Rabdi Jalebi Cupcakes
Eggless cardamom cupcakes with a thick rabdi center, saffron-kewra frosting, and a crisp jalebi on top. Built for Diwali platters and make-ahead party prep.
Equipment
- 12-cup muffin tin and paper liners
- Stand or hand mixer
- Cupcake corer or wide round piping tip (for coring)
Ingredients
For the eggless cupcakes
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 160 g
- 3/4 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp fine salt
- 1 cup thick plain yogurt 240 g; room temperature
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar 135 g
- 1/3 cup neutral oil 80 ml
- 2 tbsp ghee 28 g; melted and slightly cooled
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp rose water
For the quick stovetop rabdi
- 2 cups whole milk 480 ml
- 1/2 cup milk powder 60 g
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 tbsp chopped pistachios optional garnish
For the saffron cream cheese frosting
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
- pinch saffron threads
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter 57 g; softened
- 4 oz full-fat cream cheese 113 g; softened
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar 300 g; sifted if lumpy
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp kewra water or rose water
To finish
- 6 to 8 small jalebis store-bought or homemade, halved for 12 cupcakes
- edible gold leaf (optional)
Instructions
Make the rabdi (up to 2 days ahead)
- Warm milk in a wide saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in milk powder and sugar until smooth.
- Simmer gently, stirring often with a flat spatula, until the mix coats the spoon and reduces by about half (20 to 28 minutes). It should look like thin pudding, not pourable milk.
- Stir in cardamom. Transfer to a bowl, press plastic wrap on the surface, and chill at least 4 hours (or overnight) until spoon-thick. You need about 1 1/2 cups for filling.
Bake the cupcakes
- Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with liners.
- Whisk flour, cardamom, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
- In a mixer bowl, beat yogurt and sugar on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add oil, ghee, vanilla, and rose water; beat 1 minute more.
- Add dry mix in two additions, mixing on low just until no flour streaks remain. Do not over-mix.
- Divide batter evenly (about 1/4 cup per liner). Bake 16 to 18 minutes until tops spring back and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely on a rack.
Make the frosting
- Warm cream in a small pan. Crush saffron into the cream, remove from heat, and steep 10 minutes.
- Beat butter until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add cream cheese and beat until smooth, scraping the bowl once.
- Mix in saffron cream, vanilla, and kewra. Add powdered sugar in three additions on low speed, then beat on medium until thick and pipeable.
Fill and decorate
- Core the center of each cooled cupcake (about 3/4 inch deep). Save a few crumbs for snacking, not for filling.
- Spoon 1 to 1 1/2 tbsp chilled rabdi into each cavity. Pipe or spread frosting in a swirl.
- Press half a small jalebi into the top of each cupcake. Add pistachios or gold leaf if using. Chill 30 minutes if your kitchen is warm before serving.
Notes
Rabdi must be thick after chilling. If it still pours, return to the pan and reduce 5 more minutes before chilling again.
Buy jalebi the day you assemble so it stays crisp. Warm jalebi for 10 seconds in the oven if it has softened, then cool 2 minutes before topping.
Frosting too soft? Chill the bowl 15 minutes or add 2 to 4 tbsp more powdered sugar.
Store assembled cupcakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature 20 minutes before serving for the best texture.
For a lighter top, skip cream cheese and use 1 1/2 cups whipped cream folded with 2 tbsp powdered sugar and a few drops of kewra (fill and serve same day).
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!