Gulab Jamun Cake
This Gulab Jamun Cake is inspired by an Indian dessert with the same name. This cake is very moist and is flavoured with saffron, cardamom and rosewater.
Ingredients
Buttermilk for Cake
- 8 strands Saffron broken
- 100 g Milk
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
Cake
- 250 g Butter room temperature
- 250 g Caster Sugar Granulated will work too. I used Golden Caster Sugar
- 5 Eggs
- 250 g Self Raising Flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Cardamom Powder
Syrup
- 250 ml Water
- 200 g Caster Sugar
- ½ teaspoon Saffron Threads
- 6 - 8 Cardamom Pods split open, seeds removed (Adjust if this feels like too much)
- ½ teaspoon Rose Water Adjust quantiyy according to taste
- 2 teaspoon Lemon Juice
- 1 Cinnamon Stick Optional
Icing
- 175 g Icing Sugar
- Pinch ground Cardamom
- 1 Lemon Juice
- 1 - 2 tablespoon Syrup
Instructions
Buttermilk
- Combine the milk, saffron strands and lemon juice in a cup and set aside.
Cake
- Preheat oven to 160 C/180 C fan/Gas Mark 4.
- Grease bundt tin (I used the Bake Easy Spray) or grease and line a 20cm round tin.
- Meanwhile, combine the sugar and butter in stand mixer and mix on medium high for 7 - 8 minutes.
- Add eggs one by one, making sure each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next one.
- Stir in flour, baking powder and cardamom and mix through for 1 minute.
- Now add the buttermilk and mix until just combined.
- Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
- Leave to cool for 10 minutes before inverting out of the tin.
Syrup
- Now make the Syrup. Combine all the ingredients for a syrup in a pot. Simmer over medium heat for 7 - 8 minutes. Then set aside.
Icing Sugar
- Combine the ingredients for the icing sugar in a bowl and whisk with a fork to combine. You may need to add a little extra syrup if it's a bit dry.
Assembly
- Poke cake with skewer all over.
- Pour over the syrup whilst still warm.
- Allow cake to cool completely before adding icing.
- Decorate with rose petals, pistachios, almonds. (Optional).
Notes
Tips to make the best Gulab Jamun Cake
- Soft Cake - Adding Buttermilk makes for a really soft cake. This can be replaced with yoghurt.
- How to make Buttermilk - To make your own (Like i did), simple add 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice to 100 ml Milk in a cup and set aside for 10 minutes.
- Saffron - Infusing Saffron into milk brings out the colour and flavour.
- Eggs and Sugar - Always mix eggs and sugar for 5 - 8 minutes to get as much air as possible into the cake batter.
- Flour - Once the flour is added, keep mixing to a minimal.
- Eggs - Add eggs 1 by 1 and make sure 1 egg has completely mixed into the batter before adding the next one.
- Sugar syrup: The syrup will look thin when simmered but it thickens as it cools. Not over boiling it makes it easier for the cake to absorb the syrup.
How to freeze Gulab Jamun cake
Step 1: Bake and completely cool the cake, adding syrup as mentioned above. If you have used greaseproof paper, leave it on the cake. Step 2: Once cool, wrap it in cling film twice. Step 3: For best taste and texture, don’t freeze cakes for longer than 3 months. Add a label to the cling film so you know what cake it is! Step 4: Cover in foil. Step 5: Add to a freezer-safe container or cover in 1 more layer of foil. Alternatively add it to a large ziplock bag. Freeze for 3 months for best taste!How to Thaw Gulab Jamun Cake
This couldn't be simpler. Transfer your unwrapped cake to ta wire rack and leave at room temperature for 3 to 4 hours. Once the cake has thawed, make and add icing, peel away any greaseproof paper and store it in an airtight container in a cool place for up to 4 days.Nutrition
Calories: 581kcalCarbohydrates: 90gProtein: 7gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 137mgSodium: 271mgPotassium: 121mgFiber: 2gSugar: 68gVitamin A: 760IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 73mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
