Gulab Jamun Cake (Eggless)

This week we celebrated my husband’s birthday and this time I made a cake with an Indian twist to it. Plus I’ve made it eggless. 

Gulab jamun cake 

Cardamom cake 

Ingredients :

1.5 cups cake flour 

1 cup yoghurt 

3/4 cup sugar (didn’t make the cake too sweet as I was going to apply the sugar syrup) 

1/2 tsp baking soda 

1 1/4 baking powder

1/2 cup vegetable oil 

1 tsp cardamom powder. 

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180 degree Celsius. Grease a 6 or 8 six inch cake pan and set aside.

Beat the yoghurt well removing any lumps and add the sugar to it. Beat well and add baking powder and baking soda to it. Beat again and set it aside for 5 mins, until you see small bubbles. To this add the cardamom powder and oil and mix well. Do not beat. Next fold in the dry ingredients. Gently fold the mixture and pour into the prepared tin. Tap gently to remove the air bubbles. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Let the cake cool for a few hours. 

Rose and cardamom cream cheese frosting : 

Ingredients : 

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter softened (113g)
8 oz cream cheese softened (brick-style, not spreadable) (226g)
1 teaspoon rose essence 

1 tsp cardamom powder 

¼ teaspoon salt
4 cups powdered sugar (500g)

Method :

Combine butter and cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer (or you may use an electric mixer) and beat until creamy, well-combined, and lump-free.
Add vanilla extract and salt and stir well to combine.
With mixer on low, gradually add powdered sugar until completely combined. Use to frost completely cooled cake or cupcakes.

Remaining ingredients :

1 tin Gulab jamun 

1/4 cup powdered pistachios 

Handful of whole pistachios without shell 

Dried pink rose petals - a few 

Arranging the cake : 

Once the cake is cooled slice the cake into 2 or 3 layers. 

With a brush apply the syrup of gulab jamun to moisten the layers. 

Apply quarter inch of frosting on the bottom layer. Place half cut gulab jamuns over the frosting to cover the top. Next sprinkle powdered pistachios over the jamuns. Now apply another quarter inch of frosting to cover everything. Place second layer of cake and repeat the process as before. Once you place the top most layer of cake apply frosting to cover the entire cake. First crumb coat and then second coat. Between crumb coat and second coat you may refrigerate the cake so that the layers set. Once the cake is smooth you can start piping the frosting and decorating the cake. This is completely upto you on how you want to frost. I have used a star nozzle in small and regular sizes for star shaped flowers. Then I’ve decorated with whole gulab jamuns, dried rose petals and whole pistachios. 

Serve the cake chilled.