• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Tasha's Artisan Foods

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Mother's Day Recipes
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Subscribe
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Mother's Day Recipes
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Subscribe
ร—
Home > Recipes > Cakes

Published: Mar 6, 2020 ยท Last Updated On: Sep 23, 2024 by Natasha Minocha

Mawa Cake

890 shares
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Decadent, delicious and arguably the butteriest delight, mawa cake is a must-have delicacy for the festive season.

Mawa Cake | Parsi Mawa Cake | Easy Eggless Recipe

If youโ€™ve been to a Parsi cafรฉ, especially in Mumbai or Pune, you know their love for food and delightful baked items. But the one that deserves special mention is mawa cake - a sumptuous plateful of calorie-laden indulgence.

The iconic tea-time snack that the community introduced to us is not merely an Irani specialty it is a time capsule of an era gone by. Enter any Parsi cafรฉ and mawa cake will be on the menu. 

With the festivities in the air, I wanted to cook something simple but steeped in tradition, and I thought what better than a mawa cake. Though, laying all my cards on the table, I did add a little personal twist to the recipe.

Mawa Cake | Parsi Mawa Cake | Easy Eggless Recipe

How to Make a Traditional Mawa Cake?

When you are making something that is literally a bite right out of history, it takes time. With mawa cake, it is the khoya that adds the hours.

Whatโ€™s khoya (or khoa)? It is evaporated milk solids.  When the Parsis came to India in the 19th Century, there were no refrigerators. It meant cafรฉ owners had to boil their milk, again and again, to keep it from being spoilt. The constant heat slowly reduced the milk to solids, giving birth to khoya! 

If you have time at hand, I recommend making it at home from scratch using this wonderful recipe. If you canโ€™t be bothered, khoya is readily available in the market. FYI, this is the easy twist to mawa cake recipe โ€“ buying soft, crumbly khoya from a nearby store.

Now on to the recipeโ€ฆ

Beating the sugar-butter mixture

In a mixing bowl take regular, salted butter and raw sugar. Beat them together till you have a light, fluffy mixture. You can use regular sugar, but Iโ€™ve been baking everything with raw sugar lately, and it works like a charm. 

To this, whisk in some yogurt. Word of caution - make sure the yogurt is at room temperature otherwise your mixture will curdle.

Process of making Mawa Cake

Assembling the mawa cake batter

In another bowl, sift the dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, and baking soda.

The conventional mawa cake recipe doesnโ€™t have any other spice except cardamom powder, and it is more than enough to give the buttery cakes the quintessential โ€œIndianโ€ scent.

Because I am making the cake for Holi, indulgence was very much called for. So, along with the cardamom, in went a few strands of luxurious saffron and a light touch of desiccated coconut. Both are absolutely optional ingredients, but they do give the cake a bouquet of flavors. 

Mawa Cake | Parsi Mawa Cake | Easy Eggless Recipe

Baking the mawa cake

Fold the dry ingredients into the butter-sugar mixture and then add the crumbled khoya to make the cake batter. Pour it into a pan, top it off with thinly shaved slivers of almond and pistachio and then let the oven do its magic.

Mawa Cake | Parsi Mawa Cake | Easy Eggless Recipe

Serving the Mawa Cake

Not too sweet. Decadent with saffron. And laced with just the right hint of cardamom and coconut. The buttery mawa cake is ultra-soft. The khoya brings an intense, fragrant, sort-of nuttiness to it while keeping every morsel moist and spongy.

Donโ€™t be fooled by the photos, the mawa cake only looks airy and light. With one divinely caramelised bite, you realise it is a rich, rich dessert and one slice goes a long way. 

Mawa Cake | Parsi Mawa Cake | Easy Eggless Recipe

In my home, we donโ€™t bother with any garnishing and serve it as is with a spiced cup of tea or coffee. It is a perfect #TAFEverydayCake. But if you really want to take things up a notch, serve the mawa cake with saffron-flavored whipped cream, which is quite amazing.

Nice, simple, wholly doable and somehow reminiscent of the sweets I used to demolish by the fistfuls in childhood, the eggless mawa cake is the perfect recipe for Holi. I genuinely hope you try your hand at making these lovelies!

Mawa Cake | Parsi Mawa Cake | Easy Eggless Recipe

Half the joy of cooking is sharing it with others. Thatโ€™s why Iโ€™m always eager to hear from you. So go right ahead & drop a comment or reach out on Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, or Facebook. I hope you love this scrumptious mawa cake as much as we do!

๐Ÿ“– Recipe

Mawa Cake | Parsi Mawa Cake | Easy Eggless Recipe

Mawa Cake

Natasha Minocha
This buttery-rich Mawa Cake is decadent with saffron, and laced with just the right hint of cardamom and coconut. This classic cake is a must-make for the festive season!
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 50 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
Course Cakes, Dessert
Cuisine Indian
Servings 10 Servings
Calories 274 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup Butter, softened I used regular salted butter
  • 1/2 cup Raw Sugar
  • 1 cup Yogurt, at room temperature
  • 1 cup Wholewheat Flour
  • 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
  • 1.5 tsp Baking Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
  • 2 tbsp Desiccated coconut Optional
  • 1.5 tsp Cardamom powder
  • 1 tsp Saffron strands Optional
  • 1/2 cup Crumbled Khoya /mawa This is about 100gms of khoya
  • Pistachio and Almond Slivers for Topping the cake

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 180C. Grease an 8" cake tin.
  • In a large bowl, beat together the butter and raw sugar until light and fluffy.
  • Whisk in the yogurt.
  • Sift the flours, baking powder and baking soda in another bowl.
  • Stir in desiccated coconut, cardamom powder, and saffron.
  • Fold in the dry ingredients into the butter-sugar mixture. Gently stir in the crumbled khoya.
  • This is a thick batter. Scrape into the prepared pan and top with pistachio and almond slivers.
  • Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for a few minutes before turning out on a cooling rack.
  • Serve at room temperature. Enjoy!
  • You can store the leftover cake in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 ServingCalories: 274kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 5gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 243mgPotassium: 68mgFiber: 1gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 367IUVitamin C: 0.3mgCalcium: 155mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

More Deliciously Simple Cake Recipes

  • Cinnamon Swirl Apple Cake
    Cinnamon Swirl Apple Cake
  • Mango Tres Leches Cake
    Mango Tres Leches Cake
  • Fresh Strawberry Poke Cake
    Fresh Strawberry Poke Cake
  • Rose Tres Leches (aka Rose Milk Cake) Recipe
    Rose Tres Leches (aka Rose Milk Cake) Recipe
890 shares

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Nita says

    November 08, 2023 at 7:14 pm

    Hi . I have multi grain flour so not sure how to adjust the proportions. Can I use only all purpose flour instead? If so how can I adjust the baking soda and baking powder?

    Reply
    • Natasha Minocha says

      November 09, 2023 at 9:36 am

      Hi Nikita, yes, you can use all-purpose flour, no adjustment regarding baking powder and soda is required.
      Happy baking:)

      Reply
  2. Prasanna Raja says

    April 24, 2023 at 1:56 am

    Hi Natasha,

    I am going to make this delicious cake for girls lunch get together. I am planning to make a day in advance. Can I store the cake in room temperature? Thanks so much for giving us delicious mouth watering recipes!

    I had bookmarked this one for a long time. Cant wait to serve to my friends!

    Reply
    • Natasha Minocha says

      April 24, 2023 at 5:19 pm

      Thank you so much for your kind words, Prasanna. I'm so glad you enjoy the recipes here. ๐Ÿ™๐Ÿป
      Yes, you can make the cake a day in advance. I would refrigerate it though as it's really hot here and the cake can get spoilt if left outside.
      Have fun with your friends! xx

      Reply
  3. Urvee says

    December 02, 2021 at 6:52 pm

    Can we use all WWF n no APF...?if yes do we have to change anything else..??

    Reply
    • Natasha Minocha says

      December 04, 2021 at 11:04 am

      Hi Urvee, yes, that should not be a problem at all. You may need to increase the quantity of yogurt to adjust. Happy baking ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  4. box of cake says

    August 02, 2021 at 11:45 am

    5 stars
    really i appreciate, you made and guide properly regarding cake recipe now i want to try this recipe pictures also looking very awesome

    Reply
  5. Sharon says

    June 29, 2021 at 8:31 pm

    Hi,
    Instead of desiccated coconut, can i use fresh coconut or coconut milk powder?

    Reply
    • Natasha Minocha says

      July 01, 2021 at 12:31 pm

      Hi Sharon, I think fresh grated coconut will work well here. ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  6. Hana says

    March 26, 2021 at 6:19 pm

    Hi
    This looks amazing!
    Can we use skim milk powder instead of mawa?

    Reply
    • Natasha Minocha says

      April 01, 2021 at 12:45 pm

      Thank you so much Hana! I really don't know as I haven't tried that out myself. I'm sure you will get a nice, rich taste though. Happy Baking! xx

      Reply
  7. Deepa says

    March 26, 2021 at 5:28 pm

    Can I replace khoya with grated paneer?

    Reply
    • Natasha Minocha says

      April 01, 2021 at 12:46 pm

      Hi Deepa, I think paneer may change the consistency and texture of the cake. Not sure if that will fit in well here. But now I'm curious too! ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  8. Shital says

    December 09, 2020 at 5:43 pm

    Hi..
    Can we use oil instead of butter?

    Reply
    • Natasha Minocha says

      December 10, 2020 at 11:05 am

      Hi Shital, I haven't made this with oil, but I think you can use it in place of butter. ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  9. sneha says

    November 24, 2020 at 3:25 pm

    Hi the oven has to be set at what temperature and for how much time ? This would be the first ever cake am gonna try! Got a new oven so no clue about all this ????

    Reply
    • Natasha Minocha says

      November 24, 2020 at 6:32 pm

      Hi Sneha, the cake should be baked in a preheated oven at 180C for 45-55 minutes. All the very best for your baking! xx

      Reply
  10. neeta mohandas says

    November 18, 2020 at 12:30 pm

    hi...I'm jst abt to make ur cake...the last line said " the batter is thick "
    hopefully the cake doesn't turn out hard?? or can we add a lil milk to make it dropping consistency??

    Reply
    • Natasha Minocha says

      November 18, 2020 at 4:15 pm

      Hi Neeta, this was a thick batter. If it's feeling really doughy, then please add a couple of tablespoons of milk to it. This will loosen up the batter a bit. Its not a soft dropping consistency batter. Hope this helps. Happy baking and looking forward to your feedback.:)

      Reply
  11. Monica says

    August 01, 2020 at 12:31 pm

    Cup size you used 200ml or 240 ml

    Reply
    • Natasha Minocha says

      August 01, 2020 at 1:17 pm

      Hi, the cup size I use is 240ml.

      Reply
      • Monica says

        August 01, 2020 at 6:24 pm

        Thank you

        Reply
        • Natasha Minocha says

          August 02, 2020 at 11:49 am

          Sure! ๐Ÿ™‚

          Reply
  12. Monika Prashant Khamar says

    April 28, 2020 at 6:12 am

    Can we add milk powder instead of mawa?

    Reply
    • Natasha Minocha says

      April 28, 2020 at 12:43 pm

      Hi Monika, I'm not sure as I haven't tried that. ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  13. Prachi says

    March 07, 2020 at 11:43 am

    What is raw sugar ? Does aamul butter work? Also how will it turn out with ghee instead ?

    Reply
    • Natasha Minocha says

      March 07, 2020 at 8:32 pm

      Raw sugar is less processed than regular white sugar. Nutritionally though, there isn't much difference. Yes, Amul works just fine. That's what I used here. I'm sure it will be great with ghee as well though I haven't made it with ghee. Happy baking! ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
    • Hana says

      March 26, 2021 at 6:18 pm

      Hi
      This looks amazing!
      Can we use skim milk powder instead of mawa?

      Reply
      • MOUSUMI BISWAS says

        April 02, 2021 at 9:23 am

        Can I use oil instead of butter to make the cake

        Reply
        • Natasha Minocha says

          April 05, 2021 at 4:43 pm

          Yes, I suppose so. I think that will work. ๐Ÿ™‚

          Reply
  14. Devaki Bhadgaonkar says

    March 07, 2020 at 9:05 am

    Do we use greek yogurt? Or regular curd will do?

    Reply
    • Natasha Minocha says

      March 07, 2020 at 8:29 pm

      Greek yogurt would be good here, but I used homemade dahi /yogurt just the thick part. ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  15. Saral Baijal says

    March 06, 2020 at 11:30 pm

    Beautiful beautiful recipe...can't wait to try it

    Reply
    • Natasha Minocha says

      March 07, 2020 at 8:28 pm

      Thank you so much Saral! xx

      Reply
5 from 1 vote

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

New-Cover-4-1024x934

Hi, I'm Natasha Minocha!
Welcome to Tashaโ€™s Artisan Foods!

More about me โ†’

subscribe + receive

My 5 Most Viral Recipes


Popular Recipes

  • mushroom quiche on a platter with ingredients in the background.
    Mushroom Quiche

  • chocolate fudge squares stacked on top of each other on small plate.
    Chocolate Fudge With Condensed Milk

  • Easiest Homemade Cream Cheese | Homemade Cream Cheese Recipe
    Easiest Homemade Cream Cheese

  • Cinnamon Bread Pudding
    Cinnamon Bread Pudding

  • Korean Corn Cheese in a cast iron skillet.
    Korean Corn Cheese Recipe

  • Best Condensed Milk Bread Rolls (Soft & Fluffy)
    Best Condensed Milk Bread Rolls (Soft & Fluffy)

Mother's Day Recipes

  • Mango Mousse
    The Best Mango Mousse Recipe! (3 Ingredients)

  • The Best French Toast Casserole Recipe
    The Best French Toast Casserole Recipe

  • Carrot Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
    Carrot Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

  • Fluffy Cinnamon Pancakes easy eggless breakfast/ brunch recipe
    The Fluffiest Cinnamon Pancakes Recipe

  • Lemon Poppyseed Cupcakes on a cake stand.
    Lemon Poppyseed Cupcakes

  • strawberry matcha latte in a glass on a small plate with ingredients in the background.
    Strawberry Matcha Latte

See More Mother's Day Recipes โ†’

Footer

โ†‘ back to top

subscribe + receive

My 5 Most Viral Recipes


Tashaโ€™s Artisan Foods

About

Work With Me

Connect With Me

Browse Recipes

Desserts

Snacks

Breads

Cakes

Baking Guides

Published with WordPress

PRIVACY POLICY

COPYRIGHT ยฉ 2025 TASHA'S ARTISAN FOODS

890 shares

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.