Name: Rose and Pistachio Gulab Jamun Cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 cup whole wheat flour (I used Gold Medal Whole wheat flour); ½ cup milk powder; ¾ cup powdered sugar; ½ tsp baking powder; ½ tsp baking soda; ¼ tsp salt; ½ tsp cardamom powder; 1 cup room temperature milk; 1 tbsp vinegar; ¼ cup neutral oil (like vegetable oil etc.); 1 tsp rose water; 2 cups icing or confectioners sugar; Few strands of saffron (powdered in a mortar and pestle)); 1 tbsp lemon juice; 1 to 2 tbsp water (or as needed); FOR GARNISH:; Dried rose petals; Chopped pistachios

Rose and Pistachio Gulab Jamun Cake is a moist, luscious, decadent and addictive eggless cake with all the flavors of gulab jamun without any frying involved!

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

Rose and Pistachio Gulab Jamun Cake

Moist, luscious, decadent and addictive eggless cake with all the flavors of gulab jamun without any frying involved! Flavored with cardamom, saffron, rose water and using whole wheat flour, 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 or just as an indulgence for you and your family.

Course cake, Dessert

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Author Vanitha Bhat

Ingredients

1 cup whole wheat flour I used Gold Medal Whole wheat flour
½ cup milk powder
¾ cup powdered sugar
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp cardamom powder
1 cup room temperature milk
1 tbsp vinegar
¼ cup neutral oil like vegetable oil etc.
1 tsp rose water

FOR THE GLAZE:

2 cups icing or confectioners sugar
Few strands of saffron powdered in a mortar and pestle)
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 to 2 tbsp water or as needed
FOR GARNISH:
Dried rose petals
Chopped pistachios

Instructions

MAKE THE ROSE FLAVORED CAKE:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F or 180 degrees C.
Liberally grease and flour or coat a 7-inch Bundt pan with baking spray and set aside.
In a medium sized bowl, mix the dry ingredients: 1 cup whole wheat flour, ½ cup milk powder, ¾ cup powdered sugar, ½ tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda and ¼ tsp salt along with ½ tsp ground cardamoms.
Whisk well and set aside.
In another small bowl, add 1 tbsp vinegar to 1 cup of room temperature milk, mix and set aside to curdle.
When the milk has curdled (may take 5 to 10 minutes), add ¼ cup oil, 1 tsp rose water and ½ tsp vanilla essence. Whisk or mix well.
Pour this onto the dry mixture and using a silicone spatula or wooden spoon, gently fold the dry and wet mixtures until just mixed. Do not over mix. The batter will be a bit dilute. It is ok.
Pour into prepared pan and gently tap on counter to release any air bubbles.
Bake the cake for 25 to 35 minutes or until a cake tester (like a toothpick) inserted into center of cake comes out clean.
Start checking using toothpick method (inserted in center of cake) around 25 minutes. If the cake tester (toothpick) comes out clean, remove from oven. Else, bake a few more minutes.
Remove from oven and set on cooling rack for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, demold the cake from pan and let cool completely on wire rack.
Meanwhile, make the glaze.

TO MAKE THE GLAZE:

In a small bowl, whisk confectioner’s sugar, lemon juice, crushed saffron powder and water as needed to make a thick glaze. Add water a teaspoon at a time.
If you feel the glaze is too thin that it runs down too fast, add more icing sugar and if too thick, add water few drops at a time to adjust the consistency.
Pour over the cooled cake, sprinkle with rose petals if using and chopped pistachios.
Slice and enjoy!
Happy Baking/Eating Foodies!

Recipe Notes

Make sure to grease the bundt pan well; I preferred to use a baking spray this time.
If you cannot find a bundt pan, feel free to bake this in a 9 or 8 inch pan (square or round) or even in cupcake molds.
This cake is super moist and dense unlike regular cakes, so, do refrigerate leftovers!
Enjoy!