There's nothing better than trying a new type of cake and this moist and delicious rasmalai cake has taught me that there is still so many amazing cake flavors out there to be discovered.
I have tried rasmalai earlier in my lifetime and of course, I've had plenty of cake but never have I ever had them as a combined dessert. I must say, it is incredible. Especially due to the fact that this cake is a tres leches cake!
The cake is also topped with a simple homemade frosting which is light and ready in less than 5 minutes. I even like to pour more extra rasmalai milk on top of the frosting to infuse it with the flavors.
If unique cakes are your thing, you should definitely also try my vegan snickerdoodle cake, vegan biscoff banana cake and vegan orange poppy seed cake which are all so tasty.
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Why You Will Love This Cake
- The Rasmalai Milk - Not only does the milk mixture have a beautiful color, but it also makes the best cake filling too, making this rasmalai cake tres leches cake too. Similar cakes includes my other vegan tres leches cake and my vegan banana pudding poke cake.
- Moist Texture - The moisture in this cake is partly down to the ingredient ratios, but it is also due to the rasmalai milk being poured into the tiny holes which made in the cake.
- Unique Flavors - The green cardamom which is incorporated into both the cake and the milk is an acquired, yet very delicious taste. Before making this recipe, I had never tried the spice before.
- Allergy Friendly & Plant Based - This rasmalai cake recipe is fully vegan and dairy free.
Ingredient Notes
- Coconut Cream - This will be used for both the rasmalai milk mixture. The coconut cream can be found at the top of a coconut milk can. It is the thick part. You will also need this ingredient for the frosting.
- Green Cardamom Powder - The green cardamom powder gives the cake most of its unique flavor, as well as its color.
- Self-rising Flour - This helps the cake to rise more than if you use regular all-purpose flour.
- Canola Oil - I've tested many kinds of oils for my cake recipes and I must say that canola oil always comes out on top ahead of the likes of olive oil and vegetable oil. It gives the cakes an amazing amount of moisture.
- Dairy-free cream cheese - Use this for the frosting. When combined with the other ingredients, it contributes towards an amazing, creamy consistency like the frosting in my vegan lemon poke cake and vegan red velvet cake bars.
See recipe card for full information on individual ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- If you like your cakes to be lightly spiced, I recommend that you use a quarter teaspoon of green cardamom powder, as opposed to the recommended half teaspoon which gives the cake a strong taste. An example of a lightly spiced cake would be my vegan maple pecan cake. Some people prefer cakes this way, whereas I love the presence of the cardamom in this recipe.
- Three milks are used in this recipe. Coconut milk, dairy-free condensed milk and soy milk. I recommend that you don't substitute the coconut milk. However, you can swap out my own condensed milk recipe for a store-bought version. You can also use other plant milks such as, oat milk and almond milk instead of soy milk.
How To Make Rasmalai Cake
For the full method, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
1: Line and grease a square baking pan. Set aside until later.
2: Make the rasmalai milk mixture.
3: Heat the rasmalai milk inside a large pot.
4: Make the dairy-free buttermilk.
5: Combine the dry cake batter ingredients inside a bowl.
6: Add the wet ingredients to a the bowl. Fold until it is smooth and a light green color.
7: Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking tin. Bake inside the oven.
8: Make the frosting inside a stand mixer.
9: Poke holes into the baked cake with the round end of a large skewer.
10: Pour the rasmalai milk mixture into the holes so that it soaks into the cake.
11: Spread the frosting over the top of the cake.
12: Slice the cake and place a piece on a plate.
13: Pour some of the remaining rasmalai milk over it and serve.
Expert Tips
Make bigger holes in the cake - I usually recommend making smaller holes inside the cake for the milk filling, but another great option is to make fewer but larger holes instead. This will make the insides if the cake even more moist but again, it's ultimately down to personal preference.
Don't over-mix the cake batter - Once the cake batter ingredients are just combined, don't fold it anymore. This will affect the consistency of the cake when it is baked. An over-mixed cake isn't a tasty one. It will be gummy and dense.
Recipe FAQs
My recipes consists of flour, sugar, three kinds of milks, oil and yogurt amongst a few other ingredients such as, pistachios, green cardamom and saffron which infuse the cake with rasmalai flavors.
If you like the taste of cardamom, you'll adore rasmalai cake. It has quite a herby taste which is quite unfamiliar to many people but once you try it a few times, it is easy to fall in love with it.
In comparison to many other desserts, rasmalai is on the healthier side. It is typically high in calcium and protein which is great.
Rasmalai is of Indian origin and more specifically, it comes from the Bengal region.
Store inside the fridge for up to three days inside an airtight container. You can also refrigerate any leftover rasmalai milk for a few days.
More International Vegan Recipes
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Easy Rasmalai Cake (Tres Leches)
Ingredients
Rasmalai milk:
- 35 ml water
- 330 ml soy milk
- 100 g coconut milk thick cream part from the top of can
- 2 Tablespoons dairy-free condensed milk
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 0.5 teaspoon green cardamom powder
- Pinch of saffron
Cake batter:
- 160 ml soy milk
- 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 270 g self-rising flour sifted
- 115 g granulated sugar
- 0.5 teaspoon green cardamom powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 0.25 teaspoon baking soda
- Pinch of salt
- 25 g chopped pistachio kernels
- 75 ml canola oil
- 75 g dairy-free yogurt room temperature
Frosting:
- 80 g dairy-free cream cheese cold
- 80 g dairy-free butter block room temperature
- 1.5 Tablespoons coconut cream can refrigerated overnight
- 250 g powdered sugar sifted
Instructions
Making the rasmalai milk:
- Begin by making the rasmalai milk. Add all the milk ingredients for it to a large pot. Stir them together and bring to the boil over a high heat.
- Cook the rasmalai milk on high for 2-3 minutes once it is boiling. Remove from the heat and let it cool completely. Once the milk has cooled place it into the fridge until later.
Cake preparation:
- Preheat the oven to 170 Celsius (338F). Line a square, 8-inch baking tray with parchment paper and grease it with dairy-free butter.
- Make the buttermilk by stirring the apple cider vinegar into the soy milk. This mixture will curdle in about 8 minutes. In the meantime, measure out all the other cake ingredients.
Making the cake:
- To a large bowl, add the self-rising flour, granulated sugar, green cardamom powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt and chopped pistachio kernels. Mix to combine.
- Add in the dairy-free buttermilk along with one third (roughly 125ml) of the rasmalai milk, canola oil and dairy-free yogurt. Fold the cake batter until just combined without over-mixing until all the flour pockets are gone.
- Pour the rasmalai cake batter into the prepared baking tray and bake in the center of the oven for 30-35 minutes. Every oven is different so times may vary.
Filling the cake:
- Take the cake out from the oven and let it cool fully. A skewer will come out clean once the cake is ready.
- When the cake has cooled, poke it all over (see step-by step images above) with the round end of a large skewer so that it almost reaches the bottom of the cake. You can make the holes a little bigger if you want a moister cake.
- Pour half of the remaining rasmalai milk into the holes and let it soak into the cake.
Make the frosting:
- Now it's time to make the frosting. Add the whisk attachment to a stand mixer and cream together the dairy-free cream cheese, dairy-free butter and coconut cream on a high speed until the mixture becomes creamy.
- Change the stand mixer speed to medium. Gradually add the powdered sugar to the stand mixer bowl in increments until it is all combined.
- Now that all the ingredients are combined, beat the frosting one more time on a high speed for 5 minutes. It will become thick in consistency.
Assemble the cake:
- Spread the frosting onto the top of the rasmalai cake. Slice into squares before pouring the remaining rasmalai milk over the top of the cake slices. Enjoy.
Video
Notes
- I usually recommend making smaller holes inside the cake for the milk filling, but another great option is to make fewer but larger holes instead. This will make the insides if the cake even more moist but again, it's ultimately down to personal preference.
- Once the cake batter ingredients are just combined, don't fold it anymore. This will affect the consistency of the cake when it is baked. An over-mixed cake isn't a tasty one. It will be gummy and dense.
Cara Davies says
I’ll be making this recipe again and again (including for Christmas). Everything about it was perfect.
DJ says
Thank you so much Cara!