Gulab jamun cake | cake with cardamom & rose

I've been thinking about making this cake for a while - I'd seen this recipe from Maunika Gowardhan (one of my favourite Indian cook writers) and I instantly wanted to make it! I love the classic Indian sweet gulab jamuns and I have made those already - you can check out the recipe here! This cake consists of a soft almond sponge flavoured with cardamom which is then soaked (whilst it is still warm) in a sugar syrup flavoured with rose and saffron. It honestly tastes amazing and is perfect to make for any special occasion or when you simply want to make something nice for when friends are coming over. This cakes keeps very well in an airtight container for at least a week.  

Ingredients 

75g ground almonds 
150g caster sugar 
200g self-raising flour 
8-10 cardamom pods seeds ground to a fine power or 1 tsp cardamom powder 
3/4 tsp baking powder 
1 egg 
150mls sunflower oil 
200ml greek yoghurt 
Pinch salt
Splash milk around 1/4 - 1/3 cup (60 - 80ml)

For the sugar syrup 
100ml water 
100ml caster sugar 
5 green cardamom pods bashed open 
1 - 2 tsp rose water 
Generous pinch saffron strands 

To decorate 
Handful pistachios chopped 
Handful almonds chopped 
Few dried rose petals 

Method 

Making the cake

• Preheat your oven to 180°C / 350°F. Line a 20/22cm cake tin with butter and baking paper. Set aside. 
  
  
• In a large mixing bowl, sift together the sugar, flour, cardamom powder, pinch salt & baking powder. 
  
  
• In another bowl, beat the egg and then whisk in the milk, sunflower oil & greek yoghurt. 
  
  
• Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the whisked wet ingredients. Use a spatula or electric mixture to mix into a smooth and thick batter. 
  
  
• Pour the mixture into your prepared baking tin. Bake in the centre of the oven for 35-45 minutes until risen. You should be able to insert a skewer and for it to come out clean. 
  
  
• When baked, let the cake cool into the tin slightly, it may break if you remove it straightaway. 
  
  
• Once cooled slightly, remove from the tin carefully and place on a plate. 

Making the sugar syrup 

• Take a small pan and add all the ingredients for the sugar syrup. Turn the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes until its bubbling gently and the sugar has dissolved. 
  
  
• Turn off the heat and let the syrup cool down until its warm (it will thicken up slightly when it cools). 
  
  

Soaking & decorating the cake

• When the cake is warm, take a knife or skewer and poke hole all over the top of the cake. 
  
  
• Pour the sugar syrup all over the cake - ensuring that the whole cake is coated evenly with the sugar syrup. 
  
  
• Garnish the cake with the chopped pistachios, almonds and rose petals. 
  
  
• Leave the cake to cool down completely and for the sugar syrup to  completely absorb into the cake before cutting into slices and enjoying with a cup of tea!