Mawa Pistachio Saffron Mini Bundt Cake - an eggless recipe

ne afternoon when I was sitting around thinking what I could cook up next, my baking genes started to flare up. The obvious question was what to bake. As I sat there and thought, I basically kicked myself for not having thought about the most common form of cake that I ate and made growing up - a cake with Indian flavors.

I remember back at home when I first started learning to bake anything, I tried to make a cake in one of those small counter-top electric ovens. It was a recipe that everyone in my extended family used when they had to make a cake! Nothing extraordinary, just your basic cake but kicked up several notches by adding key Indian flavors like mawa and nuts. That made the cake almost a cross between a cake and an Indian sweet dish.

Having baked several different kinds of breads and cakes, I decided to put a little twist on the classic recipe by adding pistachios and cardamom. Moreover, I believe this made the cake a bit more exotic, perfect for the upcoming occasion of the festival of Holi. 

So here is the recipe for this fabulous fusion cake. Also, if mawa is difficult to find where you live, I have also detailed a couple of easy ways of making your own mawa at home. The use of mini bundt pan is optional. You can use any cake pan, I just thought they looked cute and were handy to serve to my little princess.

For Mawa or Khoya-

Ingredients: makes 1 cup

Non Fat Milk Powder ................. 1 1/4 cups 

Evaporated Milk ....................... 5 oz can

Method:

1.In the microwave, mix and cook uncovered on high in a large bowl for 4-5 min stirring every minute (if it dries up when cooled, heat in a non stick pan for 3-4 min)

- or -

Ingredients: 

Ricotta cheese ............. 15 oz

Ghee ........................ 1 tbsp

Method:

1.A nice and quick way to make mawa is to use ricotta cheese. In a heavy bottom pan, on medium heat melt the ghee, add  ricotta and cook while stirring till it thickens and starts to caramelize at the bottom, about 25 to 30 minutes. There you have it, your quick and easy (and relatively inexpensive) mawa :) It can be stored refrigerated for up to a week.

For Cake-

Ingredients: Makes 10-12

All Purpose Flour ..................1 1/4 cup

Sugar ............................... 1/2 cup

Mawa ............................... 1 cup

Milk ................................. 1 1/4 + 2 tbsp (I use 2%)

Baking Powder .................... 2 tsp

Baking Soda ....................... 1/2 tsp

Saffron ............................. 3/4 tsp soaked in 2 tbsp warm milk for 30 min

Pistachios .......................... 1/2 cup chopped  + 2 tbsp for garnish

Green Cardamom  Powder ....... 1/2 tsp

Unsalted Butter .................... 1/2 cup melted

Method:

1. Mix mawa, milk and butter and pulse in a blender for 1-2 min till no lumps. You can use hand blender too.

2. In another bowl mix all the dry ingredients, mix properly and add in to the blender with the mawa milk mixture, blend for 1-2 min.

3. Add  pista and pulse again (till pista gets coarsely chopped) add cardamom and saffron,  blend to mix. Pour into greased mini bundt pans or muffin pans. Bake for 17-20 min in 375ºF or until a cake tester comes out clean. Keep an eye as every oven is different. 

4. Let it cool for 15- 20 minutes and sit back and ENJOY!

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