Servings
Font
Back
Cardamom Buns
5 from 173 votes

Cardamom Buns

Cardamom Buns are a sweet yeast-raised bread flavored with ground cardamom in the filling. The dough combines butter, milk, yeast, sugar, salt, and flour, kneaded into a smooth dough that rises until doubled. The filling is a blend of butter, sugar, and cardamom, spread over the rolled dough before shaping. The buns bake to a soft, fragrant pastry with a aromatic, lightly sweet interior typical of Nordic baking traditions. A simple glaze of sugar, water, and vanilla adds a shiny, sweet finish.

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Rising time
2 hrs
Total Time
2 hrs 45 mins
Servings: 16 buns
Calories: 373 kcal
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: Scandinavian

Ingredients

For the dough
  • 1/2 cup butter unsalted, plus 2 Tbsp
  • 2 cups whole milk plus 2 Tbsp
  • 2 instant yeast packages; 2 packages = 1/2 oz or 4 1/2 tsp yeast
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 5 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
For the filling
  • 10 Tbsp butter unsalted, softened
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp ground cardamom
For the glaze
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. In a small saucepan, melt the butter and then add the milk. Warm the mixture until it's lukewarm, and then add it to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Note: the milk should not be hot, just barely warm to the touch, or it will kill the yeast.
  2. Add the yeast to the bowl with the milk and butter mixture, and mix to dissolve. Then add the salt and sugar, and mix together.
  3. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly add the flour. Once all the flour has been added, continue to knead for about 10 minutes. The dough should be smooth and pulling away from the side of the bowl.
  4. Cover the bowl (no need to transfer to a separate greased bowl) and allow to rise for 45 minutes to an hour, or until about doubled in size. Note: find a nice warm spot for your dough to rise.
  5. While the dough is rising, make the cardamom filling by simply mixing all of the filling ingredients together with a fork until uniform. Your butter should be soft enough to mix easily. Set aside.
  6. Prepare two large baking sheets by covering them with a sheet of parchment paper.
  7. Once the dough is risen, gently deflate it and divide it in half. Place one half on a lightly floured surface and roll it out into a rectangle about 14 inches wide by 18 inches long. Spread 1/2 of the filling over 1/2 of the rolled out rectangle.
  8. Fold the half of the dough without any filling over the other half of the dough. Roll out the dough a little bit more to get everything of a fairly even thickness.
  9. Using a knife or a pizza cutter, divide your folded rectangle, widthwise, into 8 equal strips.
  10. Take each strip and slice it lengthwise almost all the way in half, leaving a little bit connected at the top.
  11. Take each "leg" and gently twist it, both in the same direction.
  12. Next, twist the two "legs" around each other gently.
  13. Coil your twist into a small circle, tucking the end underneath and pinching it into place so it doesn't come undone. Don't worry about being perfect, just get it all twisted into a 'messy bun'.
  14. Repeat for the rest of your rectangles, and for the other half of the dough.
  15. Place your shaped rolls on your prepared baking sheets, spacing them a few inches apart. Cover loosely with a kitchen towel, and allow to rise again for about 1 hour. They may not puff up very dramatically, but should be a bit plumper.
  16. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 425F.
  17. When the buns are done rising, bake them for 15 minutes.
  18. Make the glaze by adding the sugar and water to a small saucepan and heating just until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
  19. When the buns are done baking, remove them from the oven and brush them with the glaze while still warm. You can add a second coat of the glaze once they have cooled down a bit if you want them to be extra-shiny.

Notes

  • Place the dough in a warm spot to rise as sweet dough rises slower than regular dough.
  • Using a proofing box helps maintain ideal rising temperatures during colder months.
  • The recipe is adapted from The Nordic Baking Book, ensuring authentic flavor and technique.

Nutrition Information

Calories 373kcal (19%) Carbohydrates 55g (18%) Protein 6g (12%) Fat 14g (22%) Saturated Fat 9g (45%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g (6%) Monounsaturated Fat 4g (20%) Trans Fat 1g (50%) Cholesterol 38mg (13%) Sodium 261mg (11%) Potassium 113mg (2%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 20g (40%) Vitamin A 445IU (9%) Vitamin C 0.1mg (0%) Calcium 51mg (5%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 16 buns

Amount Per Serving

Calories 373

% Daily Value*

Calories 373kcal 19%
Carbohydrates 55g 18%
Protein 6g 12%
Fat 14g 22%
Saturated Fat 9g 45%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 4g 20%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 38mg 13%
Sodium 261mg 11%
Potassium 113mg 2%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 20g 40%
Vitamin A 445IU 9%
Vitamin C 0.1mg 0%
Calcium 51mg 5%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.