Equipment
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 250 g all-purpose flour
- 10 g baking powder
- 4 g ground cardamom
- 2 g salt
Wet Ingredients
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- 200 g granulated sugar
- 120 ml vegetable oil
- 120 ml whole milk, room temperature
- 5 ml vanilla extract
Pan Preparation
- 10 g unsalted butter, softened
- 10 g all-purpose flour
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 270 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbohydrates
- 34 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 17 g
- Sodium
- 182 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 3 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Cholesterol
- 65 mg
- Potassium
- 64 mg
- Calcium
- 75 mg
- Iron
- 0.7 mg
- Magnesium
- 9 mg
- Phosphorus
- 84 mg
- Zinc
- 0.4 mg
- Vitamin A
- 37 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.5 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin K
- 0 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.0 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.2 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.04 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.11 mg
- Niacin
- 0.3 mg
- Folate
- 14 mcg
- Water
- 25 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 175°C/350°F. Generously coat the inside of the bundt pan with softened butter, ensuring all crevices are covered, then dust with flour and tap out the excess.
Pass the all-purpose flour, baking powder, ground cardamom, and salt through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium mixing bowl. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the room temperature eggs and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until the mixture is pale yellow, thick, and has tripled in volume. This creates the light sponge structure.
Reduce the mixer speed to low. Slowly stream in the vegetable oil, whole milk, and vanilla extract. Mix just until the liquids are fully incorporated into the egg foam.
Remove the bowl from the mixer. Using a silicone spatula, gently fold the sifted dry ingredients into the wet mixture in three separate additions. Use a sweeping under-and-over motion to avoid deflating the aerated eggs.
Pour the batter evenly into the prepared bundt pan. Tap the pan gently on the counter once to release any large air bubbles. Bake in the center of the oven at 175°C/350°F for 40 to 45 minutes.
Remove the cake from the oven and let it rest in the pan on a wire cooling rack for exactly 10 minutes. Place the cooling rack over the pan and carefully invert it to release the cake. Allow the cake to cool completely before serving.
Chef's Notes
- For the absolute best texture, ensure your eggs and milk are fully at room temperature before mixing. This allows the batter to emulsify properly and trap the maximum amount of air.
- Freshly removing the seeds from green cardamom pods and grinding them in a mortar and pestle will provide a vastly superior, more floral aroma compared to pre-ground spices that have been sitting in the pantry.
- Beating the eggs and sugar until pale and thick is the single most crucial step for a light, airy Doolshe. Do not rush this process; let the mixer run for the full 5 minutes.
- Using oil instead of melted butter in this sponge guarantees a remarkably moist crumb that stays soft for days even when stored in the refrigerator.
Storage
Refrigerator: 5 days — Store in an airtight container to prevent the crumb from drying out.
Freezer: 3 months — Wrap individual slices tightly in cling film followed by aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn.
Reheating: Bring to room temperature naturally, or warm slightly in the microwave for 10 seconds to restore softness.
Troubleshooting
Cake sticks to the bundt pan and breaks upon removal
Cause: Insufficient greasing of the pan's details or resting the cake for too long or too short a time before inverting
Fix: Cosmetically broken pieces cannot be structurally fixed. You can disguise the damage with a simple powdered sugar glaze, or cut the cake into cubes to serve as a trifle base.
Prevention: Thoroughly brush softened butter into every detail of the pan and dust evenly with flour. Always set a timer to invert the cake after exactly 10 minutes of cooling.
Dense, heavy texture instead of a light sponge
Cause: Eggs were not beaten long enough with the sugar, or the batter was overmixed when adding the dry ingredients
Fix: Cannot be fixed after baking. The cake will still be edible but will lack the traditional airy quality.
Prevention: Ensure eggs and sugar are beaten to the ribbon stage (pale and thick). Fold in the flour very gently just until no dry streaks remain.
Cultural Context
Known locally as Doolshe, this lightly sweetened sponge cake is a cornerstone of Somali hospitality. It is traditionally served during Casariyo, the customary Somali afternoon tea time, accompanied by a steaming cup of sweet, spiced black tea called Shaah. The prominent use of cardamom reflects Somalia's rich history and geographic importance as a major trading hub in the ancient global spice routes.
