

[This post is a part of a joint project with my blog friend Raaga. Check that post here.
This is another ‘ Another Subcontinent’ food forum inspired recipe. Food enthusiasts on the forum have been discussing the mava / mawa cake to shreds [or pieces] rather. Being in Bombay, close to many Parsi bakery shops, mava cake is really no big deal. It is considered a most Plain Jane cake, and I have seen kids who wont even consider this a cake, for there is nothing fancy-schmancy about it. Generally sold as cup cakes, packed in batches of six, these make a lovely tea time treat.
Merwans, a Parsi Bakery in Grant Road (Bombay) – is famous for it’s Mava cake and the foodies on the forum were in the quest to reproduce the same magic in their kitchens. Ravum provided a recipe for an eggless version using condensed milk, khoya (solidified milk), milk, flour and butter. Khoya is also called mava, and that’s how this cake gets it’s name. Check a photo essay of the almost century old, Merwan’s bakery here.
Since I was on a cooking low, I asked Raaga if she’ll give me company and support in making this as a joint blog project. Even though she would be making it in Gurgaon and me in Bombay, it seemed like a great support to me and a fun thing to do. Being the great sport that she is, she managed to make it today and we decided to blog about it together.
[Recipe in Ravum’s words]
Ravum’s Eggless Mava Cake

[wpurp-searchable-recipe] – [This post is a part of a joint project with my blog friend Raaga. Check that post here – Wet Ingredients: Milkmaid, butter, mava, milk, milk, Dry Ingredients: maida, baking powder, cardamom, saffron, Cashew nuts, Heat the wet ingredientstogether till butter melts and the mix is homogeneous. Cool it to room temperature.; Sift the maida and baking powder three times (for volume). Add the cardamom, saffron, and cashew nuts.; Whisk the dry and wet ingredients together. Use the 1/4 cup of milk if the batter is too thick. The final consistency should be that of idli batter, or the besan batter used for making pakoda. Bake in a greased pan till light brown on top. [I baked at 175 C for 20 minutes in a 6 cup tube pan]; [/wpurp-searchable-recipe]

Diwali Delicacy : Eggless Mava Cake
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 1 tin Milkmaid (400 gms)
- 50 - 75 gm butter (1/2 to 3/4 slab of a 100 gm of Amul )
- 1/2 cup milk (You can use water, but you the cake browns better with )
- 1/4 cup milk ( to be used whle mixing if the batter is thick)
Dry Ingredients
- 1.5 cups maida (all-purpose flour) (US cup)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 cardamom (peel and powder the seeds)
- Pinch of pound saffron sugar - pestle with a bit of
- Cashew nuts
Instructions
- Heat the wet ingredientstogether till butter melts and the mix is homogeneous. Cool it to room temperature.
- Sift the maida and baking powder three times (for volume). Add the cardamom, saffron, and cashew nuts.
- Whisk the dry and wet ingredients together. Use the 1/4 cup of milk if the batter is too thick. The final consistency should be that of idli batter, or the besan batter used for making pakoda. Bake in a greased pan till light brown on top. [I baked at 175 C for 20 minutes in a 6 cup tube pan]
Notes
Here's wishing all of you a very Happy Diwali and a wonderful year ahead. May the festival of lights, bring lots of light and happiness into your lives.(c) Nandita Iyer 2006-2015
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