Flavored with cardamom and rose water, using whole wheat flour and glazed with a lemony saffron icing, the crumb comes out so fudgy and delicious, you will be tempted to cut up more slices to enjoy; a perfect cake to celebrate any occasion (Diwali, Christmas, Thanksgiving etc.) or just as an indulgence for you and your family. Jump to Recipe  Print Recipe Do scroll below for step-wise instructions, ingredient list, tips and tricks to make the perfect gulab jamun cake! It was my younger son and daughter-in-law’s wedding anniversary in July (yes, this was in the drafts waiting to be shared with you all!), so decided to make my infamous gulab jamun cake again (which uses a ready mix)  but without the mix and using whole wheat flour. You can find that recipe using a readymade gulab jamun mix here. I also decided to flavor it with exotic rose water and saffron strands! (These beautiful, deep maroon saffron strands and rose water or extract are sometimes added when making gulab jamuns).

WHAT IS GULAB JAMUN?

This quintessential Indian dessert and my inspiration for this cake is the go to sweet/dessert for most Indians when celebrating any occasion or just need a royal bite of sweetness to satisfy any sugar rush! Basically,” gulab jamuns” are fried milk solids dough balls soaked in a cardamom and/or rose scented sugar syrup which transform them into these soft, melt-in-mouth bites of decadence! You can check out one of the ways our family loves it; with some homemade rabdi or thickened and flavored milk here.

We love this sweet so much (don’t all Indians do!!), I have packets of ready mix of gulab jamuns in my fridge to make this mouthwatering dessert anytime! I just mix the dry ingredients with milk, form small balls and deep fry them before soaking them in sugar syrup. We just adore this flavor so much; I used up this mix to make my infamous and ever popular recipe on the blog; easy eggless cake too with it a few years back! Do check it out here.

ROSE AND PISTACHIO GULAB JAMUN CAKE:

Now, Gulab Jamun mix is basically a mix of flour and milk powder. So, I tweaked my  original gulab jamun cake recipe to make this one but decided to use whole wheat flour instead of plain flour and baked it in a Bundt pan (a special occasion calls for a special pan) along  with a rich, sugary, lemony saffron glaze to make it more special and decadent! You can omit the saffron and keep the glaze white, but don’t you just love this gorgeous, golden yellow color?

Of course, topping it with dried rose petals and chopped pistachios are the piece de resistance of the cake! Again, roses represent love so befitting an anniversary cake doesn’t it?

BASIC INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED:

Whole wheat flour – you can use plain flour but as usual, I tweak my bakes to make it a tad healthier by using whole wheat flour. Although cakes made with whole wheat do come out slightly denser than with using plain flour, I think it is an adjustment my family and I are ok to make. Milk powder – here I have used nonfat milk powder. You can use any that you can find. Powdered sugar – preferably, it is better to use fine granulated sugar or powdered sugar. Cardamom powder – I prefer to grind my spices fresh, so I have deseeded whole green cardamoms and then crushed them in a mortar pestle. It is ok to use store bought cardamom powder. Leavening agents –baking powder and baking soda Salt – a pinch Milk – any milk is ok as long it is at room temperature. Vinegar – just a tablespoon to curdle the milk to end up with sour milk Vanilla extract/essence – use the best and authentic one (natural) you can find Oil – any neutral oil or odorless oil. Rose water – this is (along with cardamom) what gives this cake that “gulab jamun” aroma! Saffron strands – just a few strands (use the best quality you can find) to crush and add to glaze Confectioner’s sugar or icing sugar – sieve if there are any lumps Lemon juice – adds a slight tang to the glaze which I find more endearing and delicious! Garnishes – dried rose petals (the edible kind) and chopped pistachios; just a dash.

HOW TO MAKE ROSE AND PISTACHIO GULAB JAMUN CAKE:

Just mix the dry ingredients and wet ingredients and then fold them together just until mixed. The batter will be more runny and less thicker than regular cake batters. Pour into greased pan (I have used a Bundt pan here) and bake in preheated 350 F oven for 25 to 35 minutes; start checking at 25 minutes.     Remove from Bundt pan after 10 minutes and let cool on wire rack.

While the cake is cooling, make the glaze. Mix icing sugar, lemon juice, crushed saffron soaked in a couple of tablespoons of water to make a thick yet pourable glaze or icing.   The consistency should be almost like this. Once it is smooth, pour over cooled cake, garnish, slice and enjoy!

Once my son and daughter-in-law had cut this cake and had a bite, all they could say was, “Oh, tastes like gulab jamun, especially Kala Jamun, the dry and blacker version of gulab jamun!” Well, my experiment was successful! Do give it a try dear foodies; so easy to make yet, utterly delicious and addictive! Store leftovers in the fridge; the cake is so moist and dense, it needs refrigeration.

CAN I FREEZE THIS CAKE?

Of course! Just cool the baked cake and before glazing, you can freeze it. Wrap it in plastic wrap completely, cover with foil over that and then freeze. You can label it with the date it was baked to keep track of within what time frame to use it. Try and not leave it in the freezer more than a month, stretched to at the most 3 months! But for the best flavor and texture, it is best eaten fresh; just my take. When ready to enjoy, thaw, glaze, slice and serve! For another showstopper kinda dessert again in the flavors of gulab jamun, do check out GULAB JAMUN DOUGHTS/DONUTS too…you will love it!

How about checking out my first gulab jamun cake using a gulab jamun mix? Comes out super, duper delicious and one of my blog favorites! Eggless Gulab Jamun Cake (using a gulab jamun mix)

If you love homemade and easy to make cakes, do try these too:

Dates and Cashew Eggless Cake (Vegan) Vegan Chocolate Mocha Banana Cake Super Moist Carrot and Apple cake

PIN here for later:

If you like my posts and recipes, do not forget to Pin, Share, comment in the box below or like my Facebook page  For more such easy and delicious recipes,  follow me on: Facebook @ curryandvanilla Pinterest @ curryandvanilla Instagram @ curryandvanilla16 Twitter @ curryandvanilla Google Plus  @ Vanitha Bhat Have fun cooking, eating and sharing!!!