The Seasoning Secret To Milk Bar's Pumpkin Pie

If fall were a food, it would be best embodied in a slice of Milk Bar's pumpkin caramel pie. Pairing the natural sweetness of pumpkin with a heavenly layer of salted caramel (blanketed under dollops of whipped cream and a scattering of streusel) this dessert has all of autumn's flavors locked and loaded. But if you've ever had a slice and wondered what makes it so moreish, we've got you covered. It's a dash of cardamom.

Traditionally, pumpkin pie spice is a blend of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, and cloves. This warming mixture has a distinctive aroma, which stems from a hefty ratio of cinnamon, a kiss of heat from the ginger, and a cozy earthiness from the nutmeg. However, Milk Bar's pumpkin pie spice mix also includes the sweet floral and citrusy fragrance of cardamom. This spice is native to South India, which is why it features in an array of South Asian desserts, like kheer, nankhatai, and rasmalai. 

Having said that, it's also to be found in Swedish cardamom buns and Middle Eastern coffees because it's so versatile. When cardamom is combined with other pumpkin pie spices, it creates a complexity of fall flavors that perfectly complement the sweetness of autumnal squash. In the case of Milk Bar's pumpkin caramel pie, the cardamom is stirred through a mixture of canned pumpkin (roasted until concentrated and reduced by half) that's been loosened with a melted blend of white chocolate, cream, and glucose syrup. 

When used to steep beverages, like chai and coffee, cardamom is best used whole (the green pod along with the small gray-black seeds inside) because you can easily fish it out. For baked goods, however, the ground stuff is better because it evenly suffuses through pie fillings, cake batters, and doughs, while lending each dessert an appetizing speckled finish. You can purchase ground cardamom from a store or make your own by removing the seeds from the pods and whizzing them up in a spice blender like this one from Amazon. Bear in mind that if you're heavy handed when cooking with cardamom it can overpower the flavor of delicate baked goods, making them taste almost bitter and soapy.

One of the best things about Milk Bar's pumpkin pie filling (which is technically a ganache because of the addition of the good quality white chocolate and cream) is that it can be stored in the fridge for up to a week. This is really helpful if you want to make a homespun version because you can prep it in advance, leaving you with plenty of time to make the pie crust and the salted caramel layer. The optional streusel topping can also be prepared and stored at room temperature for up to two weeks.