The year rasmalai cake took over my Instagram feed, I tried baking one for my birthday. The sponge soaked beautifully. The whipped cream tasted like ras and cardamom in the best way. The frosting, though, looked like something my toddler decorated. I am fine admitting that: I am a home cook, not a pastry chef, and tall layer cakes and I have an uneasy relationship.
So I stole the idea and put it in jars. Rasmalai cake jars give you the same flavors in individual portions: thin eggless sponge scented with saffron, rasmalai pieces, and whipped cream beaten with the thickened milk from the tin. No slicing drama, easy to hand to guests at Diwali or a summer dinner party. If you want another spoonable Indian dessert on the same table, our easy mango shrikhand (amrakhand) is the no-bake bowl option, and easy rice kheer with millet swaps is the classic slow-simmer sweet.
These Rasmalai Cake Jars are my answer to “I want mithai flavor without standing over a kadai all afternoon.” Let’s build them layer by layer.
Rasmalai Meets Tres Leches (Why Jars Work)
Rasmalai is soft paneer discs soaked in sweet, cardamom-scented milk (ras). Rasmalai cake borrows that idea: sponge soaked in ras, creamy topping, pistachios and saffron on top. Think Indian tres leches with a mithai shop finish.
Jars solve the problems I had with the full cake. You control how much ras each round gets, so nothing turns to mush. Portion size stays honest. You can chill a tray of them, cover with lids, and carry them to a potluck upright in a box. For a lighter make-ahead on the same menu, kesar badam chia pudding fills the same “saffron and nuts” craving with less cream.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Eggless sponge with cardamom and saffron bakes flat in 15 to 18 minutes
- Store-bought rasmalai is a legit shortcut (freezer section at Indian groceries)
- Individual jars: giftable, kid-friendly portions, no cake knife needed
- Make-ahead friendly: assemble the night before; chill 2 hours minimum
- Vegetarian: eggless throughout; see FAQs for dairy-free notes
From my kitchen: I once overwhipped the cream while chatting and ended up with sweet butter. If peaks look grainy or yellow, stop immediately, scrape into a fresh bowl, and start a new batch of cream. The ras can be folded into the second batch. Do not try to rescue overwhipped cream for these jars; texture matters.
Ingredient Notes
Rasmalai and ras: You need both the soft discs and the sweet soaking milk. Reserve about 1 cup ras total for spooning onto cake layers and flavoring the whipped cream. If your tin is small, buy two.
Sponge shortcut: Use a vanilla cake mix box, add 1 tsp cardamom and a pinch of saffron to the batter, and bake in the 9×13 pan per package directions. Or buy plain sponge cake and sprinkle cardamom between layers while assembling.
Jars: I use 5 oz (150 ml) clear glass jars. Match your cookie cutter to the jar mouth, not the base. Wide-mouth mason jars need larger rounds.
How to Make Rasmalai Cake Jars
Bake the sponge: Whisk warm milk, butter, sugar, cardamom, and saffron. Fold in sifted flour, baking powder, baking soda, and milk powder. Bake a thin 9×13 sheet until set, then cut jar-sized rounds and split each into two discs.
Prep rasmalai: Chop most discs for middle layers; quarter a few for tops. Reserve ras for soaking and whipping.
Whip the cream: Beat cold heavy cream with powdered sugar and ras until stiff peaks form.
Layer each jar: Cake, ras, cream, chopped rasmalai, second cake round, more ras, cream, a rasmalai piece, then pistachios, rose petals, saffron, and optional vark. Chill at least 2 hours.
Full measurements, assembly order, and storage notes are in the recipe card below.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Assemble up to 1 day ahead. Flavor improves as the sponge softens slightly, similar to tres leches.
Store covered in the refrigerator 3 to 4 days. After that, the sponge can get too soft and the cream may weep. Do not freeze assembled jars; cream and soaked cake texture suffer on thaw.
For gifting, fill jars below the rim so lids seal without touching the garnish. Pack upright in a shallow box.
Rasmalai Cake Jars (Eggless)
Ingredients
For the eggless sponge cake
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour 190 g; maida
- 1 cup warm milk 240 ml
- â…“ cup unsalted butter 75 g; melted and slightly cooled
- 1 cup granulated sugar 200 g
- 4 tbsp milk powder
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- â…› tsp saffron threads lightly crushed
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
For rasmalai prep
- 8 to 9 rasmalai discs store-bought or homemade
- about 1 cup ras (sweet soaking milk from the rasmalai tin), reserved separately
For rasmalai whipped cream
- 3 cups heavy whipping cream 720 ml; cold
- 3 tbsp ras from the rasmalai
- 6 tbsp powdered sugar sifted if lumpy
Garnish
- pistachios, finely chopped
- dried rose petals (food-grade)
- extra saffron threads
- edible silver leaf (vark), optional
Instructions
Bake the eggless cardamom-saffron sponge
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease a 9×13-inch pan with butter; line with parchment if you like easy release.
- In a large bowl, whisk warm milk, melted butter, sugar, cardamom, and saffron until the sugar mostly dissolves and the milk looks pale yellow.
- Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and milk powder into the wet mixture.
- Fold gently with a spatula until no dry streaks remain. Do not over-mix or the cake turns dense.
- Pour batter into the pan and spread evenly. It will be a thin layer.
- Bake 15 to 18 minutes until the top springs back when lightly pressed and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool completely in the pan. Cut 12 rounds with a cookie cutter sized to your jars. Slice each round horizontally into two thin discs (24 total). Set aside.
Prep the rasmalai
- Remove 8 to 9 rasmalai discs from their ras. Reserve about 1 cup ras for soaking and whipping.
- Chop 6 discs into small pea-sized pieces for the middle layers.
- Cut the remaining 3 discs into quarters (12 pieces) for topping one piece per jar.
Whip the rasmalai cream
- Chill the mixing bowl and whisk attachment for 10 minutes if you can.
- Beat cold heavy cream on medium-high until soft peaks form.
- Add powdered sugar and 3 tbsp ras. Continue beating until stiff peaks form. Stop as soon as peaks stand up; overbeating turns cream to butter.
Layer the rasmalai cake jars
- Place one thin cake round in the bottom of each jar. Press lightly so it sits flat.
- Spoon about 2 tsp ras over the cake. It should dampen the sponge, not swim in liquid.
- Pipe or spoon a layer of rasmalai whipped cream, about ½ inch thick.
- Add chopped rasmalai pieces and a pinch of pistachios if you like nuts in the middle.
- Add the second cake round. Spoon 2 more tsp ras on top.
- Add another layer of whipped cream.
- Place one quarter-piece of rasmalai on top for height.
- Garnish with chopped pistachios, rose petals, a saffron thread, and a tiny flake of vark if using.
- Cover loosely and refrigerate at least 2 hours, preferably overnight, before serving.
Notes
FAQs
Can I use homemade rasmalai?
Yes, and it is delicious. Make rasmalai a day ahead so ras is chilled and discs are firm enough to chop. You need enough ras for soaking (about 1 cup) plus extra for the whipped cream. Homemade ras is often thinner than canned; reduce the amount spooned onto each layer if it runs quickly off the cake.
My cake rounds do not fit my jars. What now?
Match your cutter to the jar mouth, not the base. Wide-mouth mason jars need larger rounds. If rounds are too small, stack two offset pieces for coverage, or crumble cake instead of cutting rounds and treat it like a trifle (double the cream and rasmalai quantities).
Can I make this vegan or dairy-free?
I have not tested a full vegan version of this exact jar. The sponge can be made with plant milk and oil instead of butter. Whipped coconut cream (chilled overnight) with powdered sugar could replace dairy cream, but it will taste coconut-forward. Store-bought rasmalai contains paneer and milk. For a fully plant-based festival table, serve kesar badam chia pudding alongside instead.
The sponge feels dry even after soaking. Why?
Each layer may need a little more ras, or the cake was overbaked. Next time, pull the sheet cake at 15 minutes and check early. When assembling, let ras sit on the cake 30 seconds before adding cream so it sinks in.
Can I prepare components separately and assemble later?
Yes. Bake the sponge up to 2 days ahead; wrap tightly. Whip cream the day you assemble. Chop rasmalai and keep covered in the fridge. Layer within 24 hours of serving for the best texture.
What can I do with leftover cake scraps?
Blend scraps with ice cream and a splash of ras for a rasmalai milkshake, or layer scraps with cream and chopped malai in a large trifle bowl for a family-size version. Nothing needs to go to waste.
I keep coming back to these jars when I want the drama of rasmalai cake without the stress of frosting a tall layer. They look festive on a tray, they travel well, and someone always asks for the recipe when they see the saffron and pistachios on top.
If you make Rasmalai Cake Jars, tell me in the comments: do you soak with extra ras for a softer sponge, or keep it lighter? Save this for your next festival menu and show me your layers.
Made this? Share a photo and tag @petitepaprika on Instagram. I love seeing your kitchen creations!
