• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• ½ cup unsalted butter; melted and cooled
• 1 teaspoon orange peel; finely shredded
• 1 tablespoon orange juice
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
• ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
• ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ cup pecan pieces; finely chopped
• 2 egg whites; slightly beaten
• Powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF.
2. Grease and flour twenty-four 3-inch Madeline mold. Set molds aside. (look at a kitchen specialty store for a Madeline pan with 8 or 12 shapes).
3. Beat sugar and egg yolks in a medium mixing bowl with electric mixer on medium to high speed about 30 seconds or until thoroughly mixed.
4. Add melted butter, orange peel, orange juice and vanilla. Beat on low speed until combined.
5. Sift together flour, baking powder, cardamom, baking soda and salt. Sift or sprinkle about one-fourth of the flour mixture over the egg-yolk mixture. Gently fold in the flour mixture.
6. Repeat, sifting and folding in one-fourth of the flour mixture at a time.
7. Fold in nuts.
8. Gently stir in egg whites.
9. Spoon batter into prepared molds, filling each mold about half full.
10. Bake in a preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are golden and tops spring back when lightly touched.
11. Cool cakes in molds for 1 minute.
12. Using the point of a knife, loosen cakes from mold; invert cakes onto a wire rack.
13. Remove molds and cook cake completely on the rack.
14. Tightly cover and store at room temperature up to 3 days.
15. Just before serving, sift powdered sugar over tops.

Makes 24