Eggless Pistachio, Saffron and Cardamom Cake

Eggless Pistachio, Saffron and Cardamom Cake

For My son in law's birthday  I was looking for an easy to bake and yet a fancy cake recipe.  While browsing recipe ideas for the same, I noticed that Saffron  pistachio cake is quite famous. It looked exotic and elegant. This Moist and delicious cake infused with saffron ,cardamom flavor with a chopped pistachio. The richness of the Pistachios coupled with the delicate saffron just melts in your mouth. The cake turns out moist, flavourful and delicious. It is very festive in appearance It is rich in taste and flavour.

 

Ingredients

Flour (Maida) - 1 cup

Powdered Sugar - 2 tbsp

Baking Powder - 1 tsp

Baking Soda - 1/2 tsp

 Condensed Milk - 200g

 Butter - 100g

Pistachio Powder - 50 g

Milk- 1/2 cup

 Vanilla Essence - 1 tsp

Saffron & Cardamom - 1/2 tsp each

For Icing:

Whipped Cream (chilled) - 2 cups

Vanilla Essence - 1 tsp

 

 Method:

1.Preheat the oven at 180deg C.Grease a bakingpan.

2.In a bowl sieve maida, 2 tbsp sugar, baking soda, baking powder and keep aside.

3.Take a large bowl, add butter, condensed milk, Pistachio powder,cardamom, vanilla extract and  saffron milk mix together and whisk for 2 minutes to form a smooth batter.

4.Using a spatula, fold dry ingredients to the whisked batter and mix well. Mix till well combined.

5.Pour the batter into the baking pan and bake for 20 minutes.

 

6.After 20 minutes, poke a toothpick into the centre of the cake and remove instantly. If the toothpick comes out clean, it means the cake is cooked completely.

Remove the cake from the oven and keep on a cooling rack for 10-15 minutes.

 

Make theFrosting:

1.  Using both a chilled bowl and chilled beaters, beat the cream until frothy.

 2. Add the icing sugar and vanilla gradually while beating.

  3.Whip until light and a thick enough consistency to spread as an icing.

  4.Decorate with Pistachio Powder and pinch of saffron

Paal Kesari/Milk kesari

Kesari  is a is a simple sweet recipe prepared with basic ingredients like semolina, sugar and ghee. it is topped with dry fruits like chopped cashews, and some raisins and is flavoured with the exquisite spice 'kesar' or saffron. Kesari is usually prepared with water, and for Paal kesari is  cooks with milk gives a good taste and it is offered as neivedyam

Ingredients :

  Rava (sooji/semolina) -1 cup

  Milk - 21/2 cups

 Sugar - 1 cup

 Cashews - 5

 Raisins - 5

Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp

Saffron strands -5

Ghee - 2 to 3 tbsp

Method:

1.To prepare Milk Kesari first soak crushed saffron strands in a tablespoon of warm milk for 15-20 minutes

2. In a non stick kadai, heat 1 tbsp ghee and roast the cashews and raisins. When the cashews are golden and the raisins are puffed up, remove them to a plate.

3. Add the remaining ghee and add the rava and roast for 2 minutes. Switch off and allow it to cool completely

4. Now slowly add the milk, whisking all the while to avoid clumps.

5. When you've completely mixed in the milk, cover and cook for 3 minutes in medium flame until the milk is absorbed.

6. Now add the sugar and mix well. This will loosen the rava mixture.

7. Add the saffron milk and if needed add food color, and cardamom powder and mix well.

8. Keep mixing and stirring until it's thick for about 5-7 minutes and remove from flame

9.Garnish the milk kesari with nuts and raisins.Your delicious Milk /Paal Kesari is ready to be served immediately.