Falooda Milk Cake
Inspired by the classic desi Falooda, this three-milk cake is made with a light and airy sponge that's topped with a three-milk mixture made with homemade Kulfi, whipped cream, Falooda noodles, and basil seeds. It's delicious, super nostalgic, and easy to make.
Equipment
- 7" cake pan
- Electric mixer with whisk attachment
- Saucepan
- Silicone spatula
- Hand whisk
Ingredients
Homemade Kulfi
- 360 ml full-fat milk
- 75 grams sugar
- 1 tablespoon khoya or milk powder
- 180 ml full-fat milk (to mix with cornflour)
- 9 grams cornstarch/cornflour
- 1/2 tsp caradmom powder
- 50 grams thick cream optional
Three-milk mixture
- 250 grams homemade kulfi
- 50 grams condensed milk
- 200 ml full-fat milk
Cake Sponge
- 4 eggs, separated into whites and yolks
- 70 grams white granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 80 grams all-purpose flour
Topping
- 200 grams liquid whipping cream
- 50 grams icing sugar
- 15 grams Falooda noodles
- 1 liter hot water
- 50 ml Rooh Afza
- 10 grams basil seeds soaked in water
- 25 grams strawberries chopped
Instructions
Homemade Kulfi
- In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, add the milk and cook it on medium heat until it starts boiling, then cook for another five minutes. Keep stirring to make sure that the milk does not burn.
- Add the sugar and milk solids (if using) and mix until combined, then let it cook for another 5 minutes until it thickens.
- In a separate bowl, mix the remaining milk and corn flour to form a slurry. Reduce the heat to low and gradually add the slurry into the pan while mixing continuously. Add the cardamom powder and saffron and mix until combined, then let it cook for 3-5 minutes until it thickens.
- Add the cream and mix again, then let it cook for another 2 minutes and take it off the heat.
- Add the condensed milk and remaining milk into the Kulfi and mix to make the three milk mixture
Cake Sponge
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Prepare the baking pan by layering it with parchment paper or greasing it with butter and flour to make sure that the cake does not stick while baking.
- Place the egg whites and yolks in two separate bowls and add half the sugar in each bowl, along with the vanilla in the egg yolk bowl. Whip the egg yolks until they are light and fluffy and the egg whites until they are thick, fluffy, and reach stiff peaks.
- Now, add the egg white mix and the flour into the egg yolk mix alternatively, 1/3rd at a time. Fold the mix after each addition with a silicone spatula gently, making sure not to knock the air out of the mixture. There is no baking powder in this cake. The airiness of the egg whites is what helps the cake rise and gives it that spongey texture. If you knock a lot of air off while mixing, your cake will be flat and dense.
- Once everything is well combined, transfer the cake batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean from the center.
- As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, poke holes into it using a fork (to help the milk soak better). While the cake is still hot, pour a generous amount of the milk and let it cool. Make sure to reserve some of the milk for serving.
- Chill the cake in the fridge for 4-6 hours or overnight.
- Make the whipped cream: Whip the liquid whipping cream and icing sugar in a bowl until they reach stiff peaks.
- Make the Falooda noodles: In a bowl, add hot water and mix it with RoohAfza. Soak the noodles in the RoohAfza water for at least an hour until they're soft.
- Top the cooled cake with whipped cream, Falooda noodles, soaked basil seeds, and chopped strawberries. You can decorate it however you like! I like to create a thin base of the whipped cream and create a piped border on top, then add the Falooda noodles in the center.
- Serve the cake cold with the reserved Kulfi milk mixture.
Notes
Make Ahead:
The cake can be made the night before along with the milk.
Storage:
The cake can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container.