Cardamom Cake from Kuwait (Gers Ogaily)

Cardamom cake on a serving platter, sprinkled with powdered sugar.

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Cardamom Cake from Kuwait (Gers Ogaily)

Gers Ogaily is a cardamom and saffron cake from Kuwait that is as beautiful as it is flavorful. Serve this dense, delicious cake with a cup of tea and a light sprinkle of powdered sugar.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Kuwaiti

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 35

Servings

Calories 284kcal

Author Alexandria Drzazgowski

Equipment

Electric Hand Mixer
Whisk
Nonstick Spray
Oven Mitt
Mortar and Pestle
Mixing Bowl(s)
Small Bowl
Toothpicks
Bundt Pan

Ingredients

½ tsp saffron
1 tsp granulated sugar
2 tbsp warm milk
4 eggs
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
½ tsp salt
1 ½ tsp baking powder
2 tbsp sesame seeds toasted
1 cup milk room temperature
½ cup melted butter
1 tsp cardamom
1 tsp rose water

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Use a mortar and pestle to grind the ½ tsp saffron down a bit. Then add the 1 tsp of granulated sugar into the mortar and continue grinding until the sugar and saffron combine.
Pour this mixture into a small bowl, then add the 2 tbsp warm milk and allow the saffron to soak for 10 minutes. Set aside.
Add the 4 eggs and 1 ½ cups granulated sugar into a large bowl then mix with an electric hand mixer for about 5 minutes until the mixture triples in size.
In a separate bowl, whisk the 2 cups flour, ½ tsp salt, 1 ½ tsp baking powder, and 2 tbsp sesame seeds together. Set aside.
In another separate, small bowl combine the 1 cup milk, saffron mixture, ½ cup melted butter, 1 tsp cardamom, and 1 tsp rose water. Whisk to combine.
Once both the wet ingredients and the dry ingredients are prepared, it is time to make the batter. Take turns adding the dry & wet ingredients into the sugar and eggs, gently hand mixing to combine between each addition. Do 3 additions of each mixture, finishing with the dry.
Spray a bundt pan with nonstick spray, then pour your batter into the bundt pan. Bake in the oven for about 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Enjoy!

Notes

Recipe from @elanneboake on TikTok!

Saffron: For the most authentic flavor, use the freshest saffron possible. Fresh saffron looks like thick, rough hairs. It should be steeped.
Toasted Sesame Seeds: See below for instructions on how to toast your sesame seeds.
Milk: Any kind of milk will do but whole milk will give your cake a special richness
Butter: Unsalted, and melted butter.
Cardamom: Cardamom is usually sold in a powder or ground cardamom. As with all spices, the fresher the better. You may find cardamom pods which can be ground in a mortar and pestle.
Rose Water: Rose water is water that has been infused with rose petals. It has many aesthetic purposes but it is also a popular ingredient in many Mediterranean desserts. It adds a light, floral taste to the dish. You can purchase a bottle online. Be sure that it is food-grade, rather than cosmetic.
The toasted sesame seeds add an important layer of flavor to this cake. Don’t skip the toasting!
This cake has a very light, sweet flavor but it is also a fairly dense, moist cake. It is best served with tea or coffee.
The addition of sugar to the mortar and pestle, when you grind the saffron, helps ensure the saffron is ground to a fine powder. Some people like to keep the saffron whole and steep it as is.
Allow the cake to cool on a wire rack or cooling rack to room temperature before serving to get the most out of all the unique flavors in this great cake.
This cake recipe requires only gentle mixing at the end so it does not require an electric mixer. A rubber spatula will work well for mixing by hand.
This cake is traditionally baked in a bundt pan, but you could also use a round cake pan or springform pan in a pinch.

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