Rasmalai Cake

 

For the cake base

• 1 & 1/2 cups / 7.5 oz / 214 grams unbleached all purpose flour (maida), spooned and leveled
• 1 cup / 7.4 oz / 210 grams sugar
• 1/2 cup / 4 oz / 113 grams unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup / 4 oz / 115 grams yogurt/dahi non sour
• 1 & 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt, skip if using salted butter
• 1/4 tsp cardamom powder
• 1/4 tsp almond extract
• 1/2 cup milk

  For the whipped cream frosting

  • 3 cups of heavy whipping cream, 35 %
  • 6 tbsp confectioner's / icing sugar, sifted, (add more if you want it sweeter)
  • 2 tbsp 'ras'-sweetened thickened milk from the rasmalai
  • 1/4 tsp almond extract
  • yellow food color, as required (optional)

  Other ingredients

  • Approx 1/3 cup 'ras'-sweetened thickened milk from the rasmalai to brush the cake layers
  • 4 rasmalai's
  • Sliced pistachios as required
  • Sliced almonds as required
  • dried rose petals as required

    Instructions

    For the cake base

    • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F/ 180 degrees C. Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Grease a 7-inch cake tin with little butter and dust with flour to coat the pan, or you may use parchment paper.
    • In a medium mixing bowl, sieve flour, baking powder, baking soda and cardamom powder. Add salt, whisk the dry ingredients until well combined. Set aside.
    • In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and creamy, scraping down in between, should take about 2-3 minutes. Or you can use an electric hand mixer/beater.
    • Add in the yogurt next, continue beating on medium-high speed.
    • In goes the almond extract next. Beat on medium speed for another 30 seconds.
    • Now reduce to the lowest possible speed, alternately add the dry ingredients and milk, starting with flour and ending with flour. ( DO NOT OVER MIX ).
    • Transfer the batter to the prepared cake tin. Give the tin a gentle tap, bake on the middle rack for 50-55 min or until the toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
    • Cool the cake on a rack in the tin for 10 minutes, then remove from the tin and cool on the rack completely. Slice the cake only once it has cooled down completely.

    For the whipped cream frosting

    In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the heavy cream, icing sugar, almond extract, 'ras' from the rasmalai milk and 5-6 drops of yellow food color.

  • Whip the cream on low speed to incorporate the sugar, then increase the speed to medium-high and beat until it forms stiff peaks. Do not overbeat or else it will turn into butter. Another method to check if your cream is ready is by inverting bowl if the cream stays intact without showing signs of slipping from the bowl, it's done. Refrigerate the cream in the meanwhile
    
    

    Assembling the cake

    • Once the cake has completely cooled down, divide it into 3 layers or (2 layers if you desire) with the help of a long serrated knife. Also, transfer some cream to a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1A round tip (or you can simply snip off the edge of the piping bag before you begin piping), to pipe out the layers in between. I do this so that the cream layer looks even all over. You may simply transfer the cream with the help of a spatula if that is convenient for you.
    • Put a tbsp of whipped cream on the turntable. Transfer the first layer to the turntable. Brush it with 'ras' (thickened sweetened milk). Squeeze out the 'ras' from the rasmalai and crumble it int pieces directly over the layer brushed with the 'ras'.Pipe out the whipped cream in circular motions starting from outer circumference towards the center. Flatten and smooth the cream with an offset spatula.
    • Repeat the same with the second layer.
    • Finally, place the last cake layer, and coat the cake with a rough crumb coating. Refrigerate it for 30 minutes.
    • Apply more whipped cream all over the cake and smooth out the edges.
    • Transfer the remaining cream into a piping bag fitted with Wilton 1M nozzle or any other nozzle as per your design. Pipe out the cream to form rosettes or any other design.
    • Place some slivered pistachios, almond slices and dried rose petals all over the sides.
    • Cut 6 small circular disc from about 2 rasmalai's, after squeezing out all the 'ras'. Place it the center to resemble a flower. You can get creative and make any design you wish, or simply place rasgullas all over the cake, if you wish. Sprinkle some saffron strands, and dried rose petals on the top. Refrigerate the cake for 2-3 hours before serving. Enjoy yummy rasmalai cake.

    Notes

    You may reduce the heavy cream to 2.5 cups if you are dividing the cake into 2 layers.