Amongst the many seasonal fruits that flood our local markets, the inky purple jamun berry, a seasonal fruit which is known to stain the mouth of its eaters a glorious violet. The seasonal berry is known to have an astringent taste which makes the mouth pucker but it also possesses various health benefits such as an increase in haemoglobin levels in the blood, promoting digestion and good heart health.
This jamun-rava cake recipe is a slight shift from the berry-flavoured tea cake loaves that all of us are familiar with. With the use of this delicious fruit that bursts open to stain the crumb of the cake with its purple juices, makes it visually appealing as well as deliciously moist. What’s also great about this cake recipe is that it is eggless which means it works for people with dietary restrictions where they do not consume eggs. This ombre cake works well as a loaf or even a sheet cake and can be topped off with more jamuns as it bakes. The key to baking a moist cake without eggs, especially in this case, is to allow the rava to bloom in the liquid ingredients before it is mixed along with the rest of the cake batter.
Recipe:
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Ingredients [For Cake]
1 + ¼ cup semolina
- ¼ cup maida
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 pinch salt
- ¾ cup raw sugar
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons ghee
- ½ cup yoghurt
- ¾ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
Ingredients [For Compote]
- 250 grams jamun
- 3 tablespoons raw sugar
- 3 tablespoons water
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
Method
- Start off by making the jamun compote by adding all the ingredients to a small saucepan and cooking on a medium-high heat, until the jamuns burst and begin to release their juices. As this happens, cook the mixture until it thickens, for an additional 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk the sugar and ghee until combined before adding the remaining wet ingredients. Add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients and fold everything until combined, with a spatula.
- Allow this mixture to rest for 10-15 minutes before transferring to a greased baking pan. If the mixture is too thick or clumpy, add a bit of milk to loosen it up slightly. Even the top surface of the batter in the pan, and add a few spoonfuls of the cooled compote in blotches over the batter.
- Using a toothpick or the back of your spoon, swirl the compote into the batter so that some of it is still visible on top. Bake in a preheated oven for 35-40 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius and use a toothpick to check if the cake has cooked through.
- Cool the tin on a wiring rack and unmould once the cake starts to separate from the sides. Cut into slices and enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee.