fluffy, with a bright citrusy zing balanced by a warm, slightly spicy kick. The kind of breakfast that makes you feel like you’ve got your life together — even if you absolutely don’t.
Orange and Cardamom Muffins
These orange cardamom muffins are the best breakfast treat when you feel like something sweet in the morning. They’re also great when you’re a bit fed up with cereals or even healthy oatmeal porridge. Sometimes, we want a change every now and again, don’t we?
Of course, you don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen just after you get out of bed. So, we need an easy recipe that yields delicious muffins, right? I promise the muffin recipe I’m sharing here is just that one. I’m confident that you will love these muffins.
Flavored with bright orange zest, orange juice, and vanilla, these muffins will be a perfect treat in the morning. Oh, they also have a hint of cardamom that makes the muffins scrumptious.
The best part is that making these muffins is hassle-free. All you have to do is dump all the ingredients in a large bowl and blend them.
It’s that easy. Yet you get fluffy, moist muffins with a fresh orange-juice flavor and spicy cardamom. It’s delicious to accompany your morning cuppa or grab-and-go when you’re in a hurry. And the best part is that the muffin has the right sweetness that leaves you guilt-free after you have it.
Why You’ll Love Orange Cardamom Muffins
- Light and fluffy texture that doesn’t sit heavy first thing in the morning.
- Bright orange zest gives them a fresh, zingy flavor that wakes you up almost as well as coffee.
- Warm cardamom adds a gentle spice that makes them feel a little bit special.
- Smell absolutely incredible while baking — your kitchen will thank you.
- Simple to make but impressive enough to serve to guests without any effort.
Ordinary Ingredients
Yes, you read it right. You don’t need anything difficult or special to make this orange cardamom muffin recipe.
I trust that even green cardamoms are now a common spice staple in many households. They are reasonably easy to get.
So there are 8 key ingredients you will need to make these muffins, plus 2 optional items.
Cardamoms, oranges, milk, all-purpose flour, caster sugar, baking powder, eggs, and oil. Plus, the optional pinch of salt and a pinch of vanilla extract.
When it comes to cardamoms, you can grind or crush whole cardamom seeds before using them. However, if you already have ground cardamom in your pantry, you can use it instead. About one teaspoon of ground cardamom is enough for this recipe.
As for oranges, the common oranges, Valencia oranges, or navel oranges are good choices.
Although I use sunflower oil for the fat, you can use vegetables or butter. If you choose the latter, melt the butter and let it cool before using it.
How to Make Orange Cardamom Muffins
First, you grate the rind to get the orange zest. Then, you squeeze the orange juice into a measuring jug.
Pour the milk into the jug until you get one cup of milk and orange mixture (about 250 milliliters).
Now, place all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl: all-purpose flour, caster sugar, and baking powder. Then, add the wet ingredients, starting with eggs, orange juice mixture, orange zest, oil, ground cardamom, salt, and vanilla.
Using a handheld or stand mixer, whisk together all the ingredients until you have a light, fluffy orange muffin batter. Spoon and divide the batter into the muffin cases. Then bake for 20-22 minutes in a preheated oven at 170 °C/ 338°F fan oven, 180°C/ 350°F, or gas mark 4 until the muffins turn golden brown on top and firm to the touch.
You can check the center of a muffin with a toothpick. If it comes out clean, your muffins are ready.
Tips for Making the Best Orange and Cardamom Muffins
- Baking is about the right proportion of each ingredient. So, make sure you measure each item according to the recipe.
- Use the freshest ingredients possible, as they will give your orange and cardamom muffins the best flavor.
- When you whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, try not to overmix. You only need to whisk thoroughly to combine all the ingredients.
- Every oven behaves differently. Some can be hotter than others, even when set to the same temperature. So, to ensure your baked goods get a fair chance, place the muffin tin in the middle rack of your oven.
- Use fresh orange zest, not the stuff from a jar. It makes a genuinely noticeable difference — fresher, brighter, and way more fragrant. A microplane grater is your best friend here.
- Don’t be shy with the cardamom, but don’t go overboard either. Too little, and you won’t taste it; too much, and it starts to taste like curry. Freshly ground cardamom from pods is worth the extra few minutes if you can manage it.
- Room-temperature eggs and milk are small details that make a big difference. Cold ingredients don’t incorporate as smoothly and can affect your batter’s texture.
- As with any muffin, don’t overmix. Stir until just combined and stop. A lumpy batter is a happy batter — overmixing develops the gluten and gives you tough, dense muffins instead of light, fluffy ones.
- Fill your muffin cases right to the top for bakery-style results. For an extra golden, slightly crisp top, preheat your oven to a higher temperature for the first 5 minutes, then reduce the temperature for the remainder of the bake.
How to Store Your Muffins
Once your muffins are completely cool, store them in a tightly sealed container. They keep well in cool temperatures for up to five days.
You can also freeze your orange cardamom muffins for up to six weeks. Make sure you consume the thawed muffins within a few days, and you must not refreeze them.
Orange cardamom muffins recipe
Equipment
- Spatula
- Muffin cases
Ingredients
- 6-8 green cardamom pods remove the skins, and crush/ grind the seeds (see the note).
- 2 oranges
- ⅓ cup/ 80 milliliters milk see the note
- 10 ounces/ 280 grams all-purpose flour/ plain flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- A pinch of salt
- 5 ounces/ 140 grams caster sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 6 tablespoons sunflower oil see the note
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170°C/ 338°F fan oven, 180°C/ 350°F, or gas mark 4.
- Prepare the muffin pan and line it with muffin cases.
- Grate the rind of the orange to get about 1 teaspoon of orange zest, and set it aside.
- Squeeze the juice into a measuring jug and pour in the milk to make the juice-milk mixture up to 1 cup/ 9 fluid ounces/ 250 milliliters. Leave aside.
- Now, place the flour, caster sugar, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl.
- Add the eggs, orange juice-milk mixture, orange zest, oil, vanilla extract (if using) and ground cardamom into the flour mixture. Using a handheld mixer or a stand mixer, blend all the ingredients until you have a smooth batter. Your batter will have a slightly runny consistency, that’s okay.
- Spoon and divide the batter into each muffin case. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes at 170°C/ 338°F fan oven, 180°C/ 350°F, or gas mark 4.
- Your muffins are ready when they are warm golden yellow in color and firm to the touch. If you like, you can insert a toothpick or a skewer into a muffin. If it comes out clean, your muffins are ready.
Notes
Every orange yields juice in different amounts. Although on average, one orange gives about ⅓ cup/ 70-80 milliliters of juice. So please use the amount of milk suggested above as a guide. In the end, we want one cup/ 250 milliliters of orange juice and milk mixture.
You can use any neutral oil such as mild olive oil or vegetable oil. If you like, you can also use butter instead of oil. 3 ounces/ 85 grams of butter should be enough for this recipe. Make sure you melt the butter and let it cool before using.
I find adding a little bit of vanilla extract actually enhances the flavor of orange and cardamom. The three make a delicious combination. But feel free to omit if you prefer.
Nutrition
Devy founded So Yummy Recipes and Drizzling Flavor to share her love of food after exploring various cultures and cuisines for more than two decades. Her mission is to help others easily recreate traditional and non-traditional food with readily available ingredients. Her works have been featured in Reader’s Digest, Al Jazeera, MSN, Yahoo, Bon Appétit, and more.