Eggless Mawa Cake (Moist Indian Festive Cake)

This eggless mawa cake is moist, dense and decadent, with an Indian touch. It is flavoured with cardamom and saffron, packed with mawa and topped with lots of nuts. It may look ordinary, but it is one of the best cakes you will ever have.

I first baked it for Holi and baked it again in my Diwali fusion cakes video. It is a perfect cake for any festival. You don’t need any frosting. Enjoy it as it is with a cup of tea or coffee, for breakfast, or as a dessert after lunch or dinner.

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What makes this mawa cake special

• Mawa (khoya): the star ingredient, for that rich, milky taste.
• Cardamom and saffron: the classic flavours of Indian sweets.
• Desiccated coconut: in the batter for extra flavour.
• Pistachios, almonds and rose petals: in the batter and on top for a festive look.

My tips

• Scrape the bowl. Scrape the sides and bottom while creaming the butter and sugar. I give this tip in every video because it really matters!
• Soak the saffron in the vanilla. Saffron gives its best colour when it is dipped in a liquid.
• Fold in the flour in two parts and stop once you can’t see pockets of flour.
• Don’t thin the batter. It is meant to be thick.
• Use a 6-inch or 8-inch tin. I use 6-inch because I love a taller cake.
• Make your own mawa. The mawa in my cake is homemade. Try my quick microwave mawa, and you will never buy mawa from outside again!

My homemade rose petals

I don’t use store-bought rose petals. I buy fresh roses, wash them thoroughly, dry them, and store them in a glass jar in my fridge, so whenever I need them, I just take out the jar.

Eggless Mawa Cake

A moist, dense eggless mawa cake flavoured with cardamom and saffron and topped with nuts and rose petals. No frosting needed, perfect with tea.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Servings: 8 slices

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Indian Fusion

Ingredients Method Video Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour about 190 g; or use wholewheat flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup desiccated coconut about 20 g
• 1 tablespoon cardamom powder
• 1/2 cup butter about 115 g, softened
• 1/4 cup caster sugar 50 g
• 1/4 cup brown sugar about 50 g
• 1 cup curd (yogurt) or sour cream about 245 g
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon saffron strands
• 1/4 teaspoon kesar pista flavour optional
• 1/2 cup mawa (khoya) crumbled, about 100 g
• pistachio and almond slivers for the batter and topping
• edible dried rose petals for topping

Method

 

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 6-inch round cake tin and line the bottom with butter paper.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder and baking soda together and whisk. Add the desiccated coconut and cardamom powder and whisk until well mixed.
3. Beat the butter until a little light. Add the caster sugar and beat, then add the brown sugar and keep beating. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
4. Add the curd and keep beating. Mix the saffron into the vanilla extract to bring out its colour, then add it to the bowl along with the kesar pista flavour (if using). Beat again.
5. Fold in half the flour mixture, then the rest along with the chopped pistachios and almonds (keep some for the topping). Stop as soon as you no longer see pockets of flour.
6. Add the crumbled mawa and mix well. The batter will be thick, so don't try to thin it.
7. Spread the batter in the tin and level it with an offset spatula. Sprinkle the remaining nuts and dried rose petals on top. Bake for 55–60 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
8. Let the cake cool in the tin for 10–15 minutes, then turn it out. Serve as it is, with a cup of tea or coffee.

Video

Notes

A 6-inch cake gives 8 generous slices. It is dense and rich, so you can also cut 10–12 thinner slices. An 8-inch cake gives about 10–12 slices.

You can bake this in an 8-inch round tin instead. I use a 6-inch tin because I love a taller cake. A wider tin will bake faster, so start checking earlier.

You can use only caster sugar or only brown sugar.

Homemade mawa works beautifully here.

Related Recipes You’ll Love

• Eggless Rasmalai Tres Leches Cake — another rich Indian fusion cake for festivals.
• Eggless Gulab Jamun Cake — a festive bundt cake soaked in rose syrup.
• Mawa and Kaju Ladoo with Gulkand Centre — a no-bake sweet made with mawa.

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