Eggless Gulab Jamun Cake Indian Sweets

Inspired by arguably one of the best Indian sweets of all time, this super moist saffron and cardamom cake is finished with a liberal lick of rosewater syrup. I think this cake is my spirit animal.

What are Gulab Jamuns?

If you’ve never had them, traditional Gulab Jamuns are basically doughnut holes on crack. They get their signature burnished bronze exterior from a high milk solids content that caramelises as it fries. Yes, like any dessert worth its salt (or should that be sugar?), Gulab Jamuns are deep fried before being dunked in a bath of rose-scented syrup. Here’s my mum’s annual batch of Gulab Jamuns for the Hindu festival, Diwali. They’re amazing and she is the master!

When do people eat them?

They’re the original “golden balls” (sorry Mr. Beckham) and an iconic dessert at weddings. No religious festival would be complete without a bowl of a hundred sticky Gulab Jamuns either.

Sweet memories

As a child, I would snaffle down a minimum of three at any sitting. Each jamun is basically a carrier for an outrageous volume of rosy-cardamom syrup. For the uninitiated, they can cause quite the sugar rush. Some go a step further and serve them warm with ice cream. Too far? Sadly, I no longer have the metabolism of an eight-year, but I do need my Gulab Jamun fix once in a while.

Gulab Jamuns, reinvented: The Eggless Gulab Jamun Cake

Enter, the Gulab Jamun Cake. This is one recipe I’ve gently modified to preserve all the things I love about the original dish. Ultimately, the cake has all the treasured flavours of classic Gulab Jamun without the deep frying or long soak in sugar syrup. What’s not to love?

How can this Gulab Jamun Cake be Eggless?

Yes, my recipe is made without eggs so is suitable for lacto vegetarians or anyone with an egg allergy.

Is this Gulab Jamun Cake vegan?

No. I developed my recipe to pay homage to the rich, milky flavour of traditional Gulab Jamun. I use full-fat milk powder to enrich the cake batter with a subtle creaminess reminiscent of the Gulab Jamuns I ate growing up.

A note on milk powder

Classic Gulab Jamun recipes feature grated milk solids (mawa). Having said this, milk powder is a more readily-available substitute. It works beautifully in this recipe. If you’d like to have a go at making a vegan version, you can try swapping this for soy milk powder, for example.

How to serve Eggless Gulab Jamun Cake

Ultimately, you want to serve it with ice cream for a truly royal pudding. You could also enjoy a naked piece with masala chai.

Ingredients you’ll need to make this Gulab Jamun Cake

Here’s a list of ingredients you need to make this recipe. You can find exact measurements in the printable recipe card below.

Plain flour (all-purpose flour or maida) Coarse semolina Caster sugar Full-fat milk powder (whole milk powder) Cornflour (cornstarch) Baking powder Baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) Fine salt (table salt) Full-fat milk (whole milk) Lemon juice Rosewater Almond oil (or any flavourless oil of your choice) Saffron strands Green cardamom pods Water Dried petals and/or rosebuds (optional) Slivered or chopped pistachios