This Cake Rusk recipe is an all-time favorite recipe in Pakistan and India. These biscuits are crunchy and crispy, and quite easy to make with a few simple pantry ingredients. If you want to enjoy it the best, dunk it in the tea and eat it.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Anyone can follow this recipe and bake perfect Cake Rusks. Even the novice bakers!
- Bake these amazing crunchy biscottis using a few simple pantry ingredients like these Pakistani Nan Khatais.
- These cake rusks are crunchy, crisp, bursting with flavor, have an irresistible aroma and perfectly compliment a cup of tea or coffee like these Orange Shortbread Cookies, Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies or Butter Pecan Cookies.
Table of Contents
Famous Pakistani & Indian Treat
I adore baked goods from all around the world, but this one holds a special place in my heart as it hails from my motherland, Pakistan. You'll commonly find this treat in local bakeries throughout Pakistan and India. Cake rusks are a beloved tea-time snack, enjoyed by everyone with a hot cup of tea. When it comes to tea-time in Pakistan, cake rusks are always at the top of the list.
In terms of texture, these cake rusks are similar to Italian biscottis.
Cake Rusks VS. Italian Biscotti
Cake rusks have a texture similar to Italian biscotti, as both are baked twice at different temperatures.
Cake rusks are made from a simple plain cake, while biscotti use a hard biscuit dough. The cake in this recipe is comparable to a regular vanilla sponge cake or yellow cake, commonly known in Pakistan.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour: gives structure to these cookies.
- Cardamom Powder: enhances the flavor.
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 Cake Rusks
Detailed Instructions Below! See the key steps here, then head to the recipe card below for full instructions.
1. Beat the eggs and sugar together in a large bowl until the eggs are fluffy. Then add in the butter, vanilla extract and yellow food color and mix until combined.
2. Mix the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix.
3. Fold in with a spatula just until incorporated.
4. Pour the mixture in the pan and place it in the middle rack and bake for 15 – 20 minutes until a wooden skewer when inserted in the center comes out clean with a few crumbs.
5. Let the cake cool at room temperature before cutting it into pieces.
6. Cut the cake in half.
7. Cut one-inch pieces of the cake as shown in the picture.
8. Place the pieces in the baking tray and place them back in the preheated oven.Bake the cake pieces again until the other side is golden brown as well. Take out the cake pieces and let them cool completely.
Baked Twice at Different Oven Temperatures
The oven temperature is crucial for this recipe, as cake rusks need to be baked twice at different settings.
First, bake the cake at 350°F in a preheated oven on the middle rack. Then, cut the cake into pieces and bake them at 300°F for 25 minutes on each side.
Experts Tips
- Square Pan: Always use a square pan to bake cake rusks; otherwise, you won't achieve the correct shape.
- Cool Down the Cake: After the first bake, let the cake cool completely before cutting it into pieces and baking them again.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can use yellow food coloring in this recipe to give the rusks a nice color. Just add ¼ teaspoon of yellow food color to the batter before mixing in the dry ingredients.
Yes, you can double the recipe and use a 9x13-inch pan instead of a 9-inch pan.
Yes, baking the cake rusks twice is essential. The second bake dries the cake pieces, turning them into crunchy and crispy treats.
How to Store
Room Temperature
These cookies will stay fresh for about a week when stored in an airtight container.
Refrigerator
Store these Cake Rusks in an airtight container and place them in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Freezing Instructions
Wrap the cake rusks in plastic wrap and store them in the freezer for up to three months.
Did you make this recipe? Give it a 🌟 rating with a comment.
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Recipe
Cake Rusk (Indian/Pakistani Biscottis)
Ingredients
- 5 eggs (large)
- ¾ cup castor sugar (150 g)
- ⅔ cup butter (150 g) room temperature
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (260 g)
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder (9 g)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon yellow food color (2.5 g) optional
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (5 ml)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven at 350 F. Take a 9-inch square baking pan and spray it with a baking spray. Place a parchment paper in the bottom of the pan.
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt together and set aside.
- Beat the eggs in a large bowl until the eggs are fluffy, and the texture is airy with an electric mixer.
- It will take 3 – 4 minutes.
- Mix sugar to the eggs and beat for another minute. Add in the butter, vanilla extract and yellow food color and mix until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.
- Fold in with a spatula just until incorporated.
- Pour the mixture in the pan and place it in the middle rack and bake for 15 – 20 minutes until a wooden skewer when inserted in the center comes out clean with a few crumbs.
- Let the cake cool at room temperature before cutting it into pieces.
- Place the cake on a wire rack until it is cooled completely.
- Preheat the oven again at 300 F.
- Cut the cake in half. Then cut one-inch pieces of the cake.
- Then cut one-inch pieces of the cake.
- Place the pieces in the baking tray and place them back in the preheated oven.
- Change the sides of the cake pieces after 25 minutes or until it is golden brown on the top. Bake the cake pieces again until the other side is golden brown as well.
- Take out the cake pieces and let them cool completely before placing them in an air-tight container.
Notes
-
- Square Pan: Always use a square pan to bake cake rusks; otherwise, you won't achieve the correct shape.
- Cool Down the Cake: After the first bake, let the cake cool completely before cutting it into pieces and baking them again.
Tazeem Anwar
I Tried this recipe with my kids. Very easy to follow and amazing results. Highly recommended.
GG
Fantastic recipe! Thank you for sharing. I was craving this Pakistani snack and your recipe nails it! My husband and I are devouring the rusks with chai.
The only change I made to the method was that I creamed the butter and sugar first before adding the eggs one by one. I was too scared to do it the other way round for fear of curdling.
Madeeha Anwar
I am glad cake rusks turned out good. Thanks for trying the recipe and for your comment Ghazala.