Pistachio and Mawa Cake
Lightly flavored with saffron, cardamom, and pistachios, this warm cake fills the kitchen with a beautifully delicate fragrance. The secret ingredient, mawa or khoya—milk solids boiled down to a thick, doughy consistency—gives the cake its distinctive richness and flavor. This recipe, inspired by Indian bakery classics and a nostalgic favorite, produces a dense, aromatic cake topped with pistachio and almond slivers, reminiscent of treats enjoyed with chai in Irani cafes.
Ingredients 14
1 tsp saffron strands
2 tbsp water, warm
1⁄2 cup butter, softened
1⁄2 cup raw sugar
1 cup plain yogurt, at room temperature
1 1⁄2 cups plain flour
1 1⁄2 tsp baking powder
1⁄2 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp desiccated coconut
1 1⁄2 tsp cardamom powder
1⁄2 cup khoya, crumbled
1⁄2 cup powdered pistachios
pistachio slivers, for topping the cake
almond slivers, for topping the cake
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Method 8
Preheat your oven to 180C. Grease an 8" cake tin.
In a small bowl, soak the in 2 tablespoons of warm and set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the and until light and fluffy. Gently whisk in the .
Sift the , , and into another bowl and gently mix in the , , and the soaked along with its .
Fold the flour mixture into the butter-sugar mixture. Gently stir in the crumbled and powdered .
This is a thick batter. Scrape it into the prepared pan and top with and .
Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for a few minutes before turning it out onto a cooling rack.
Serve at room temperature.
Bhavna - The Modern Desi Co's tips
Note: The cake becomes stodgy when refrigerated due to the milk solids. I always like to warm the cake up before serving it. You can also serve it with some fresh cream for that extra decadence.
You can use ghee instead of butter but it will make the cake richer.
