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Jaggery Cake
Ravi Sharma

Jaggery Cake

A soft, moist and naturally sweet cake made with jaggery instead of refined sugar. Rich in toffee-like flavour with cardamom and ginger, it's a simple, festive Diwali bake.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Cool Time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours
Servings: 8 Slices
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: Indian
Calories: 360
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For The CAKE
  • 1 cup jaggery powder or grated jaggery
  • ¾ cup warm milk
  • ½ cup oil or melted ghee
  • 1½ cups whole wheat flour or 1 cup whole wheat + ½ cup maida for a softer cake
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp cardamom powder
  • ½ tsp ginger powder sonth
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence
  • 1 pinch salt
Topping
  • 2 tbsp chopped almonds cashews or walnuts
  • 1 tbsp raisins optional

Method
 

  1. Add the jaggery powder to the warm milk and stir for 3 to 4 minutes until it melts completely. If there are lumps, warm gently on low heat without boiling. Cool for 5 minutes.
  2. Preheat the oven to 175°C (347°F). Grease a 7-inch tin and line it with parchment paper.
  3. To the jaggery milk, add the oil, eggs and vanilla. Whisk well until smooth and slightly frothy.
  4. Sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom, ginger and salt. Fold gently until just combined. The batter will be thin, and that's normal.
  5. Pour the batter into the tin, tap on the counter to remove air bubbles, and scatter the nuts and raisins on top.
  6. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Start checking at 30 minutes.
  7. Rest in the tin for 10 minutes, then lift out and cool completely on a wire rack before cutting.

Notes

  • Use soft, fresh jaggery. Hard, old jaggery can be gritty.
  • Strain the melted jaggery milk if it has impurities.
  • Cool the jaggery milk before adding eggs, or they may scramble.
  • Don't over-mix. Whole wheat flour turns dense if mixed too much.
  •  If the top browns too fast, cover loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes.
  • Egg-free: replace the 2 eggs with ½ cup curd and an extra pinch of baking soda.
  • Vegan: use coconut oil, almond milk, and ½ cup applesauce or mashed banana instead of eggs.
  • Ragi version: use ½ cup ragi flour and 1 cup whole wheat flour.
  • No oven: bake in a covered kadhai on low heat with a stand inside for 40-45 minutes. Check the bottom so it doesn't over-brown.
  • Storage: 4 days at room temperature, 7 days in the fridge, or 1 month in the freezer.