Can I Omit The Cardamom From The Marzipan Loaf Cake?

Our answer

Nigella's Marzipan Loaf Cake (from COOK, EAT, REPEAT) is seen as a plain cake, but is far from plain as it is moist with almonds and has the warm flavour of cardamom. If you don't have ready ground cardamom then you could grind your own from the seeds extracted from cardamom pods. But in this case we suggest using only ¾ teaspoon, as freshly-ground spices tend to be more pungent than those bought ready ground.

If you don't have cardamom pods either then you can just omit the cardamom completely, as there isn't really a good ground spice alternative for the delicate flavour of cardamom. You could instead add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract (if making the cake in a mixer then add it with the first egg), though this is not strictly necessary.