Cinnamon Sugar Tea Cakes

Ingredients

• 10 tablespoons (1¼ sticks) unsalted butter, melted, slightly cooled, plus more for pan
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ⅔ cup sugar
• 2½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup whole milk
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
• Pinch of kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Butter bottoms only (but not sides; the batter needs traction to achieve a nice rise) of cups of a standard 12-cup muffin pan. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk egg, milk, and 10 Tbsp. butter in a medium bowl to combine. Make a well in dry ingredients; add egg mixture and stir until only small lumps remain.
2. Divide batter among muffin cups and bake until tops are golden brown and centers spring back when gently pressed, 24–28 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cakes cool in pan 5 minutes. Turn cakes out onto rack and let cool completely.
3. Whisk sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, and a pinch of salt in a small bowl to combine. Place butter in another small bowl. Dip tops of cakes in butter, then cinnamon sugar. Wait 5 minutes, then dip into cinnamon sugar again.