This Ghee Cake is a fragrant, melt-in-your-mouth delight, packed with the rich flavor of clarified butter (known as Ghee or Desi Ghee). With a soft, fluffy, and moist crumb, it’s better than any bakery cake and will fill your home with the irresistible aroma of ghee in just 50 minutes. An absolute treat!
This desi ghee cake holds a special place in my heart as a specialty from my homeland, Pakistan, and is also popular in India. It’s like a pound cake but made with desi ghee, a clarified butter with higher fat content than regular butter. This gives the cake a richer flavor and aroma, making it even more indulgent than a classic butter cake.
Table of Contents
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This bakery style cake is super easy and simple to bake.
- You can make this cake in just 50 minutes with a few pantry ingredients.
- Enjoy it with a cup of tea or coffee, or serve at any special occasion.
- It is a heavenly pound cake like my Peach Cobbler Pound Cake, Old-Fashioned Sour Cream Pound Cake, Chocolate Sour Cream Pound Cake, Cream Cheese Pound Cake and Southern Pecan Praline Cake.
What is Desi Ghee?
Desi ghee, a clarified butter commonly used in South Asian cooking in Pakistan and India, has a grainy texture and a golden color. It’s made from pure cow’s milk by slowly heating cow butter on a stovetop for hours until the water evaporates and milk solids are left. These solids are strained and stored as desi ghee.
In traditional Pakistani and Indian villages, villagers still churn buttermilk and heat butter at low temperatures to produce ghee. Compared to butter, desi ghee has a higher fat content, with 62% saturated fats. It’s rich in nutrients, including fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, and is also a good source of essential amino acids, Omega 3, and Omega 6.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour provides base and structure to this cake.
- Desi ghee is the hero of this recipe.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and quantities.
Baking Pro Tips
1. Unless a recipe says otherwise, always use room-temperature ingredients. This helps them mix together smoothly and evenly, for perfect results every time.
2. Ditch the measuring cups and grab your digital scale. Weighing dry ingredients in grams ensures perfect accuracy and consistent results.
How to Make Ghee Cake
Detailed Instructions Below! See the key steps here, then head to the recipe card below for full instructions.
1. Whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, cardamom powder and salt. Set aside.
2. In another large bowl, add the eggs and beat until they are double in volume.
3. Add vanilla extract and castor sugar and beat for 2 - 3 minutes until well-incorporated.
4. Add milk and desi ghee (at room temperature) and beat.
5. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined.
6. Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake.
Serving Suggestions
- Berries: Serve this cake with the choice of your berries such as strawberries, raspberries, blueberries or blackberries.
- Ice-cream: Serve the cake with vanilla ice-cream or scoop of any ice-cream of your choice.
Expert Tips
- Do Not Overmix: Once you’ve combined the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients, mix just until they are incorporated. Overmixing can cause the gluten in the flour to develop too much, resulting in a dense, tough cake instead of a light, tender crumb. Gently fold the batter to avoid this, ensuring your cake stays soft and moist.
- Do Not Overbake: Monitor your cake closely as it nears the end of the baking time. Start checking around the 35-minute mark by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cake. If the toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, the cake is done. Overbaking can dry out the cake, so remove it promptly to keep it soft and moist.
- Cool the Cake: After removing the cake from the oven, allow it to cool in the pan for about 30 minutes. This step is crucial, as it helps the cake set and prevents it from breaking apart when you remove it from the pan. Once cooled, gently lift the cake out of the pan, and transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting or serving.
Recipe FAQs
No, the batter is too much for a loaf pan and won’t bake evenly. It’s best to use a 9’’ round or square pan to ensure the cake bakes uniformly without spilling over.
There could be several reasons for this. It’s possible that the recipe wasn’t followed exactly, or the oven temperature may be slightly off, leading to uneven baking. Even a small difference in temperature can impact the outcome of the cake. To avoid this, it’s always a good idea to use an oven thermometer to ensure that your oven is properly calibrated and maintaining the correct temperature for consistent baking results.
How to Store
Room Temperature
To keep this cake fresh, store it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Make sure the container is tightly sealed to prevent the cake from drying out and to maintain its soft, moist texture.
Refrigerator
For longer freshness, consider refrigerating the cake for up to 3 days. Allow it to come to room temperature before serving for the best flavor and texture.
Freezing Instructions
Place the cake pieces on a tray in the freezer until they harden. Once firm, wrap each piece in plastic wrap, then add a layer of foil for extra protection. Store the wrapped pieces in an airtight container or a ziplock bag and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, thaw the cake overnight in the fridge.
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Related Cake Recipes
Recipe
Desi Ghee Cake
Equipment
- 9'' Square or round cake pan.
- 1 Electric Mixer
- 2 Mixing bowls
- 1 Digital Scale
- 1 Measuring Cups and Spoons
- 1 Rubber Spatula
Ingredients
- 2 cup all-purpose flour (240 g)
- 2 teaspoon baking powder (10 g)
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda (1.25 g)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup desi ghee (clarified butter) (237 g)
- 1 cup castor sugar (200 g)
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup milk (237 ml)
- 1 teaspoon cardamom powder (2 g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (5 ml)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a bowl, add in the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cardamom powder together. Whisk and set aside.
- Take a large bowl and put eggs in it. Beat them with an electric beater for 1 - 2 minutes.
- Add in the vanilla extract and beat until combined.
- Now mix the sugar and beat for another 2 - 3 minutes until the mixture is pale and fluffy.
- Add the ghee and milk and mix until combined.
- Add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Pour the cake batter in the prepared cake pan.
- Bake the cake for about 40 - 45 minutes until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes and then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
-
- Do Not Overmix: Once you’ve combined the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients, mix just until they are incorporated. Overmixing can cause the gluten in the flour to develop too much, resulting in a dense, tough cake instead of a light, tender crumb. Gently fold the batter to avoid this, ensuring your cake stays soft and moist.
- Do Not Overbake: Monitor your cake closely as it nears the end of the baking time. Start checking around the 35-minute mark by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cake. If the toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, the cake is done. Overbaking can dry out the cake, so remove it promptly to keep it soft and moist.
- Cool the Cake: After removing the cake from the oven, allow it to cool in the pan for about 30 minutes. This step is crucial, as it helps the cake set and prevents it from breaking apart when you remove it from the pan. Once cooled, gently lift the cake out of the pan, and transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting or serving.
Betsy
The cake came out moist and flavourful. So, good recipe! But could you specify the amount of salt and vanilla essence please. They are mentioned in the instructions but are missing from the ingredients list. I added 1/4 tsp of salt and 1 tsp of vanilla. Don't know of that's the right amount or not.
thesidebaker
I am happy you liked the cake and that it was moist and flavorful. Thanks for pointing the missing ingredients, I have fixed it.