How to Make the Perfect Mawa Cake
Indian · Easy · 50 min · 8 servings
Mawa cake is a beautifully soft and fragrant Indian milk cake with a rich dense crumb that kids love for its unique milky sweetness. This beloved Irani cafe classic is incredibly easy to bake and makes a wonderful after-school snack children happily devour slice after slice.
Why this recipe works
This Mawa Cake recipe has been crafted to deliver restaurant-quality results in your home kitchen. At just 50 minutes from start to finish, it fits perfectly into a busy schedule without sacrificing flavor. Each serving comes in at 260 calories with 7g of protein, making it a balanced choice for any meal.
What you will need
This recipe uses 7 simple ingredients that you can find at any grocery store:
- 1 cup mawa or khoya crumbled
- 0.75 cup all-purpose flour
- 0.5 cup unsalted butter softened
- 0.75 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 0.5 teaspoon cardamom powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Step by step instructions
Step 1: Cream Butter and Mawa
Beat softened butter and crumbled mawa together in a large bowl until light and fluffy using an electric mixer for about 3 to 4 minutes. Add sugar and continue beating for another 2 minutes until the mixture is pale and creamy and the sugar has dissolved.
Step 2: Add Eggs
Add eggs to the mawa mixture one at a time beating well after each addition. The mixture may look slightly curdled which is normal. Add cardamom powder and mix briefly to combine all the flavors evenly throughout the batter.
Step 3: Fold in Flour
Sift flour and baking powder together and gently fold into the wet mixture using a spatula until just combined and no dry flour remains. Do not overmix as this will make the cake tough. The batter should be thick and smooth.
Step 4: Bake and Serve
Pour batter into a greased and lined 8 inch round or loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake in a preheated oven at 175 degrees Celsius for 30 to 35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool before slicing for kids.
Easy substitutions
Missing an ingredient? Here are some swaps that work perfectly:
- mawa or khoya → ricotta cheese for a similar dense milky texture
- cardamom powder → vanilla extract for a more familiar flavor younger kids prefer
Common mistakes to avoid
Watch out for these pitfalls that can affect your results:
- Overmixing the batter after adding flour which develops gluten and makes the cake dense and chewy instead of tender
- Using cold butter and mawa straight from the fridge which prevents the mixture from creaming properly and results in uneven texture
Nutrition facts
Per serving: 260 calories, 7g protein, 32g carbs, 12g fat, 0g fiber.
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