With deliciously moist layers of sponge cake reminiscent of rasmalai flavors and stacked with homemade whipped cream, this indulgent Rasmalai cake is a four-layered masterpiece perfect for any occasion!
Rasmalai Cake
Rasmalai is a popular Indian dessert with its origins in the eastern parts of India. Lovely, creamy and oh so delicious, this delicacy is basically cottage cheese balls cooked to pillowy soft consistency in sugar syrup and then soaked in a cardamom-flavored sweet thickened milk (also known as rabdi).
A Rasmalai cake is exactly what its name suggests – a delicious blend of rasmalai and cake! This Rasmalai cake recipe is pretty straightforward and easy to make and here are it’s main three components:
- Rich and moist eggless sponge cake layers smothered in rasmalai syrup (rabdi)
- Lightly sweetened whipped cream flavored with cardamom.
- A handful of pistachios and almonds along with saffron, to bring in that flavor and for garnishing.
Ingredients in Rasmalai Cake
To make this rasmalai cake, I used:
Flour: Regular all-purpose/ plain flour works well for this cake. Take care not to overmix the cake batter after you add flour since this could result in a dense cake.
Sugar: I used caster sugar to sweeten this recipe as it dissolves more readily. But ordinary granulated white sugar will work fine too.
Oil: A neutral flavoured oil is your best option to use while baking– vegetable, canola etc. I have used vegetable oil for this recipe.
Yogurt: Since this is an eggless cake recipe, I have substituted eggs with yogurt. It mixes very well with the cake batter and gives the cake a really moist texture.
Kewra extract/ vanilla essence: For adding a refreshing flavor to the cake.
Milk: Use full-fat milk to give you the best results.
Cardamom powder: If you can get your hands on fresh green cardamom pods, then all the better. Peel and crush the seeds to a fine powder for incorporating into the cake.
Baking powder and baking soda: Used as leavening agents to ensure your cake is light and airy.
Salt: Enhances all other flavors in the cake.
Rabdi (ras of ras malai): I used this for brushing over the cake layers in order to make them even more rasmalai flavored. You can also use the liquid or ras from a store-bought rasmalai instead of making a separate rabdi.
Whipping cream: Try to use cold or chilled whipping cream as much as possible; the colder the cream the lighter the frosting!
Pistachios, almonds, saffron strands: For imparting flavor to the cake and for garnishing.
Rasmalai: This is completely optional. If you don’t have rasmalai prepared at home you could totally buy a box of rasmalai from the stores.
How to make Rasmalai Cake
Make a milk infusion: Mix together milk, sugar, cardamom powder, and saffron in a small bowl. Add some finely chopped pistachios and almonds and set aside to infuse. This mixture will be used while making the cake batter and the frosting.
Whisk oil and sugar: In a large bowl whisk together castor sugar and oil until pale and well combined.
Beat in remaining wet ingredients: Add yogurt to the batter and whisk again. Add the infused milk prepared before and kewra extract/ vanilla essence as well and mix everything till well combined.
Sift the dry ingredients: Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl to get rid of any lumps. Add this mixture to the batter and whisk everything gently until no lumps can be seen. Do not overmix.
Pour into cake pans: Divide and pour batter evenly into cake pans. If batter appears to have bubbles, bang the pans lightly on the counter to pop them.
Bake for 30-35 minutes: Bake cakes for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and allow the cakes to cool down in the cake pans for 15 minutes. Then remove cakes from the pans and set them on a wire rack to cool completely. The cakes must be completely cool before frosting and assembling.
Prepare Rabdi: In a large pan, bring full-fat milk to boil on medium heat. Take out a tablespoon of this boiled milk in a small bowl and soak a few strands of saffron in it. Lower the heat and simmer the milk for 20-25 minutes and stir it continuously with a spatula till it’s reduced to half the volume. Mix in sugar, cardamom powder, chopped nuts and saffron to it. Once cooled, a lot of cream (malai) will be collected on the top and sides of the pan. Scrape it all out and mix well into the milk.
Make the whipped cream: Prepare the whipped cream just before assembling the cake. Using a handheld mixer beat cold whipping cream on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Then fold in sugar, leftover infused milk, and kewra extract into the whipped cream.
Assemble the cake: Once the cakes are completely cooled, divide them in half using a serrated knife. On each layer of the cake, drizzle a couple of tablespoons of rabdi (liquid of rasmalai). Then spread about 1/4th of the whipped cream on top of it.
Garnish and rest: Top the cake with pistachios, almonds, and rose petals. Then allow the cake to rest in a refrigerator, uncovered, for at least two hours or overnight. This will help the ras malai flavors really soak into the cake and help the whipped cream thicken and hold shape.
How to Serve Rasmalai Cake
With the rasmalai soaked cake layers, this Rasmalai Cake would taste wonderful even if served plain because there’s a lot of lovely flavors going on here already. But if you want to make it more interesting, try serving the cake slices on plates filled with a few spoons of rabdi.
Take out the cake from the refrigerator only a few minutes before serving since the whipped cream frosting won’t be able to hold its shape for long at higher temperatures.
Storage
Store it in the refrigerator by keeping it covered for up to 3-4 days.
Tips for making the best Rasmalai Cake
Rasmalai Cake (Eggless)
Ingredients
For making rabdi
- 500 ml milk, full fat
- 5-6 tbsp regular/ granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp cardomom powder
- a few saffron strands
- 3-4 pistachios and almonds, finely chopped
For sponge cake
- 2 cups plain/ all purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup castor sugar. regular/ granulated sugar works too
- 3/4 cup yoghurt, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/4 tsp cardomom powder
- a few saffron strands
- 1 tsp kewra extract, vanilla essence is OK too
For whipped cream frosting
- 2 cups whipping cream. cold or chilled
- 4 tbsp rabdi, prepared above
- 3 tbsp caster sugar, or powdered sugar
- 1 tsp kewra extract or vanilla essence
For garnish
- 10-12 ras malai balls
- 8-10 tbsp rabdi, or the liquid in store-bought rasmalai
- 8-10 pistachios and/ or any other dry fruit, finely sliced
- a few rose petals, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F before starting the batter.
- Lightly grease the sides and bottom of two 6” cake pans with butter. Line the base with parchment / baking paper, then grease the parchment paper as well. Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans.
Make the rabdi
- In a large pan, bring full-fat milk to boil on medium heat. Take out a tablespoon of this boiled milk in a small bowl and soak a few strands of saffron in it. Lower the heat and simmer the milk for 20-25 minutes and stir it continuously with a spatula till it's reduced to half the volume. Mix in sugar, cardamom powder, chopped nuts and saffron to it. Once cooled, a lot of cream (malai) will be collected on the top and sides of the pan. Scrape it all out and mix well into the milk.
Make the cake
- Place lukewarm milk, cardamom powder and saffron in a bowl and whisk together till well combined. Set this aside to infuse for a few minutes.
- Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt by sifting them together into a medium bowl. Set aside.
- In a large bowl whisk together castor sugar and oil until pale and well combined. Add yoghurt to the batter and whisk again.
- Add the infused milk prepared before and kewra extract/ vanilla essence to the prepared wet mixture followed by dry ingredients mixture; combine everything well and whisk until no lumps can be seen.
- Divide and pour batter evenly into cake pans. If batter appears to have bubbles, bang the pans lightly on the counter to pop them.
- Bake cakes for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and allow the cakes to cool down in the cake pans for 15 minutes. Then remove cakes from the pans and set them on a wire rack to cool completely. The cakes must be completely cool before frosting and assembling.
Make the frosting
- Prepare the whipped cream just before assembling the cake. Using a handheld mixer beat cold whipping cream on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Then fold in sugar, rabdi (ras of rasmalai), and kewra extract into the whipped cream.
Assemble the cake
- After the cakes are cooled down completely, use a long serrated knife to cut off the tops of your cakes if they are uneven. This will give you a more level cake allowing you to stack your layers more easily and neatly.
- Divide each cake into two halves, for a total of four layers.
- Place one layer of cake on your cakestand, or serving plate. Drizzle a couple of tablespoons of rabdi (ras of rasmalai) over the cake layer.
- Using an offset spatula or a knife, spread about 1/4th of the whipped cream evenly on top of the cake. Leave a 1 cm gap from the edge so that when the next cake layers are placed the cream is not pushed out.
- Gently place the second cake layer on top and press lightly so it sticks. Then repeat with ras malai milk (rabdi) and whipped cream.
- Repeat the above steps with the remaining layers. Once all four layers are stacked, cover the top layer with the remaining whipped cream, chopped pistachios, almonds, or any other toppings of your choice.
- Refrigerate uncovered for at least two hours or overnight. This will help the ras malai flavors really soak into the cake and help the whipped cream thicken and hold shape. That's it! Your deicious rasmalai cake is ready to be sliced and served!
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