Eggless Gulab Jamun Cake is a fusion cake made using Indian popular sweet gulab jamun. Right from the cake sponge to the frosting everything is flavored with cardamom and saffron, so that every bite of cake has gulab jamun flavor. The cardamom saffron flavored base is soaked into cardamom flavored sugar syrup and is layered with the cream mixture made using cream cheese, whip cream, icing sugar and cardamom. Pieces of gulab jamun are generouslly spread in between the layers so that they come in every bite of the cake. The cake is decorated with the gulab jamun pieces, dried rose, and saffron. The cake is eggless, moist, rich in flavor and wins heart of everyone.
Making a rich gulab jamun cake was on my list after I had made the eggless rasmalai cake on my husband’s 40th birthday!! Gulab jamun is a popular Indian dessert and is readily available everywhere. The milk solids known as khoya (mava) is kneaded into dough with all purpose flour or maida and leavening agent such as baking powder. Small balls are made from the dough and are deep fried in oil or ghee on low heat till golden. These deep fried balls are then soaked into sugar syrup flavored with cardamom and saffron. The balls absorbs the sugar syrup and become juicy, moist and soft. They can be enjoyed with the meal or as dessert with a scoop of vanilla icecream.
Now a days fusion dessert are popular such as rasmalai cake, carrot halwa cake, motichoor laddoo cheesecake, gulab jamun cake. So basically two sweets are combined, flavored and decorated to make one exotic dish.
I was waiting for a very special occasion to make gulab jamun cake. When my friend (Neelam Singh) requested me to make a cake to celebrate her in -laws 50th anniversary. Neelam had trust on my baking skills and told me that I can make any new type of cake for the occassion. But the cake needs to be eggless. So the first thing came up in my mind was making a gulab jamun cake.. I was so happy that everyone loved the cake and enjoyed it to the fullest.
The party cake served as a dessert are layered with cream and any fruits or chocolate and served.
So to make gulab jamun cake I need a cake sponge, cream for the layer and outer covering, gulab jamun to be sandwiched between the layers.
I wanted that every bite of the cake had the taste of gulab jamun.
For the base to be rich in taste – I had used condensed milk which gives the cake the texture like khoya, or milk solids , butter, soda water to make cake lighter and flavored it with cardamom and saffron. You can also use the eggless sponge recipe that I had used in making eggless rasmalai cake.
The cake is needs to be soaked in a sugar syrup and I had used the sugar syrup that came along with the ready made canned gulab jamun.
I prefer using the canned gulab jamun as they are more firm and can be cut nicely into thin slices for decoration of the cake.
For the frosting or the cream layer- I had used whip cream and cream cheese and flavored them with cardamom.
So now when everything is assembled together the cake is flavorful and aromatic with cardamom and saffron.
Be generous to put pieces of gulab jamun in between the layers as when eating the cake they will come in each bite .
Since the cake was made for the occasion of 50th wedding anniversary, I wanted to look it more colourful and traditional. Hence i decorated the cake with dried rose petals and dual colour piping flowers. It gave the effect of the wedding floor that had colourful rose and marigold flowers around. Some golden balls enhanced the golden wedding anniversary look to the cake.
The cake ready with the golden jubilee candle and ready to cut.
Layers of the cake …
I had shared the recipe to make four layer cake for around 40 to 50 people. But I had made with the same measurements three layer cake for around 30 people .The left over sponge was enjoyed as tea cake and I made some soft cookies with leftover icing.
So friends I had tried to include every detailed step to make the cake so that you can make them for your loved ones. Friends do try this cake and please do share your feedback with me.
Khao dilse, khilao dilse aur banao dilse…
Eggless Gulab Jamun Cake
Equipment
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- hand whisk
- sift or sieve or soup strainer
- two bowls
- heavy bottom pan
- measuring glass
- baking tin square or circle 12 inch
- electric beater
- offset spatula
- piping bags 2 big
- piping nozzle of your choice
- knife
- big bowl chilled
- big tray filled with ice cubes
Ingredients
Eggless cardamom saffron flavored sponge to make one 12 x 12 inch square base. Twice this quantity to make two 12 inch square base .(I baked one base and repeat again to make the second base with the quantity mentioned below)
- 225 g all purpose flour maida
- 3 tbsp cornflour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cardamom powder elaichi powder
- 1 tsp saffron strands kesar
- 125 g butter
- 400 ml sweetened condensed milk or one tin of the condensed milk available
- 200 ml soda water plain soda
- all purpose flour for dusting
whip cream and cream cheese frosting
- 1800 ml heavy cream chilled, 35% fat
- 250 g cream cheese soften
- 3.75 cup icing sugar sifted
- 3 tbsp cornflour
- 4 tsp cardamom powder elaichi powder
- ice cubes to put into the big tray or dish on which the heavy cream bowl is put while whipping
Assembling cake
- 40 gulab jamun I had used ready made canned gulab jamun
- 1.5 cup gulab jamun syrup
- 1 tsp saffron strands kesar
- dried rose and rose petals
- golden balls to sprinkle
- 1/4 tsp saffron powder or yellow colour
- 1 tsp liquid red food colour
Instructions
Eggless cardamom saffron flavored sponge to make one 12 x 12 inch square base. Twice this quantity to make two 12 inch square base .(I baked one base and repeat again to make the second base with the quantity mentioned below)
- Sift all purpose flour, corn flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt , cardamom powder three times.
- The sifted mixture is ready.
- Melt butter on low heat in a heavy bottom pan. Keep aside to come at room temperature.
- Take some melted butter from the pan and brush it evenly on the cake tin. Dust with some all purpose flour.
- Tap it to to spread the flour and then discard any excess flour.
- Now add the condensed milk to the cooled melted butter.
- Whisk it for 3-4 minutes with a hand whisk till light and fluffy.
- Add the saffron strands and mix well.
- Gradually add the sifted flour into batches mix and mix gently.
- Add the remaining flour. Mix gently.
- The flour and butter mixture and lump free and mixed well.
- Now add the soda water.
- Mix gently with a wire whisk or spatula.
- Pour the mixture into the greased and dusted cake tin.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 160 C for 40-45 minutes or till the skewer when inserted comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let the cake sit for 5 minutes into the tin.
- Run the knife around the edges and invert the pan and demould the cake.
- Cool the cake on a wire rack .
whip cream and cream cheese frosting
- Take the softened cream cheese. Beat it on slow speed with electric beater.
- Add 3/4 cup of sifted icing sugar. Beat on low speed.
- Add cardamon powder and beat well with electric beater till well incorporated and smooth on medium speed.
- The cream cheese mixture is smooth and ready. Remove the cream cheese from the blades of the beater.
- Scrape the edges of the bowl and bring the mixture together. This mixture tastes like indian dessert shrikhand. You can chill it and add some saffron and chopped nuts and serve as dessert. very yummy!!
- Keep the big bowl electric beater blade into the freezer for two hours before whipping the cream to make whipped cream.
- Pour the chilled heavy cream into the chilled bowl. Beat on low speed with the help of electric beater for 3-4 minutes. (Make sure the kitchen is not warm and you are whipping the cream in a cool area of the kitchen).
- Add the sifted 3 cups icing sugar and 3 tbsp of cornflour and beat on low speed for 5-6 minutes.
- The mixture will start to thicken. Add cardamom powder. Beat on low speed for further 7-8 minutes. Put the bowl into another big plate filled with ice so that the cream remains cool while beating. Since the quantity of cream is more it will take more time to form peaks. So be patient and whip the cream on low heat ensuring that it remains cool .
- After around 10-12 minutes peaks have started to form. Stop beating.
- Add the cream cheese mixture.
- Beat on low heat till everything is mixed well.
- Keep on beating till the stiff peaks start to form. When you invert the bowl the mixture will not fall. Beat with the help of hand whisk till the peaks are stiff as shown. (I had used hand whisk at the last . Since the quantity of the cream was more, the mixture took more time to whip and so to prevent it curdling i had used hand whisk at the end). Cover the bowl with cling wrap and press it gently on the surface of the cream and refrigerate for 3-4 hours.
Assembling cake
- First we will put the whipped cream into a big icing bag fitted with the nozzle of your choice. Take the piping bag, put nozzle in it and then them in a tall glass as shown. Now with a spoon fill the prepared cream mixture.
- Fold it from top and cut the end tip near the nozzle. The icing is ready to go. Keep refrigerated till use.
- Take the cooled cake sponge.
- Mark a slit at the edge of the cake. This will ensure two cut layers can be assembled on each other just like before cutting after they are sandwiched with the cream.
- Now cut the cake and separate the layers.
- Take the cake board on which the cake needs to be assembled. Put the icing on it an spread it. (This will help the cake to stick well and it will not slide and will be easy to carry).
- Take the top cut layer of the cake and invert it on the cake board. Soak the layer of the cake with the syrup in which the gulab jamun are soaked. Use brush or spoon to put the syrup on the cake sponge.
- Pipe the cream mixture into horizontal lines near each other as shown. Pipe the borders too. (You can spread the cream mixture with spatula or spoon but with the piping bag the cream is spreaded out easily and evenly).
- Cut the gulab jamun into pieces into quarters. I had used around 12 gulab jamun pieces to sandwich between the layers.
- Put the cut gulab pieces uniformly as shown on the cream layer.
- Now put the other layer of the cake over it. Make sure the slits made on the edges of the cake come over each other. Brush it again with the gulab jamun syrup.
- Now again pipe the icing on horizontal lines and then the borders.
- Put the cut gulab jamun pieces over the cream layer. Put the third layer of the cake from the prepared another sponge. Again pipe the icing over it and put gulab jamun pieces.
- Now place the final layer of the cake and cover it entirely by piping cream over it.
- Smoothen the edge by offset spatula.
- Smooth the top layer with offset spatula. This is the crumb coat. Put the cake into the fridge and let it set for 30-40 minutes.
- Take the cake out and put some more icing over it with spoon and smoothen the cake entirely.
- Smoothen the edges . The cake is ready. Do not worry if you do not get sharp finishing of the cream as we will decorate the cake with gulag jamun and icing. Keep the cake in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Now take some icing into 2 bowls. Around 4 tbsp of icing into each bowl. In one bowl add yellow food colour or saffron powder. Add red food colour into another bowl. I forgot to take picture of another bowl. Mix well. The yellow and pink colour icing are ready.
- Take a sheet of cling wrap. Put the yellow icing on it and with the spoon let it come together like a log.
- Wrap it tightly securing both the edges as shown. Refrigerate till use or freeze it for 10 minutes.
- Take a sheet of cling wrap. Put the pink icing on it and with the spoon let it come together like a log.
- Wrap it tightly securing both the edges as shown. Refrigerate till use or freeze it for 10 minutes.
- Take a big piping bag and put the nozzle of your choice into it.
- Cut one end carefully insert both the coloured wrapped icing into a big piping bag one after another. This will be tricky so be careful. Cut the tip of the bag and pipe the icing into dual colour on your cake as per the design you want.
- Decorate the top of the cake with full gulab jamun and cut gulab jamun. Pipe white icing and dual colour icing as per the design of your choice. Pipe white icing on the bottom border.
- Pipe white icing on the top border.
- Garnish with some dried rose buds and rose petals. Sprinkle saffron strands and golden sprinkle balls.
- The eggless gulab jamun cake is ready . Refrigerate till use. Cut with sharp knife and serve.
So tempting and beautiful work. Thanks for the detailed recipe!!
Very nice swapna !!
Thanks for sharing the detailed recipe, which you explained giving the key points.
Very creative!!
Very soon will be making this delicious cake for sure!!
Anuja
Thank you so much. I am waiting to hear your feedback after trying out the recipe.
Awesome eggless gulabjamun cake, attractive nd beautiful work.👍👌👌
thank you so much