Soft, rich, fragrant, and beautifully moist, this Parasi Bakery Style Mawa Cake is a delicious Indian classic made with mawa (khoya), ghee, cardamom, and a few simple pantry ingredients. The combination of mawa and ghee gives this cake a wonderfully rich flavour, while curd keeps the crumb soft and tender.
If you love the traditional mawa cakes you find at Indian bakeries, you are going to love this homemade version. It is easy to prepare, completely eggless, and tastes even better with a cup of hot tea or coffee.
The best part? The same recipe can also be used to make bakery style commercial muffins, making it a great option if you are planning to bake and sell cakes or muffins.
- 100% eggless and vegetarian
- Soft, moist, and rich in flavour
- Made with easily available ingredients
- Delicious aroma from real mawa and cardamom
- Ghee adds a beautiful bakery-style richness
- Semolina gives the cake a subtle, slightly grainy texture
- Can be baked in an OTG, oven, or heavy-bottomed kadai
- The recipe can also be adapted for commercial muffins and larger batches
- Refined oil: ¼ cup / 50 ml
- Ghee (clarified butter): 2 tbsp / 25 ml
- Curd (yogurt): 75 g / approximately ⅓ cup
- Powdered sugar: 110 g
- Mawa (khoya): 50 g
- All-purpose flour (maida): 125 g / 1 cup
- Milk powder: 2 tbsp / 20 g
- Semolina (sooji/rava): 2 tbsp / 25 g
- Milk: 80 ml
- Baking powder: ½ tsp
- Baking soda: ¼ tsp
- Salt: ⅛ tsp
- Cardamom powder: ¼ tsp
Step 1 - Prepare the wet ingredients
- In a large mixing bowl, add the refined oil – 1/4 cup and ghee – 2 tbsp.
- Ghee is an important ingredient in this recipe because it gives the cake its characteristic rich, buttery flavour.
- Add the curd – 1/3 cup and powdered sugar – 110 gm (1 cup), mix everything well until the sugar is incorporated and the mixture becomes smooth, creamy, and lump-free.
Step 2 - Add the dry ingredients
- Now Add the milk powder – 2 tbsp and semolina – 2 tbsp into the mixture. Semolina gives the cake a lovely, slightly grainy texture that is characteristic of traditional mawa cake.
- Next, add the star ingredient — 50 g of mawa (grated).
- Then pour in most of the milk, reserving a small amount for later.
- Add the sifted all-purpose flour – 1 cup (125 gm) and mix gently.
- If you prefer, you can replace the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour. However, keep in mind that whole wheat flour will give the cake a slightly darker colour and a somewhat different texture.
- Next add the cardamom powder – 1/4 tsp and gently mix everything together. You can add vanilla essence also.
Step 3 - Add the cake rising agents
- Once the main batter is well combined, add: ½ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ⅛ teaspoon salt.
- Now add the remaining milk little by little, only if needed, to achieve a smooth, thick cake batter.
- The additional milk also helps activate the baking soda.
Use a cut-and-fold motion to combine the batter. Do not overmix.
Overmixing can develop the gluten in the flour and result in a dense or chewy cake rather than a soft, tender crumb.
At this stage, you may notice small pieces or chunks of mawa in the batter. This is perfectly fine and actually adds to the delicious texture and flavour of the finished cake.
Step 4 - Preparing the Cake Tin
- Grease your cake tin thoroughly with a little oil or ghee.
- You can also line the bottom with parchment paper for easier release.
- Pour the prepared batter into the greased cake tin and gently level the top.
Step 5 - Baking the Mawa Cake
Kadai Method :
- This cake can also be baked in a simple heavy-bottomed kadai.
- First, preheat the kadai properly. Place a stand inside and carefully place the cake tin on the stand.
- Cover the kadai with its lid and bake on a suitable low-to-medium heat for approximately 55–60 minutes, or until the cake is fully baked.
- Avoid opening the lid repeatedly while the cake is baking, as this can cause the temperature to drop and affect the rise.
Bake Mawa Cake in an Oven :
- Preheat your oven to 170°C (340°F) for about 10–15 minutes.
- Place the prepared cake tin on the middle rack and bake at 170°C (340°F) for approximately 40–50 minutes, or until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- If you are using a convection/fan oven, bake the cake at 160°C (320°F) for approximately 35–45 minutes.
- The exact baking time may vary depending on your oven and the size of the cake tin, so start checking the cake around the 40-minute mark. Tip: Avoid opening the oven door frequently while the cake is baking, especially during the first 30 minutes, as this can cause the cake to sink.
- Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the tin for 10–15 minutes. Then gently run a knife around the edges and demould the cake. Allow it to cool completely before slicing.
Step 6 - Demould the Cake
- Allow the cake to cool completely to room temperature before removing it from the tin.
- Once cooled, carefully run a knife around the edges of the cake to loosen it from the tin. Place a plate over the tin and gently turn the cake out.
- Let the cake cool completely before slicing.
This homemade Mawa Cake is one of those recipes that makes you fall in love with traditional Indian bakery flavours all over again. It is soft, rich, fragrant, and filled with the wonderful flavour of mawa, ghee, and cardamom.
Once you try making it at home, you may find yourself making it again and again — especially when you want something special to serve with your evening tea.
If you try this recipe, we’d love to hear how it turned out. Make it, enjoy it with your family, and share your results with us!
Mawa Cake is delicious on its own, but it tastes even better when served with a warm cup of tea or coffee. Its rich, buttery flavour and subtle cardamom aroma make it perfect for an afternoon snack or tea-time treat.
Here are a few ways to enjoy your homemade Mawa Cake:
- Serve it with a cup of masala chai or Indian tea.
- Enjoy it with coffee for a delicious bakery-style treat.
- Serve slightly warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a simple dessert.
- Garnish with chopped pistachios, almonds, or cashews for a festive touch.
- Cut into small pieces and serve as part of a dessert platter at parties and celebrations.
- Pack individual slices or muffins for lunch boxes, gifting, or tea-time snacks.
For a festive presentation, you can also lightly garnish the cake with chopped pistachios and a few saffron strands before serving.
- Use good-quality mawa.
Mawa is the star ingredient, so using fresh, good-quality mawa makes a noticeable difference in flavour. - Don’t skip the ghee.
The combination of oil and ghee gives this cake a soft texture while adding the rich flavour associated with traditional bakery-style mawa cake. - Don’t overmix.
Once the flour is added, mix gently and only until everything is combined. - Keep the batter thick but smooth.
Add the reserved milk gradually rather than adding all of it at once. Flour and mawa can vary slightly in their moisture content. - Allow the cake to cool completely.
A warm cake is delicate and can break while demoulding. Cooling also allows the crumb to set properly. - Don’t keep opening the kadai.
If you are using the kadai method, avoid checking the cake too frequently. - For stronger cardamom flavour, you can slightly increase the cardamom powder according to your taste.
Bakery Style Mawa Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 50 ml Refined oil 1/4 cup
- 25 ml Ghee 2 tbsp
- 75 g curd ⅓ cup
- 110 g powdered sugar 1 cup
- 50 g Mawa khoya
- 80 ml Milk
Dry Ingredients
Dry Ingredi
- 125 g All-purpose flour 1 cup
- 20 gm Milk powder 2 tbsp
- 25 gm semolina 2 tbsp
- ½ teaspoon Baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon Baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder
Instructions
Prepare the Wet Ingredients
- In a large mixing bowl, add refined oil - 1/4 cup and ghee - 2 tbsp.
- Add curd - 1/3 cup and powdered sugar - 1 cup. Whisk well until everything is properly combined and the mixture becomes smooth and creamy.
Add Milk Powder, Sooji & Mawa
- Add milk powder - 2 tbsp and semolina 2 tbsp . Mix gently.
- Add 50 g mawa and milk - 80 ml, reserving 1–2 tablespoons for later.
- Add sifted maida - 1 cup and cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp. Mix gently until combined.
Add Baking Ingredients
- Add baking powder - 1/2 tsp, baking soda - 1/4 tsp and salt - 1/8 tsp.
- Add the reserved milk little by little only if needed to achieve a smooth, thick batter.
Fold the Batter
- Using a cut-and-fold method, gently combine everything.
- Do not overmix the batter. Small pieces of mawa may remain in the batter, which is perfectly fine.
Prepare the Cake Tin
- Grease the cake tin with oil or ghee.
- Pour the batter into the prepared tin and gently level the top.
Kadai Method
- Preheat a heavy-bottomed kadai.
- Place a stand inside and carefully place the cake tin on the stand.
- Cover with the lid and bake on low-to-medium heat for 55–60 minutes.
- Avoid opening the lid repeatedly while baking.
Oven / OTG Baking
- Preheat the oven to 170°C / 340°F for 10–15 minutes.
- Place the cake tin on the middle rack.
- Bake at 170°C / 340°F for 40–50 minutes, or until the top becomes golden and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Check the Cake
- Insert a toothpick or skewer into the centre.
- If it comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, the cake is ready.
- The top may have some natural cracks, which is normal.
Cool and Demould
- Allow the cake to cool completely before demoulding.
- Run a knife around the edges to loosen the cake, then gently remove it from the tin.
- Allow it to cool completely before slicing.
Video
Notes
- Use fresh, good-quality mawa for the best flavour.
- Do not skip the ghee; it provides the characteristic rich bakery-style flavour.
- Do not overmix after adding flour.
- Keep the batter thick but smooth.
- Add reserved milk gradually.
- Do not demould the cake while it is hot.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before slicing.
- For a stronger cardamom flavour, slightly increase the cardamom according to taste.
Mawa is the key ingredient in this recipe and gives it its characteristic flavour and richness. For an authentic mawa cake, it is best not to omit it.
Yes. You can substitute whole wheat flour for all-purpose flour. However, the cake will have a slightly darker colour and may be a little denser than the version made with maida.
Yes. This recipe works well in an OTG as well as a kadai. Make sure your oven is properly preheated before placing the cake inside.
The most common reasons are overmixing the batter, using expired or inactive leavening agents, or adding too much flour. Once the flour is added, mix only until the ingredients are just combined.
Yes. This same batter can be portioned into muffin cups and baked to make individual bakery-style mawa muffins.
Keep in mind that muffin baking time will be considerably shorter than a whole cake, so start checking them early.
Absolutely. Chopped almonds, pistachios, cashews, or a small amount of raisins can be added to the batter or sprinkled over the top before baking.
Once completely cooled, store the cake in an airtight container. For best quality, keep it away from heat and moisture and consume it within the appropriate shelf-life for the ingredients and storage conditions.
