Eggless Motichoor Ladoo Cake (6-Inch Layer Cake)
A home-kitchen-friendly Indian fusion dessert with cardamom-saffron eggless sponge, quick stovetop rabdi, crushed store-bought motichoor ladoos, and mascarpone whipped cream. Perfect for Diwali, Raksha Bandhan, and family celebrations.
Ingredients
For the eggless sponge
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (120 g)
- 1 tablespoon curstard powder (or cornstarch)
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- ¾ cup plain yogurt, room temperature (180 g)
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar (70 g)
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons neutral oil, sunflower or grapeseed (82 g)
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- Pinch saffron strands, crushed and soaked in 1 tablespoon warm milk for 10 minutes
For the cardamom sugar soak
- ¼ cup water (60 ml)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
For the quick rabdi filling
- 1 cup whole milk (240 ml)
- ¼ cup sweetened condensed milk (75 g)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons water
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- Pinch saffron strands (optional)
For the whipped cream frosting
- 1¼ cups cold heavy whipping cream (300 ml)
- 4 tablespoons mascarpone cheese, softened (60 g), or cream cheese
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
For the ladoo layers and coating
- 5 to 6 store-bought motichoor ladoos (200 to 225 g total)
Garnish
- Slivered pistachios
- Edible silver leaf (varq), optional
Instructions
Bake the eggless sponge
- Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease a 6-inch round cake tin, line the bottom with parchment, and lightly grease the parchment.
- Whisk flour, custard powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk yogurt and sugar until smooth. Whisk in oil, milk, cardamom, and saffron milk until combined.
- Add dry ingredients in two batches, folding gently with a spatula until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Pour batter into the prepared tin and smooth the top. Bake 32 to 38 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool in the tin 5 minutes, then turn out onto a rack. Cool completely, at least 1 hour.
Make the sugar soak and quick rabdi
- For the soak, simmer water, sugar, and cardamom pods in a small pan until sugar dissolves. Cool completely. Discard pods before using.
- For the rabdi, whisk cornstarch and water into a smooth slurry. Set aside.
- Bring milk and condensed milk to a gentle boil in a saucepan, stirring often.
- Stir in cardamom and saffron. Pour in the slurry while whisking. Cook on medium-low heat 3 to 5 minutes until thick enough to coat a spoon.
- Transfer to a bowl. Press plastic wrap directly on the surface. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until cold and thick, at least 1 hour.
Prepare the ladoos and whipped cream
- Crumble 3 to 4 ladoos into a coarse, sandy texture for the filling. Reserve 1 to 2 whole ladoos for garnish.
- Pulse the remaining ladoo crumbs lightly in a food processor for a finer coat, or crush by hand for a more rustic finish. Keep two textures if you like, coarse for between layers and finer for the outer coat.
- Whip cold cream with mascarpone, powdered sugar, cardamom, and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Divide, setting aside about one-third for the crumb coat and keeping the rest chilled for filling and final frosting.
Assemble the cake
- Level the cooled sponge if needed. Chill the sponge 20 minutes in the freezer, then split horizontally into three even layers with a serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion.
- Place the bottom layer on a cake board or plate. Brush lightly with cardamom sugar soak.
- Spread a thin layer of whipped cream, then pipe or spread a border around the edge. Spoon about one-third of the chilled rabdi inside the border and spread gently. Scatter one-third of the coarse ladoo crumbs over the rabdi.
- Top with the middle sponge layer. Brush lightly with soak. Repeat cream border, one-third rabdi, and one-third coarse ladoo crumbs.
- Add the top sponge layer. Brush lightly with soak. Repeat cream border, remaining rabdi, and remaining coarse ladoo crumbs.
- Crumb coat the entire cake with the reserved one-third whipped cream. Wipe the board clean. Refrigerate 20 minutes.
Finish and decorate
- Frost the chilled cake with the remaining whipped cream, smoothing the top and sides.
- Press finer ladoo crumbs onto the sides and top with a light hand so the texture stays coarse and sandy.
- Garnish with slivered pistachios, edible silver leaf, and a small halved motichoor ladoo on top if desired.
- Chill at least 1 hour before slicing. Use a hot, dry knife for clean cuts.
Notes
Store-bought ladoos: choose fresh, soft motichoor ladoos from a trusted mithai shop. Stale ladoos taste dry and will not crush evenly.
Homemade ladoos: you can use homemade motichoor ladoos if you prefer; reduce soak sugar if they are very sweet.
Three clean layers: chill the sponge before splitting; a tall, level cake divides more cleanly into three even tiers.
Make ahead: bake the sponge up to 2 days ahead, wrap tightly, and store at room temperature. Rabdi keeps 3 days refrigerated. Assemble the day you plan to serve.
Vegan swap: use coconut yogurt in the sponge, coconut cream instead of dairy cream, and plant-based condensed milk. Replace mascarpone with chilled coconut cream whipped with 1 tablespoon powdered sugar.
Storage: refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 4 days. Bring slices to room temperature for 10 minutes before serving for the best flavor.
Serve alongside easy mango shrikhand or eggless mango flower cake for a mixed fusion dessert spread.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!