Indian fusion dessert of your dreams!
I wanted a rasmalai cake that actually tasted like rasmalai, not just a rasmalai milk soaked cake or tres leches type of cake. This moist, rasmalai and cardamom/rose whipped cream cake hits THE SPOT!
- Vegetarian – eggless
- Semi-homemade or tweaked to be completely from store bought ingredients
- Truly tastes like rasmalai cake because there is rasmalai (ready made) layer in it!
- Perfect sweet for parties and holidays
If you are a fan of Indian fusion eggless cake recipes or fusion Indian sweets, you will love my Gulab Jamun Cake, Kesar Pista Milk Cake, Gajar Ka Halwa Cake, Mango Shrikhand Cheesecake, Chikoo Cheesecake, Tiramisu Burfi, Cookies and Cream Burfi and Kesar Pista Cupcakes.
Key Ingredient Notes
Whipped cream: This is very easy to make at home and I like to make it from scratch so the amount of sugar and flavorings can be controlled. I add a little cardamom and a hint of rose that gives a lovely floral taste. You can skip either or both, up to your preferences.
Tip: Try to keep the heavy whipping cream in the coldest part of your fridge until ready to use
Cake: I used my eggless vanilla sponge cupcake recipe as a base for this. You can use a box mix as well.
Ras malai: I used Nanak’s Ras Malai which comes frozen. Remember to defrost if you use the same one! Separate the milk from the ras malai. You will use both parts!
Note: Instead of buying ras malai you can also make the ras malai filling with ricotta cheese. A blend of ricotta cheese (drained well), sugar and cardamom would give you a great alternative and easy option. I will update the recipe in the future to include this option. This time, for Diwali I just wanted to provide a quick easy way, including for me!
Key Utensils
For whipped cream: Bowl and whisk is needed – if you have room in your freezer, stick them in the freezer while you get your ingredients together. The colder the whisk and bowl, the easier to get the whipping cream to come together.
For cake:
- Baking pan: To make a two layer cake I used one 9×13 sheet pan. I cut the cake in half and layered one on top of the other. You can make it a one layer cake that is thicker if that is your preference.
- Mixing bowl: use two mixing bowls and put half the cake batter recipe in each to get even layers or use a kitchen scale to ensure batter is divided correctly.
Prep the ras malai Filling
- Separate the ras malai from the ras malai milk.
- Blend the ras malai into a spreadable mixture.
Make Cardamom Whipped Cream
- Add ingredients to bowl.
- Whisk until stiff peaks form.
Assemble the layered Cake
You will make the cake with the following three layers twice:
- Cake layer: brushed/lightly soaked with milk from ras malai. Don’t soak too much as it will all become mushy.
- Ras malai: Blended ras malai becomes a spreadable and frosting-like. You can easily spread a layer all over the cake.
- Cardamom whipped cream: Spread all over on top of the ras malai.
Add 2nd half of cake and repeat!
Tip: Store the extra milk from the ras malai. When serving you can either pour milk in the plate or serve the cake slices with pipettes. If you use all the milk during prep it will absorb in the cake and become a little too dense.
Cutting the cake for serving
After layering the cake, if you have time cover and let set in fridge.
When getting ready to serve, get a long knife and cut off the edges to get clean bakery cake like slices! It’s that simple.
Then cut into the number of squares/rectangles you would like to serve it in.
Variations
You can add saffron if you like to the whipped cream, but I find saffron to be very overwhelming and takes away from the rasmalai taste and feel. I prefer saffron in a kesar pista cake!
Another option is to serve this as a rasmalai tres leches cake.
Try it? Leave a review, love to hear feedback! Or tag me on Instagram @some_indian_girl
Best Rasmalai Cake (Eggless)
Equipment
- Whisk
- One 9X13 Sheet Cake Pan
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 cup all purpose flour 300g
- 1 tsp cardamom powder
- ¾ cups sugar 335g
- 2 tsp baking powder 12g
- ¼ tsp salt 4g
- ½ cup butter or oil or vegan butter substitute
- ½ tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Ras malai prep
- 16-18 pieces rasmalai (store bought) 500g ras malai (I used frozen Nanak ras malai that contained 20 small pieces)
- ras malai milk keep the milk separate, you will use it in the process
Whipped cream
- 1 pint heavy whipping cream
- 2 tbsp sugar
- ½ tsp cardamom powder optional
- ½ tsp rose water optional – I use Nielsen Massey – it is very strong
Instructions
Bake Cake
- Mix milk and apple cider vinegar together, set aside
- Set oven to 350F. Line one 9X13 sheet pan with parchment.
- Mix dry ingredients together.
- Add in wet ingredients and mix until combined (don't over mix). Pour batter into 9X13 sheet cake pan.
- Bake for 23-27 minutes or until baked. Take out of oven and let cool.
Prep ras malai
- Meanwhile, separate the ras malai from the ras malai milk. Blend the ras malai into a spreadable mixture.
Make whipped cream topping
- Add ingredients to bowl
- Whisk until stiff peaks form
Assemble cake
- Cake layer: Make sure cake has cooled. Cut it half to make two layers. Brush/lightly soak one layer of cake with milk from ras malai. Don’t soak too much as it will all become mushy. Save extra milk for serving with the cake.
- Ras malai: Blended ras malai becomes spreadable and frosting-like. You caneasily spread a layer all over the cake.
- Cardamom whipped cream: Spread all over on top of the ras malai.
- Add 2nd half of cake and repeat! Garnish with cut pistachios and rose petals.Store the extra milk from the ras malai. When serving you can either drizzle a little milk in the plate or serve the cake slices with pipettes.
Cut cake to serve
- After layering the cake, if you have time cover and let set in fridge for about an hour.When getting ready to serve, get along knife and cut of the edges to get clean bakery cake like slices!
- Then cut into the number of squares/rectangles you would like to serve it in.
Hi shilpa! Quick question: can I make this ahead of time or does it need to be made on the same day? Thanks! Katrina
Hi Katrina! Sorry for the delay. You can make it ahead of time. I likely would brush the cake with a little milk but not too much so it doesn’t become soggy.And then I would serve the cake slices with a little milk.
Can the same recipe be used for making cupcakes ? Is there anything that needs to altered ? Recipe will be sure a hit ❤️
Hi there! Yes, you can use the same batter for cupcakes. I would make a hole in the center to fill it with rasmalai and use pipettes filled with rasmalai milk to serve with the cupcakes. I’m not sure brushing the cupcakes with milk would work well. I’m going to put up a rasmalai cupcake recipe later in the year. Here is an example of the pipettes you could use: https://www.amazon.com/Transfer-Strawberries-moveland-Injectors-Disposable/dp/B07V2LR3HY
Hi
Can you let me know , what is the weight of this cake
Thanks
Hi – Sorry, we don’t measure cakes by weight. It’s a 9×13 cake cut in half to make two layers. Maybe you can find the info you need here: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/cake-pan-sizes/ or here https://www.webstaurantstore.com/article/291/sheet-cake-sizes.html
What do I have to do if I need to make an 8 in or 9 in round cake?
Hi Beena – I haven’t made this one in round pans yet, but I believe this should fit to make a single-layer 8-inch cake. The cook time would be a few minutes longer since it is one thick cake instead of spread thin in a 9X13. Then, you could do the rasmalai milk soak on top, layer with blended rasmalai and rose whipped frosting. If you try it, make sure the cake batter has some room to rise and isn’t filled all the way to the top. Once I give it a try I will update the post as well.
Hi, I am little confused with the cake making .
One place you mentioned make one 9 x 13 inch cake and make it half and in other place line( 2 )9 x 13 pans .
So the measuremnt of ingredients mentioned above are good for making one single 9×13 cake which is halved later or two 9 x 13 separate cakes .
Hi Padmaja – sorry for the confusion, it is one 9×13 pan and the cake cut in half. If you’d like a bigger cake you can double the recipe and use two cake pans. I updated to clarify. Thanks!
Sounds very easy will surely make it soon.
My family ordered this cake for my 70th birthday and it was a great success. Everyone loved it.
Hi Pushpa – That’s so lovely! Wish you a belated happy birthday (if it just went by! :))
Hi Shilpa,
This cake looks lovely! I have all the ingredients and will be making it for company this weekend. I am perplexed by one thing; Are you cutting one 9×13 cake in half vertically or horizontally? It doesn’t seem like you could get 16 servings if it’s halved vertically. If you did cut it horizontally, how did you do it?
Hi Christine! Looking at the cake landscape (long side towards me), I made a vertical cut in half for the two layers. 16 slices will be on the smaller side, 12 may be a better option. The first picture in this post shows the cake cut into 6 pretty big pieces. Maybe that can help visualize it. Hope that helps. Feel free to email me if that is easier. Happy to try to help. Thanks!
Thanks for the recipe Mam. Cake was super delicious & easy is very to make.
Thank you so much Sherani!
Hi Shilpa, do you have a recipe for the home made ricotta filling?
Hi Meera – My testing is actually in progress! Hoping to have it updated soon 🙂
Hello Shilpa, If I use butter, should that be softened or melted? And if I use oil. which oil is best to use? Thanks!
Hi Meghna – Butter should be at room temperature. I like to cut the stick into cubes and leave it on the counter for an hour or two (dependent on the temperature in the kitchen that day). I usually use canola oil in cakes. Hope that helps! 🙂