What Is Ogaily Cake?
Ogaily is a light, soft sponge cake with a lovely flavor of cardamom. It’s commonly known as **Gerz Ogaily** and it’s one of those cakes that’s simple enough for everyday baking, but has enough character to make it feel special.
Cardamom is what gives Ogaily its distinctive Middle Eastern character. The cake itself is light and tender, while the cardamom adds a warm, fragrant flavor that goes particularly well with Arabic coffee or a cup of tea.
Saffron is normally part of the repertoire of ingredients in Ogaily, adding both flavor and a beautiful golden color. I decided to leave saffron out of this recipe. The result is slightly different from the more traditional version, but it is similarly nice—and perhaps a little simpler for anyone who wants to bake the cake without having saffron on hand.
Ogaily is not an elaborate cake. There are no layers to assemble, no frosting to prepare, and no complicated decorating involved. It is simply a good sponge cake with a lovely flavor, which is sometimes exactly what you want.
Origin of Ogaily Cake
Ogaily cake originated in Kuwait, although it has become familiar throughout the Middle East and is baked and served in many homes across the region.
It is particularly associated with Ramadan, when it can be served for breakfast, or fatoor, along with coffee or tea after the main meal during the breaking of the fast. A homemade cake like Ogaily fits naturally into the Ramadan table because it can be prepared ahead of time and served when everyone gathers.
But you certainly do not have to wait for Ramadan to make Ogaily.
It is just as nice as an afternoon snack with a cup of coffee or tea, and it makes a simple dessert after dinner. Because the cake is not heavily decorated or overly sweet, it can be enjoyed on its own or served alongside a warm drink.
There is also something particularly appealing about a cake whose flavor comes mainly from a spice rather than from frosting or a filling. The cardamom makes Ogaily aromatic without making it complicated.
Ingredients of Ogaily Cake
The ingredients for Ogaily are minimal. When making Ogaily comes to mind, I imagine all-purpose flour, eggs, milk, and sugar. For anyone who bakes, though, the rest are usual pantry ingredients: baking powder, salt, and oil.
With this lineup of ingredients, Ogaily is a very easy possibility when you want to bake a cake without making a trip to the grocery store for anything unusual.
The traditional Ogaily would have, as I already mentioned, saffron as one of its ingredients. Saffron gives the cake its characteristic color and another layer of flavor. Depending on the recipe and the cook, sesame seeds or black seeds may also be added for additional character.
Cardamom, however, is the flavor I would not want to leave out. It is what makes me think, “Yes, this is Ogaily.”
I tried to keep my recipe as simple as how I initially tried it at my sister-in-law’s house. That is also how I got the four basic ingredients of flour, eggs, milk, and sugar, because this is what she said when I asked for the recipe.
“Oh, it is easy. You only need four ingredients!”
Ha ha!
Of course, once I got home and actually made the cake, I discovered that there were a few more ingredients involved. But her point was absolutely right: Ogaily is a simple cake to make.
The ingredients may be few, but the combination produces a soft, fragrant cake that is quite satisfying.
How to Serve Ogaily Cake
Ogaily is best served with coffee or tea. It is particularly lovely with Arabic coffee, where the cardamom in the cake complements the flavors of the coffee beautifully.
I also recommend serving Ogaily at room temperature. Some baked items, like this sugarless date cake, can be served almost immediately after they come out of the oven and are perfectly fine.
Ogaily, on the other hand, is at its best when it has had time to cool.
Let the cake cool down before removing it from the pan, then allow it to come to room temperature before serving. This gives the crumb time to settle and makes the cake easier to slice neatly.
You do not need to dress it up. A simple slice of Ogaily on a small plate beside a cup of coffee or tea is enough.
If you are serving it for guests, you can also cut the cake into smaller portions and arrange the slices on a serving platter. It is the kind of cake that looks perfectly at home on a family table or on a tray served to visitors.
How to Keep Leftover Ogaily Cake
If you happen to have leftovers—which is not always guaranteed in my house—Ogaily keeps quite well.
The cake can be kept for a couple of days at room temperature in a cake dome or other well-covered container. If you want to keep it longer, place it in a tightly sealed container and refrigerate it. Properly stored, it can last for close to 10 days in the refrigerator.
Because refrigeration can make cakes feel a little firmer, let refrigerated Ogaily come back to room temperature before serving. The cake will be softer and more enjoyable that way.
If you are making Ogaily ahead for guests, this also makes it a convenient cake to have around. You can bake it in advance, store it properly, and simply bring it to room temperature when you are ready to serve.
And that, really, is one of the things I like about Ogaily: it is uncomplicated from beginning to end. A handful of familiar ingredients, a gentle cardamom flavor, and a soft sponge cake that goes beautifully with coffee or tea. Sometimes, simple really is enough.
PrintOgaily – Cardamom Cake from Kuwait
A traditional Kuwaiti Ogaily cake—light, aromatic, and infused with saffron and cardamom for a beautifully spiced dessert.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients
- ½ cup vegetable oil or shortening
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1–1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 tsp vanilla pure extract
- 1 tsp cardamom powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a bundt cake pan and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- Beat sugar and oil for about a minute, then add eggs one at a time, beating for a minute after each addition. Continue beating until the mixture becomes foamy.
- Slowly add half the flour mixture to the egg mixture while continuing to beat; then add milk followed by the other half of the flour mixture ensuring smooth consistency.
- Add cardamom powder and beat for about 10 seconds.
- Pour onto the greased cake pan and bake for close to 60 minutes or until it passes the toothpick test.
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