Almond cake with kulfi pastry cream filling and almond buttercream

2 cups milk full fat

1/4 can condensed milk

1/4 cup milk powder

a pinch of nutmeg

2 cardamom pods

a pinch of saffron (optional)


In a heavy bottomed pot or pan, mix in the milk, condensed milk and milk powder and cook on low heat for about 35 to 40 minutes, stirring in between to prevent sticking, until the mixture thickens and caramelizes and gets that lovely kulfi flavour.

In a small bowl pour a ladle of the mixture and mix in the cardamom and nutmeg and make a smooth paste. Sir in the paste into the kulfi mixture. If used directly the cardamom forms lumps which makes it difficult to disintegrate into a homogenous mixture.


Mean while in 3 tbsp of milk, add 3 tbsp of corn flour and mix into a smooth slurry

Melt 1/2 cup chopped white chocolate with 1 tbsp butter

Brink the kulfi milk to a boil and switch it off.

Add the white chocolate - butter mixture as well as the cornflour-milk mixture

Boil until mixtures thickens a bit and then pour into a bowl and cool to room temperature.

Lighten it up with a 1/4 cup of whipping cream whipped to soft peaks depending on the intensity of kulfi flavour in the pudding.

Add some saffron or cardamom depending on the intensity of flavour in the first filling

For the Eggless Almond Cake:

175 gm (1 1/4 cup) plain flour
50 gm (1/3 cup) almonds
1 tin, 400 gm sweetened condensed milk
100 gm (1/2 cup or 1 stick) butter, melted
175 ml ( 3/4 cup or 6 fl oz) water
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp pure almond extract
1 tsp vanilla extract


Place the almonds In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade or an electric coffee mill and pulse until finely ground. It is important not to over grind as you would end up with almond butter instead of almond meal.

Grease and line the bottom of a  deep 9” round cake tin with greaseproof paper/baking parchment or butter paper. Alternatively use 2 9” round shallow cake tins and divide the batter accordingly. Preheat the oven at 150 degrees centigrade.

In a mixing bowl, assemble the flour, baking powder and baking soda, mix with a spoon and sieve once to make the mixture uniform. Stir in the almond meal into the flour mixture.

In a large bowl assemble the liquid ingredients the melted butter, condensed milk, water, almond and vanilla extract and using a hand blender beat until well mixed. Add half the flour mixture and beat again. Put in the remaining flour mixture and beat until you get a smooth batter without lumps. Dont over beat the batter as this would interfere with getting a soft cake.

Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for about 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes clean.

Whipped buttercream frosting