To Give Fruity Desserts Better Flavor, Add A Dash Of This Comforting Spice

In the United States, baking up fruit-packed desserts usually means pulling out your ultimate guide to cinnamon to determine whether the Ceylon or Saigon variety goes best with the apples you picked at your local orchard, or the dark cherries you picked up at the farmers' market. However, if you really want to make bakery-worthy pie, the first thing to do is nix cinnamon altogether and swap in an unexpected yet irresistibly delicious alternative: cardamom.

Native to India and Indonesia, cardamom is a close relative of the ginger plant. It has dark green, waxy leaves and little white and magenta flowers, which produce almond-shaped seeds with an intoxicatingly spicy, floral aroma. Dried and ground into powder, these seeds produce cardamom, which adds citrusy, astringent warmth to many sweet and savory dishes. Cardamom comes in white, green, and black varieties, with black having a sharper flavor, green being a little sweeter, while white is the most subtle.

It's particularly delicious in fruity baked goods, such as honey apple crumb cake, because it adds a flavor similar to cinnamon, but more complex and nuanced. Rather than straightforward spicy heat, cardamom elevates the tangy nuance present in most fruits, gently teasing out the tartness in a Pink Lady apple, or the floral notes in mangos. Cardamom is also the perfect counterpoint to vanilla extract. You can add cardamom to your baked goods just like you would ground cinnamon, ginger, or cloves.

Often called the "queen of spices," it's popular throughout equatorial cultures and, interestingly, the Scandinavian region of Northern Europe. It's the perfect spice to use pretty universally in fruit-forward desserts and baked goods, whether you're attempting to liven up a summery, gluten-free peach cobbler or looking for an unexpected warm, spicy component for your pumpkin pie to help stave off autumn's chill.

The biggest thing to consider when using cardamom is whether to use the black or green variety. White cardamom is mild in flavor and may go unnoticed, so it's best to leave it on the shelf. As mentioned, black cardamom has the most intense flavor, meaning it works well with other spices and with fruits that are also more intense, flavor-wise. For instance, it may overpower the delicate flavor of strawberries or persimmons, but works perfectly with the distinctive tanginess of apples or pineapple.

Meanwhile, green cardamom is the way to go if you're unfamiliar with the spice, or simply want an all-purpose seasoning for fruity bakes. It's intense enough not to get lost, but mild enough that the light sweetness of pears or nectarines still shines through. It's also a great choice for flavoring apple cider or vegan hot chocolate made with coconut milk. Start with a pinch or two; you can always add more to get the right intensity.