Vegan Rasmalai Cake
User Reviews
5
Vegan Rasmalai Cake
Description
The Vegan Rasmalai Cake is crafted by first soaking cashews and pistachios to make a smooth milk sauce flavored with saffron, cardamom, sugar, and a pinch of salt, emulating traditional malai. The cake base is made by grinding cashews finely with cardamom and saffron, then mixing with almond flour, vegan cream cheese, vegan butter, powdered sugar, and a pinch of salt to form a dough-like batter.
This batter is baked to create a soft, fragrant cake infused with subtle spice and saffron aroma that pairs with the creamy cashew-pistachio milk sauce poured over or served alongside the cake. The garnish of slivered almonds and chopped pistachios adds texture and a nutty finish. The recipe relies on plant-based ingredients and uses options like vegan yogurt or cashew cream as cream cheese alternatives. The sweetness can be adjusted with cane and powdered sugar or substituted with coconut sugar for a darker color.
This dessert can be admired for its aesthetics by sprinkling dried rose petals or adding rose water to the milk sauce. The cake also has variations, such as a tres leches style with soaked white cake and whipped coconut cream topping, broadening serving options into richer, layered sweets. The recipe’s nuanced spice and nut flavors provide a creative vegan take on the classic Indian rasmalai.
Ingredients
For the Malai (The milk sauce)
- 1/2 cup cashew nuts raw
- 1 tbsp pistachios about 6-7, raw
- 1 cup water Use scant cup
- 3 -4 saffron strands
- 5-6 tbsp sugar I used half cane and half powdered sugar so that it doesn't add color to the sauce
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 cardamom pod seeds
For the Malai Cake:
- 1/2 cup cashew nuts Use a heaping cup, raw
- 1 tbsp cornstarch or tapioca starch
- 1 cardamom pod seeds
- 3-4 saffron strands
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1 big salt pinch
- 3 tbsp vegan cream cheese I use kite hill plain
- 2 tsp vegan butter or use oil
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
For Garnish:
- 1 tbsp almond slivered
- 1 tbsp pistachios raw, chopped
Instructions
For the Milk:
- Soak the cashews and pistachios overnight, or at least 4 hours. Then drain well and add to a blender along with the rest of the ingredients, and blend until the mixture is really smooth. It will look like milk, and that's okay. Taste and adjust Sweet and set aside.
For the Malai Cake:
- You want to convert the cashews into a flour, so add the cashews, cardamom, cornstarch, and saffron in a blender, and blend for 15 seconds, then start pulsing every few seconds. Use a spoon to move the mixture around so there are no cashews lurking in the corners, and pulse a couple of times more until the mixture is a fine meal. If there are any cashew pieces left, remove them, or try to pulse them in by pulsing a couple more times, and then remove any remaining large cashew pieces from the mixture.
- Transfer to a bowl, add the almond flour, salt, cream cheese, butter, and sugar and mix. Press and mix with a spatula, or use your hands to make a dough.
- Grease a shallow baking dish, and press this dough onto the dish into a square or rectangle, less than half an inch thick, and even out the edges. You can wet your hands before doing that so that it's not as sticky, or use oil on your hands.
- Bake at 275 degrees F (135 C) with the fan on(convection) for 25-30 minutes, or until the mixture feels completely dry on top, and has lightened in color. You can also use regular bake if you don’t have convection
- Take the pan out and let it cool for 10-15 minutes, then slice the cake into an inch or inch and a half big squares, and slightly separate it out. The center will feel very soft, so separate out only if it's not breaking into pieces.
- Pour the entire sauce mixture all over to submerge the cake.
- Garnish with pistachios and almond slivers, and let this mixture chill for at least a few hours before serving
Notes
- Cashew cream or vegan yogurt can replace vegan cream cheese for alternative texture in the cake.
- Omitting saffron and adding a drop of vanilla creates a more budget-friendly version.
- Coconut sugar can be used for refined sugar-free but may darken the milk sauce and cake.
- Dried rose petals and rose water can enhance visual appeal and aroma.
- The cashew-pistachio milk alone works well as a standalone dessert garnish.
- A tres leches cake version uses white cake soaked in milk sauce and topped with whipped coconut cream and pistachios.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 298 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 298kcal | 15% |
| Carbohydrates | 26g | 9% |
| Protein | 7g | 14% |
| Fat | 19g | 29% |
| Saturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Sodium | 158mg | 7% |
| Potassium | 166mg | 4% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 17g | 34% |
| Vitamin A | 63IU | 1% |
| Calcium | 37mg | 4% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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