3tablespoonthandai powder (21 grams)homemade or store-bought.
For the cake.
1¾cups all-purpose flour (218 grams)
2tablespoonscornstarch (17 grams)
¾teaspoonbaking powder
¾teaspoonbaking soda
½teaspoonsalt
¾cupgranulated sugar (163 grams)
½cupyogurt (120 grams)homemade or store-bought
½cupoil (110 ml)
1teaspoonrose wateroptional
For soaking the cake.
⅓cup milk
1teaspoonhomemade thandai powdersee notes
1teaspoonsugarsee notes
For the frosting
¾cupkesar elaichi shrikhandhomemade or store-bought.
¼cuporiginal cool whipor equivalent whipped cream
For garnish (optional)
2tablespoonscup slivered/ chopped nutsalmonds, pistachios, or cashews
1tablespoondried rose petals
Pinchof cardamom powder.
Instructions
Heat up thandai powder whisking in the milk until it comes to a simmer. This will activate the thandai flavor.
Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease and flour an 8-inch cake pan. Add a parchment round on the base of the pan.
In a large bowl, beat the yogurt, oil, and rose extract with sugar together until light and fluffy, for about 1 minute. Add in warm thandai milk. Whisk until combined.
In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Now add the dry ingredients in increments to the liquid and fold until combined. Whisk until lump-free.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert it onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Once the cake has cooled completely.
Prepare the warm thandai milk for soaking.
Add thandai powder and sugar to the milk and warm it up until a simmer.
Let it cool down to lukewarm before adding it to the cake.
Prick it several times all over with a fork.
Brush or spoon up the prepared thandai milk all over on top evenly.
For the frosting.
Thaw the cool whip overnight or for 3-4 hours in the refrigerator.
Gently fold the shrikhand with it to create a fluffy frosting.
Scoop the frosting and spread it on the top of the cake, you can make swirls with a spoon too.
Sprinkle nuts and rose petals if desired.
Refrigerate the cake at least for 2 hours, or best overnight before eating.
Notes
Possible substitutes.
For the cake.
I have used homemade thandai powder. So easy to make and the recipe is given in the post above.
If you are using store-bought thandai masala, it already has added sugar. So instead of ¾th cup add only ½ cup sugar.
For soaking the cake.
If using store-bought thandai mix then skip the sugar.
Since I frosted the cake with shrikhand, the cake sponge is not overly sweet. Overall the cake has the right amount of sweetness. But do adjust to your taste.
For the frosting.
Once the cake has cooled, you can dust it with powdered sugar or decorate it with a simple whipped cream or frosting, if desired.
I highly recommend the shrikhand frosting. If you are not up for it then drizzle the cake with some thandai lemon sugar glaze and dried rose petals.
I needed only 1 cup of frosting for this recipe. To make it easy, I have used storebought shrikhand and cool whip whipping cream. Cool whip original is a whipped topping found in the freezer section in the USA.
Homemade kesar elaichi shrikhand works well.
If you stay in India, non-dairy whipping cream works great.
For filling and decorating the cake.
I have kept the cake fuss-free and just added frosting on the top.
If you want to fill the cake, frost the sides and the top and pipe swirls on the cake you will need 4 cups of frosting. So, plan accordingly.
Expert tips.
Do not over-whisk the ingredients. Mix until just combined.
Always frost after the cake is completely cooled down.
Do not skip pricking and drenching the top of the cake thandai milk. It makes it super moist.
Make and assemble the cake at least a day in advance for the flavors to deepen.
Storage and shelf-life of the frosted cake.
The shrikhand frosting is perishable. You will have to refrigerate the cake at all times. The cake will last for 4-5 days in the fridge. I do not recommend freezing it with the frosting.