Traditional cardamom buns are, quite simply, things of beauty. Glossy topped and gently spiced, fluffy and chewy and crusted in sugar. And while kardemummabullar have been adored in Sweden since the 20th century – powered by cardamom that made its way to the continent from India at least 500 years ago – and become staples in bakeries across Scandinavia, they’ve had nowhere near as much Aussie uptake as their cinnamon-laced relative.

But, that’s all changing.

“There’s not just one correct way to make the cardamom bun,” Swedish baker Alva Brattgard, of The Vicar’s Daughter, tells Broadsheet. “Every bakery and baker has their own preferred shape, size, amount of cardamom, recipe of the dough. I can definitely tell more people know about the cardamom bun – in the beginning [of my bakery], not many knew what cardamom tasted like, or would be brave enough to try it. But now people come in asking especially.”

“Six years back, when we first did them, a lot of people would ask what cardamom was,” says Flour Shop’s Anu Haran. “That’s certainly not the case now.”

So, new Scandi bakeries could be behind the popularity, or maybe we’re on the hunt following all the postcards from Copenhagen Fashion Week. Whatever it is, C-buns are in town, Sydney. Here are seven of the best, plus one that’s worth a trip south.

The Vicar’s Daughter, Collaroy

Swedish baker Alva Brattgard is in her beachside kitchen from 4am (or earlier) each morning, kneading bread, laminating pastry and knotting her cardamom buns into a “Stockholm twist”. By the time you get one, it’s been cold-fermented overnight, proofed in the early morning light and then baked – arriving dark, glossy and ultra-fragrant courtesy of the course-crushed cardamom.

Thursday to Sunday, $8 each

Flour & Stone, Woolloomooloo

Nadine Ingram’s version goes big on fluffiness, thanks to the celebrated baker’s use of the Japanese tangzhong technique when making her brioche. The soft dough is layered with cardamom butter, twisted into a tight knot and then left to prove. The glazed C-buns are glossy-topped, with a crown of pearl sugar and cardamom powder – fragrant with the ground spice, vanilla bean and orange zest, gently sweet with maple syrup. Only available at the Flour & Stone counter.

Monday to Thursday, $10.50 each

The Bakery on Glenayr, Bondi

The least traditional on this list, this cardy-B ventures into monkey bread territory – with some kouign-amann caramelisation, too. The beachy bakery’s riff delivers a definitive crunch on the outside, peel-able layers of pastry heaving with cardamom, and a pillow-soft centre. Baker Michael Klausen mixes the nostalgia for his Danish childhood with his French techniques, and powers his bakes with single-origin Hellfire flour – giving them a certain je ne sais quoi. Pieces of laminated dough are tossed in cardamom sugar, jumbled into a tin to prove and then hit the oven. They’re baked at 6am, so arrive when they open at 6.30am for a freshie – and the floral notes of cardamom sweetening the corner block.

Daily, $8 eachb

Khanom House, Chippendale

Yeen Verasenee’s corner joint serves some of Sydney’s most special bakes, infused with the flavours of his Thai heritage. Pandan’s gentle sweetness and green hue layered through his honey cakes, Basque cheesecakes laced with milk tea. His cardamom buns play it straight, though: a simple, soft brioche dough, spread with butter spiced with “just the right amount” of cardamom, then hand-shaped into chubby swirls. The vibe is fragrant, not overpowering. Khanom House’s buns are made in small batches for now, so go early.

Daily, $8.50 each

Flour Shop, Turramurra

Anu Haran first baked these classic Swedish buns to use cardamom and saffron – Indian spices of her heritage – in a new way. “I found it intriguing and exciting that these two spices found their way into Swedish baked goods when there’s not much historical connection between Sweden and India,” she says.

The scent of her north-of-the-bridge bakery’s buns is “intoxicating”: slightly caramelising sugar, heady cardamom and buttery brioche. “Even after all these years, as we glaze the hot buns, it’s very hard not to eat at least one.” 

The knack here is the use of whole cardamom, pods and all. The green shells are used in Indian desserts too, adding extra depth. The fresh-ground spice is laced through a brioche dough, fermented overnight and then shaped, proofed and baked. You’ll find straight-up cardamom buns at Flour Shop, along with a sunnier version with added saffron. Hot tip: the first batch hits the counter at 7am.

Rotating special, check Instagram for availability. $9 each

Fika, Manly

Fika has been serving beachy locals salmon-topped rye, Scandi brekkie plates and more since 2013 – along with a full line-up of scrolls. The team’s cardamom buns are squishy, heady with cardamom and on the sweeter side. Plus, they’re baked throughout the day – so you’re likely to get one warm from the oven whenever you drop in, ready to eat on the beach.

Daily, $9.50 each

Goodwood, Marrickville

One of Sydney’s best bakeries – from husband and wife team Jamie Goodin and Alex Alewood – exclusively uses NSW-grown flour for their ever-changing, ever-popular line-up. That includes a glazed scroll, its swirled layers carrying cardamom, whole pecans and orange, aptly named The Cardi P. Not the one for you if you’re looking for something trad, but a bloody excellent choice for everyone else. 

Thursday to Sunday

Worth the trip: Under, Canberra

The C-buns at Under are the work of chef and baker Lachlan Cutting, who perfected his knots after returning home from a stint in Copenhagen. They’ve been on the menu since his 2019 market days, and since 2020 in Cutting’s first proper shop in Canberra’s Mawson. Now there are two shops, with racks stacked with breads of all sorts, pastries and a trio of buns (cinnamon and vanilla both joining the show). Those glorious cardamom buns, though, are the ever-shiny, ever-spicy star of the show – and well worth a trip south.

Wednesday to Sunday, $5 each