This Eggless Rasmalai Cake recipe is sure to wow your guests! In this recipe, eggless sponge cake layers with ras malai flavorings are covered in a fresh whipped cream frosting. The cake is finished with pieces of ras malai, rose petals, nuts and silver leaf.
Perfect for birthdays, celebrations and festivals such as Diwali or Eid! Plenty of options and variations, such as Ras Malai Tres Leches Cake, are included in the post.
Note – This recipe has been updated from the archives – first published in February 2018. I’ve added new images and helpful content.
This fabulous Ras Malai cake is inspired by the the classic Indian milk sweet, Ras Malai.
Ras Malai is prepared by soaking paneer (cheese) patties (malai) in a fragrant sweet milk cream (ras). The patties absorb the milk to become soft and spongy.
This Ras Malai Cake incorporates the best of both worlds - the sponge cake is flavoured with cardamom and pistachio and is topped with real pieces of ras malai! It is a wonderful fusion dessert that looks fabulous at parties and get-togethers!
Check out this list of other Indian Fusion Desserts
This collection of Indian desserts or sweets with milk is perfect for the festive season.
Ingredients
Full ingredients with measurements are available in the recipe card below at the end of this post
Eggless Sponge Cake Ingredients
- plain flour or all purpose flour
- powdered sugar also known as caster sugar
- full-fat plain yogurt
- sunflower oil or vegetable oil - basically any flavourless oil
- full-fat milk (whole milk)
- cardamom powder and ground pistachio - I basically ground down cardamom pods and pistachio in a spice grinder
- bicarbonate of soda - use a new batch of baking soda and baking powder for the best results
- baking powder
- vanilla extract
Decoration Ingredients
- ras malai - you can use homemade or shop-bought. Any brand will do, you can even use frozen ras malai but ensure to thaw thoroughly. You will be using both the malai and the milk part
- double cream (heavy whipping cream)
- pistachio slivers - you may want to use other nuts such as almonds
- saffron threads - optional
- rose petals
- edible silver leaf or varq
How to make Ras Malai Cake
Eggless Sponge
You have two options when making the sponge. Either double the recipe and prepare one large sponge cake and cut in half or prepare two separate sponge cakes. Alternatively, if you do not want a layered cake then you can prepare a single layer and decorate as below.
Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4, 180C or 360F.
In a bowl, whisk the yogurt and bicarbonate of soda until bubbly.
To the milk, add ground pistachio and cardamom and allow to infuse. You can add saffron if you wish.
In a bowl, whisk together the oil and caster sugar until well combined. Add in the frothy yogurt and the milk. Add in the vanilla essence. Optionally use rose or kewra essence
Sieve in the plain flour and baking powder and fold in gently to create a smooth batter. Add in spoons of milk at a time if the batter appears thick.
Pour the batter into the lined cake tin then tap lightly to even out the mixture
Place in the centre of the preheated oven and bake for around 45 minutes. You can test "doneness" by poking the centre with a tooth pick. If the tooth pick comes out clean,
Allow the cakes to cool down completely then cut off the top of the cake so the top is flat. Set aside whilst you prepare the whipped cream.
Decorate
Whip double cream until you reach soft peaks. Pour in a few spoons of the ras or milk from the ras malai packet and fold in gently.
Place a layer of the sponge on a plate or cake stand. Brush or spoon over some of the ras from the ras malai and allow to soak into the sponge.
Spread over a layer of cream. Alternatively, crumble the malai and create a ras malai layer.
Now place the second sponge directly on top and spoon over some milk.
Now you want to cover the top and the sides of the cake with the whipped cream.
Top the cake with pieces of ras malai and decorate with rose petals, pistachios and edible silver or gold leaf as you wish.
Rasmalai Tres Leches Cake
You can easily make this recipe into a ras malai tres leches cake as well!
Tres Leche Cake is a Latin American recipe. Tres leches cake is typically made from a light, sponge cake that is soaked in a mixture of three different types of milk - condensed milk, evaporated milk and cream. It is also known as pastel de tres leches in Spanish.
So, in a ras malai tres leches cake, the sponge is served with extra milk from the ras malai making it extra sweet, creamy and decadent!
Pro Tips and Variations
You can make two individual sponge cakes by making the recipe twice and layer or double the recipe and cake a single large cake and half it. The other option is to make a single layered cake that is smaller.
Either add a cream layer between the sponges or pieces or crumbled ras malai. Note that the second option will be quite heavy.
Prepare Rasmalai Tres Leches Cake by pouring over extra ras malai milk.
Storage
This is a fresh cream cake so it must be stored in the fridge. I recommend keeping the cake covered to prevent any harsh smells from the fridge settling on the cake.
Other Eggless Cake Recipes
Rose and Pistachio Baklava Cake
Instant Pot Revani (semolina cake)
As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!
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📖 Recipe
Ras Malai Cake (Eggless)
Equipment
- 7 inch cake pan this recipe is based on a 7 inch cake pan
- Parchment paper to line the cake tin
- Hand mixer or whisk to whip the cream
Ingredients
Ras malai cake
- 4 pieces ras malai with 100 milliliters thickened milk (ras)
- 600 milliliters double Cream or heavy cream
- 2 tablespoon pistachio slivers
- edible silver foil optional
- 2 tablespoon rose petals
Eggless Sponge (for 1 sponge)
- 1 cup plain flour
- ½ cup caster sugar
- ½ cup full-fat plain yogurt
- â…“ cup sunflower oil
- ¾ cup full-fat milk or whole milk
- ¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoon pistachio ground
- ½ teaspoon cardamom ground
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4, 180C or 360F.
- In a bowl, whisk the ½ cup full-fat plain yogurt and ¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda until bubbly.
- To the ¾ cup full-fat milk, add 2 tablespoon pistachio and ½ teaspoon cardamom and allow to infuse. You can add saffron if you wish.
- In a bowl, whisk together the ⅓ cup sunflower oil and ½ cup caster sugar until well combined. Add in the frothy yogurt and the infused milk. Add in the 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Optionally use rose or kewra essence.
- Sieve in the 1 cup plain flour and 1 teaspoon baking powder and fold in gently to create a smooth batter. Add in spoons of milk at a time if the batter appears thick.
- Pour the batter into the lined cake tin then tap lightly to even out the mixture
- Place in the centre of the preheated oven and bake for around 45 minutes. You can test "doneness" by poking the centre with a tooth pick. If the tooth pick comes out clean, it's done.
- Allow the cakes to cool down completely then cut off the top of the cake so the top is flat. Set aside whilst you prepare the whipped cream.
Decorate
- Whip 600 milliliters double Cream until you reach soft peaks. Pour in a few spoons of the ras or milk from the ras malai packet and fold in gently.
- Place a layer of the sponge on a plate or cake stand. Brush or spoon over some of the ras from the ras malai and allow to soak into the sponge.
- Spread over a layer of cream. Alternatively, crumble the malai and create a ras malai layer.
- Now place the second sponge directly on top and spoon over some milk.
- Now you want to cover the top and the sides of the cake with the whipped cream.
- Top the cake with 4 pieces ras malai and decorate with 2 tablespoon rose petals 2 tablespoon pistachio slivers and edible silver foil or gold leaf as you wish.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
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Unknown says
Hey, is this cake batter supposed to be thick?
jcookingodyssey says
Regular cake batter consistency.
Sameeksha says
You have mentioned milk and milk powder in the cake ingredients but not used in the cake recipe anywhere. Can you plz clear that whether to use milk and milk powder while making the cake or not.
jcookingodyssey says
I have mentioned in the method when to use milk powder and milk. Please go through recipe once again you will see. Hope this helps.