Eggless Gulab Jamun cake made with milk powder drenched in sweet sticky rose sugar syrup – like eating a gulab jamun but better!
I can’t be doing a festive series and not include a recipe with what should already be named the national dessert of India – GULAB JAMUN! Ok the national dessert part is debatable – but there’s no getting around the fact that gulab jamun enjoys a popularity that’s hardly paralleled in the world of Indian mithais. And with good reason. These fluffy fried balls made from milk solids and soaked in a sweet sticky rose flavored syrup are like taking a bite of heaven!
I thought I was treading into dangerous territory by taking such a traditional and loved dessert and trying to bring a twist to it but the results proved me wrong. This recipe did not ruin a good gulab jamun, infact, it just elevated it even more.
The cake is made with ingredients typically used to make gulab jamun, and thus tastes just as good. The spiced rose water glaze further reinforces the taste we associate with a syrup drenched Gulab Jamun and several other Indian mithais and I bet that anybody eating this will be scratching their heads in wonder!
So what are these ingredients?
Milk Powder
This seemingly ordinary ingredient is absolutely essential to get the taste and texture akin to gulab-jamuns. The traditional gulab jamun recipe uses milk solids (mawa) and milk powder is a more readily available and convenient option to incorporate the flavour in a cake. You can use any readily available store-brought brand.
Sugar Syrup
Another important component of this recipe is the sugar syrup. The consistency has to be just about right. Too thick- and the cake won’t absorb it, too thin- it will end up making the cake soggy. Infuse some flavors in the syrup by adding cinnamon, cardamom pods, and cloves to the water while boiling. Boil and reduce the syrup till it’s about half its original quantity. Switch off the flame and add the rose water.
Alternatively, you can also use the syrup that comes with store-brought gulab jamun instead of making it yourself. Pour the syrup, little at a time with the help of a spoon once the cakes have cooled and let the cakes absorb it.
The white glaze is made with some icing sugar and a little of the same sugar syrup. This helps to give the cake a more decorative/festive look. I also put some edible (dried) rose petals and little pieces of gulab jamun on the cake by which point by son could no longer wait for me to finish the shoot and had gobbled up two of the mini cakes already.
Serving size/ Baking time
I used small silicon bundt moulds to make individual portions of the cake. However, it can very easily be made into a loaf cake or in a regular round pan as well. The baking time will vary depending on the size of mould you use. Larger pans and loaf pans take longer to bake versus cupcake or mini bundts which bake much faster. It will taste great irrespective! So go on, and try this delectable recipe and tell me what you think!
I hope you are liking my festive series. I’ve also shared these other recipes as part of the fusion series
I’ve been sharing small videos of these recipes on my Instagram account. Check them out here.
Eggless Mini Gulab Jamun Bundt Cakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup All-Purpose Flour
- ½ cup Milk Powder
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- ¼ tsp Baking Soda
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ cup Any Neutral Oil
- ¾ cup Caster Sugar
- 1 cup Milk
- Saffron Strands a few
For the Sugar Syrup
- 1 cup Water
- 1 cup Caster Sugar
- 1 stick Cinnamon
- 3-4 Cloves
- 3-4 Cardamom Pods
- ¾ tsp Rose Water
For the Glaze
- 1 cup Icing Sugar
- ¼ cup Sugar Syrup
Instructions
Instructions
- Soak the saffron strands in warm milk and keep aside for 5 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 170 degrees.
- Sieve flour, milk powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl.
- In another bowl, mix oil and sugar until light and fluffy. Add milk and whisk well.
- Gradually mix the dry ingredients and fold to make a smooth batter.
- Pour the batter in prepared tins and bake for 16-20 minutes at 170 degrees. (if using large tin, the baking time will increase accordingly)
For the Sugar Syrup
- Place the sugar and water in a pan and bring to a boil. Lower the flame, and add the cloves, cardamom and cinnamon.
- Let the syrup reduce till about 2/3rd its original volume then switch off the flame and strain the syrup.
- Let it cool completely then drizzle over the cakes with a spoon, reserving ¼ cup for the glaze.
For the Syrup
- Sieve the icing sugar and slowly add the syrup while whisking to avoid forming any lumps. Dip each bundt half way into the glaze or pour the glaze over the cakes with a spoon and let it set for 10-15 minutes.
- Garnish with gulab jamun pieces, chopped pistachios, and dried rose petals.
No curd in mawa bundt cake?
Hello rekha, no this recipe doesn’t use curd.
After cooling i’ll add sugar syrup.
1. Approximately how much time it takes to absorb the sugar syrup?
2. Then when should i add glaze?
Though am too excited to try this recipe. One thing is scaring me that i hope it won’t too sweet..
Hi neha! The syrup will get absorbed quickly. If you are apprehensive about sweet, you can adjust the sugar in syrup. Glaze is optional, to be added before serving.
Hi Pooja
My cake always sticks to silicon mould.
How can I prevent that ?
I grease the mould before using
Hi , can we use instant gulab jamun mix instead of milk powder & use eggs .
Loved this recipe! Apt for the upcoming festival
Yes Anju! That was the whole idea. Do share your feedback if you make this.
Such a wonderful recipe ????
Thank you manisha! Glad you liked it.
Love the recipe. Can the saffron be substituted or left out completely??
Hi Rebecca, Thankyou so much. You can leave out the saffron if you want. The cake will still taste as good!
Can you do this with a box cake and just add cardamom. Would Jon recommend a white cake yellow or pound cake?
Hi Neena, Yes you can use a box mix. I’m not sure of which of the two would be better but the cake texture is really light and not dense like a pound cake so you could choose accordingly.
Hii, how to store them?
Can I use store bought gulab jamun syrup?
Can you use cupcakes cases instead of a bundt tray?
Hi sure you can use a cupcake mould to make this recipe too.
Can I make this cake with a gulab jamun mix?
What is the cup size mam 200 ml or 250 ml.It would be very helpful if u could share the recipe in grams
Hi Shilpa, it’s 250 ml
If we double this recipe and bake in a 8 inches bundt pan.. then at what temperature should we bake the cake nd for how much time.. pls let me know