Equipment
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 250 g all-purpose flour
- 200 g granulated sugar
- 10 g baking powder
- 5 g ground cardamom
- 2 g salt
Wet Ingredients
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- 120 ml vegetable oil
- 120 ml whole milk, room temperature
- 10 ml vanilla extract
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 263 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbohydrates
- 34 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 17 g
- Sodium
- 182 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 2 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Cholesterol
- 63 mg
- Potassium
- 65 mg
- Calcium
- 75 mg
- Iron
- 0.7 mg
- Magnesium
- 9 mg
- Phosphorus
- 83 mg
- Zinc
- 0.4 mg
- Vitamin A
- 31 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 your oven to 175°C/350°F. Generously grease and flour the bundt pan to ensure the cake will release cleanly.
Sift the all-purpose flour, baking powder, ground cardamom, and salt into a medium mixing bowl. Whisk briefly to distribute the spices evenly.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the eggs and granulated sugar on high speed until the mixture triples in volume, turns pale yellow, and forms thick ribbons when the whisk is lifted.
Reduce the mixer speed to low. Slowly stream in the vegetable oil, whole milk, and vanilla extract until just incorporated.
Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the sifted dry ingredients into the wet mixture in three batches. Use a sweeping, bottom-to-top motion to maintain the trapped air until no dry flour streaks remain.
Pour the batter evenly into the prepared bundt pan. Bake at 175°C/350°F for 35 to 40 minutes. The cake is done when a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean and the top springs back when lightly pressed.
Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before carefully inverting it onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Chef's Notes
- Whip the eggs and sugar for at least 5 minutes. This is the foundation of a sponge cake and provides the structural air needed for a light texture.
- Freshly cracked green cardamom pods ground in a mortar and pestle provide a drastically superior, floral flavor compared to pre-ground spices.
- Do not open the oven door during the first 30 minutes of baking to prevent a sudden draft from collapsing the delicate sponge structure.
- Using oil instead of butter is traditional for this specific style of sponge, as it ensures the crumb remains incredibly moist even after a few days at room temperature.
Storage
Refrigerator: 5 days — Wrap tightly in plastic wrap to prevent the sponge from drying out.
Freezer: 3 months — Slice before freezing. Thaw overnight at room temperature.
Troubleshooting
Cake is dense and heavy instead of airy
Cause: Eggs and sugar were not whipped long enough to trap air, or the batter was overmixed when adding flour.
Fix: Cannot be fixed once baked, but can be repurposed into cake truffles or soaked in a milk syrup.
Prevention: Whip eggs and sugar for a full 5-7 minutes until the ribbon stage is reached. Fold flour gently by hand, not with the mixer.
Cake sticks to the bundt pan
Cause: Pan was inadequately greased or the cake was left to cool in the pan for too long.
Fix: Patch broken pieces with a simple icing or dust heavily with powdered sugar to hide imperfections.
Prevention: Thoroughly grease all crevices of the pan with butter and a dusting of flour, or use a high-quality baking spray.
Cultural Context
Doolsho translates simply to 'cake' in the Somali language and is an absolute staple of 'Casariyo', the traditional Somali afternoon tea time. It is almost always scented heavily with cardamom and vanilla, beautifully reflecting the historical spice trade routes that have long connected the Horn of Africa to India and the Middle East.
