Easy Gulab Jamun Cake Recipe for Durga Puja and Navratri

Written by Hanna Thomas | October 7, 2024

Introduction

You might be imagining a rich cream cake with halved gulab jamuns delicately arranged over its surface; we hate to burst that bubble, but that kind of a bake needs a skilled baker with an industrial kitchen. But we do have a simpler cake that oozes the flavor of the beloved gulab jamun, and nobody can stop you from making and serving it as a part of Durga Puja and Navratri Sweets. One taste of this cake and anyone running their skeptical mouth about a fusion dessert will shut right up and instead, perhaps grudgingly, start yapping about how good it is.

Special Gulab Jamun Cake Recipe

The gulab jamun cake recipe serves 10 people and requires approximately 1 hour 30 minutes in total to prepare, bake, cool, and soak.

Ingredients:

For the Cake:

• 120 gm all-purpose flour
• 1 pack Gulab Jamun mix (approx 120 gm)
• 150 gm sugar
• 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• A pinch of saffron
• 60 ml vegetable oil

For the Sugar drizzle:

• 100 gm sugar
• 180 ml water
• A pinch of saffron
• A pinch of cardamom

For the decor:

• Unsalted almonds or pistachios, slivered
• Edible silver or gold foil, optional

For the saffron-cardamom milk:

• 700 ml whole milk
• 50 gm sugar
• 5-6 saffron strands
• 1/4 tsp cardamom powder

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C and, while it heats up, prepare a six-cup bundt pan by greasing it thoroughly with butter.

2. Warm the milk in a small saucepan or a microwave-safe boil, taking care not to let the milk boil. Add a pinch of saffron strands to the warm milk and set aside to infuse the milk.

3. Take a big bowl and sieve the flour, contents of the pack of gulab jamun mix, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and cardamom powder into it. Whisk to combine.

4. Pour the saffron-infused milk and vegetable oil into the bowl and mix with a spatula until no dry streaks remain. Be careful not to overmix; otherwise, you’ll have a tough cake.

5. Pour the batter into your prepared Bundt pan and tap it against a hard surface to fill any gaps.

6. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes. To check if it's done, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. It should come out clean with little to no crumbs if fully baked.

7. Remove from the oven and set it on a wire rack to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, carefully turn the cake out onto a wire cooling rack. Let it cool completely, about one hour, before you decorate to prevent the decorations from melting.

8. Take a small saucepan, pour the water for the sugar syrup, and add the sugar, saffron strands, and cardamom powder. Heat on medium flame, and keep stirring until it comes to a boil with the sugar dissolving completely. Keep this warm until the cake cools.

9. Once the cake has cooled, use a wooden skewer to poke holes all over the cake. Be generous in making holes, as this will help the cake absorb the syrup.

10. Slowly and carefully pour the warm sugar syrup all over the cake, in batches to let the cake soak it up properly with minimal wastage.

11. Decorate your cake with your choice of nuts and add edible silver or gold foil for a festive touch for Durga Puja and Navratri.

12. Let’s make the saffron and cardamom milk. Next, add milk to a wide-bottomed pan and bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat once it starts boiling.

13. Add the sugar and strands of saffron to the milk, while stirring constantly, and remove any malai that forms on the sides of the pan. Cook the milk mixture for around 15 minutes for the liquid to reduce and thicken a little.

14. Add the cardamom powder to the milk and stir to distribute it. Then remove from the heat and let the saffron-cardamom milk cool completely.

15. Once cool, cover it with cling film, removing any malai or milk skin from the surface. Make sure the film touches the surface of the milk and refrigerate until you're ready to serve.

16. When ready to serve, slice up the cake, arrange each piece on individual serving plates, pour the infused milk over them, and serve.

Storage Tips

This gulab jamun cake is best eaten fresh and can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for 1-2 days. Storing the cake in the refrigerator may cause it to dry or harden due to the syrup-soaked layers. However, if you are serving it with the milk-soaked slices, you can store the slices in the fridge and eat them within 1-2 days.

Serving Suggestions

Serve the gulab jamun cake warm or at room temperature with chilled saffron milk poured over the slices, right before serving. The cold and creamy consistency of the milk is a nice contrast to the warm and tender cake.