Gulab Jamun Cake Recipe From Scratch

How do you like your Cake? Just melts in mouth, very light and sponge airy texture without egg smell and mild sugar. If it is so then you are here at a right place. Recently I have made such a cake for my daughter who requested for a non fondant and color free cake. She likes Gulab Jamun much so I clubbed everything in 2 hours from bake to table and made this yummy Gulab Jamun Cake From Scratch. One Saturday, before Diwali and Halloween we were getting ready for an Diwali party and I have chosen Veg biryani for the potluck. I have done with it , lunch was over and suddenly she wished to make her celebration among those big group of 100 peoples. I was in dilemma

whether I can make a cake in short time or not. Luckily my neighbor kid knocked our door and gave this Jamuns as a treat for us, so I used it in the cake, also I made some at that moment for the shortage. Without any delay suddenly I have taken the decision to start baking. I informed her that I will try my best, if possible will take it to the party otherwise will cut the cake 3 days later during actual Diwali celebration. Even in that hectic work I clicked some step wise pictures and while piping my hands were shivering like anything. Somehow I made it to the same party (refer below picture) and unexpectedly we reached very earlier too :-).

Had a superb blast with 30 plus families, the party began with Diya Pooja followed by several varieties of Food, then Fireworks later relaxed with kids performance and finally cake cutting. Everyone appreciated that the Gulab Jamun cake was perfectly sweetened and soft. My daughter was very happy that day and what else a mom need. Coming to the recipe its White Cake aka White Vanilla Sponge Cake with an very easy method ie not beating the egg whites separately.

I have been practicing this cake for several years and for most of the parties I prefer this egg based cake. The cake just uses egg whites and you can use the leftover egg yolks in Custard based Ice Creams. The cake was frosted with cardamom flavored whipped cream. After a while instead of YouTube Videos, I am herewith step by step pictures in my post. Please don’t ask for an eggless version now, I will be with my fool proof Eggless Vanilla Sponge Cake Video Recipe Soon, time being you can check my yogurt based eggless bakes HERE. The links for Eggless cakes are provided do use any sponge cake as a base for this. Just mentioning one here Eggless Milk Powder Sponge Cake which I made recently for Rose Tres Leches. Direct clickable link at the end of the post.

Ingredients for the cake

Cake flour – 2.25 Cups
Butter Milk + Regular Milk – 1 Cup (half cup each)
Egg Whites –  From 6 large eggs or 3/4 Cup
Cardamom Powder – 1 tsp
Vanilla Extract – 1 tsp
Granulated sugar – 1 and 3/4 Cups (I reduce to 1 and 1/3 Cup)
Baking powder – 3.75 tsp (recipe calls for 4 tsp I reduced so)
Table Salt – 1/2 tsp
Unsalted Butter – 12 Tbsp (3/4 Cup) soft yet cold (don’t keep in the room temperature for a long time)

Recipe Adapted From :- Cook’s Illustrated

Yields :- 2 –>  8 or 9 inch or 3 –> 6 inch layers

Sponge Cake Preparation

• In a mixing bowl, Add liquid ingredients like Milk, Butter Milk, Egg whites, Vanilla Extract mix with fork till combine.
• Mix dry ingredients like Flour, Baking Powder, Salt and Sugar in a mixing bowl or electric food processor.
• Slice the butter to several pieces and add gradually to the dry flour mixture until it looks moist crumbs.
• Now add 1/2 cup milk mixture and beat at medium speed for 1 and 1/2 minutes.
• Add remaining milk mixture and beat for 30 seconds.
• Just gradually add the liquid mixture to the dry mixture.
• Scrape the sides add cardamom powder and beat for another 1 minute or till incorporated.
• Make sure the crumb flour mixture mixed properly with the liquid otherwise they lay on the bottom of the mixing bowl.
• Divide the batter equally in butter + flour greased baking pans and bake in preheated oven at 350 F for 23 – 25 minutes.
• I have used 2, 9 inch cake pans for this recipe.
• Rest cake in pan for 3 minutes, remove the pan and cool completely over wire rack for 1 hour (Step wise Picture 1 below).
• Meanwhile you can whip the cream and make it ready.

Cardamom Flavored Whipped Cream

Ingredients

Heavy Whipping Cream – 24 fl oz (700 ml) / 3 cups
Cardamom Powder – 1/2 tsp
Vanilla Extract/Rose Syrup – 1/2 tsp
Confectioners Sugar / Powdered Sugar/Jaggery Syrup – 3/4 Cup (you can increase as per taste)
Unflavored Gelatin or Agar Agar – 1.5 tsp to stabilize (Optional)

Method

• Chill the bowl and beater for a while.
• Add 1/2 tbsp cold water to the gelatin and wait till its bloom approximately 3 minutes.
• Now just keep over warm water or microwave for fraction of seconds when heated the gelatin dissolves and you get a clear liquid consistency.

• Whip the cream till soft peaks (Pic 2).
• Add vanilla extract, prepared gelatin liquid (make sure its not hot while adding to the cream), sugar and cardamom powder Picture 2.
• Beat until stiff peaks form as shown in the Picture 3.
• Store in the refrigerator till use.

Gulab Jamun Cake Assembly

• You can trim the top of the cakes ie level it , also you can cut each cake horizontally in to two layers so finally you get 4 layers.
• But i didn’t do like that, just kept 2 layers on the whole.
• Brush both sides of the cake with leftover jamun sugar syrup/rabri (refer variation section at the bottom of the post).
• Over a cake board apply some cream and place a layer.
• Apply whipped cream over the cake.
• Slice few jamuns (say 10) in to 2 or 4 pieces and arrange over it (Step wise Picture 4).
• Carefully arrange the other layer of the cake with bottom portion of the cake on top.
• Add dollops of whipped cream as shown in picture 5 below.

• Evenly spread the cream all over the cake Pic 6.
• With leftover cream do add details to the sides of the cake Pic 7.
• At last arrange the Jamuns over it Pic 8.

Notes

1. 200 grams Instant Gulab Jamun mix packet works for this cake, you may get some leftover jamuns.
2. If the cake is of 4 layers then you need more whipping cream.
3. Drain the jamuns from its sugar syrup before start baking.
4. I have used Wilton 16 and 21 for the decorations.

Recipe Card

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Gulab Jamun Cake

Author: Sangeetha Priya

Ingredients

Ingredients for the Sponge Cake

• Cake flour – 2.25 Cups
• Butter Milk + Regular Milk – 1 Cup half cup each
• Egg Whites –  From 6 large eggs or 3/4 Cup
• Cardamom Powder – 1 tsp
• Vanilla Extract – 1 tsp
• Granulated sugar – 1 and 3/4 Cups I reduce to 1 and 1/3 Cup
• Baking powder – 3.75 tsp recipe calls for 4 tsp I reduced so
• Table Salt – 1/2 tsp
• Unsalted Butter – 12 Tbsp 3/4 Cup soft yet cold (don’t keep in the room temperature for a long time)

Ingredients for the Whipped Cream

• Heavy Whipping Cream – 24 fl oz 700 ml / 3 cups
• Cardamom Powder – 1/2 tsp
• Vanilla Extract – 1/2 tsp
• Confectioners Sugar / Powdered Sugar – 3/4 Cup you can increase as per taste
• Unflavored Gelatin or Agar Agar – 1.5 tsp to stabilize Optional

Instructions

Sponge Cake Preparation

1. In a mixing bowl, Add liquid ingredients like Milk, Butter Milk, Egg whites, Vanilla Extract mix with fork till combine.
2. Mix dry ingredients like Flour, Baking Powder, Salt and Sugar in a mixing bowl or electric food processor.
3. Slice the butter to several pieces and add gradually to the dry flour mixture until it looks moist crumbs.
4. Now add 1/2 cup milk mixture and beat at medium speed for 1 and 1/2 minutes.
5. Add remaining milk mixture and beat for 30 seconds.
6. Just gradually add the liquid mixture to the dry mixture.
7. Scrape the sides add cardamom powder and beat for another 1 minute or till incorporated.
8. Make sure the crumb flour mixture mixed properly with the liquid otherwise they lay on the bottom of the mixing bowl.
9. Divide the batter equally in butter + flour greased baking pans and bake in preheated oven at 350 F for 23 – 25 minutes.
10. I have used 2, 9 inch cake pans for this recipe.
11. Rest cake in pan for 3 minutes, remove the pan and cool completely over wire rack for 1 hour (Step wise Picture 1 below).
12. Meanwhile you can whip the cream and make it ready.

Cardamom Flavored Whipped Cream

1. Chill the bowl and beater for a while.
2. Add 1/2 tbsp cold water to the gelatin and wait till its bloom approximately 3 minutes.
3. Now just keep over warm water or microwave for fraction of seconds when heated the gelatin dissolves and you get a clear liquid consistency.
4. Whip the cream till soft peaks (Pic 2).
5. Add vanilla extract, prepared gelatin liquid (make sure its not hot while adding to the cream), sugar and cardamom powder Picture 2.
6. Beat until stiff peaks form as shown in the Picture 3.
7. Store in the refrigerator till use.

Cake Assembly

1. You can trim the top of the cakes ie level it , also you can cut each cake horizontally in to two layers so finally you get 4 layers.
2. But i didn’t do like that, just kept 2 layers on the whole.
3. Brush both sides of the cake with leftover jamun sugar syrup.
4. Over a cake board apply some cream and place a layer.
5. Apply whipped cream over the cake.
6. Slice few jamuns (say 10) in to 2 or 4 pieces and arrange over it (Step wise Picture 4).
7. Carefully arrange the other layer of the cake with bottom portion of the cake on top.
8. Add dollops of whipped cream as shown in picture 5 below.
9. Evenly spread the cream all over the cake Pic 6.
10. With leftover cream do add details to the sides of the cake Pic 7.
11. At last arrange the Jamuns over it Pic 8.

Recipe Notes

1. 200 grams Instant Gulab Jamun mix packet works for this cake, you may get some leftover jamuns.
2. If the cake is of 4 layers then you need more whipping cream.
3. Drain the jamuns from its sugar syrup before start baking.

Variations

Can modify this as Gulab Jamun Tres Leches by adding evaporated milk, heavy cream and Rabri/rabdi mixture or condensed milk with jamun syrup /rose flavor and soak the cake instead of brushing sugar syrup. Will be going to post one such cake soon do stay tuned 🙂