Cake season is here!!!
The markets are slowly filling up with Christmas goodies and the shelves lined up with so many treats. Having a quick glance over some of the temptingly packaged ones, I couldn’t help but yo think, why so many ingredients!!
While we were looking around a chocolate cake caught my eye and set me thinking..it is time to revamp the millet-based cake recipe. So here we are …
If you came looking for a quick recipe for a fruit-filled golden Christmas cake ..don’t miss my earlier post
The current recipe
This recipe is made in an eggless vegan way, still can be done last minute for that perfect bite. As ragi /finger millet is a lower in glycemic spike millet it suits my purpose currently.
The biggest drawback of Indian finger millet is the deep colour which makes a lot of people look away. In fact, I love ragi and enjoy it a lot. The best way yo introduce it to picky children who detest the colour or pesky adults who keep way from the ragi just because they can is to add dark chocolate and make a dessert they cannot resist. Of course, they are not going to figure out this one is ragi… Coz it is yummy.
Know your grain
Finger millet is a familiar crop in India and Srilanka commonly called ragi or korakan. With records of agriculture for over 3000 years, ragi has been a staple in many parts of India. Being a crop that can survive minimal water conditions, it is a hardy crop. Finger millet has been a great source of nutrition. Rich in calcium and iron, this is always been the poor man’s source of nutrition.
The finger millet flour gluten-free, it does make the cake a bit dry so the ingredients are a bit altered from a regular cake style. But the flavour and the feel of the texture is amazing. The cake, however, is not gluten-free.
When you try out this recipe, please tag @ mildlyindian so we can share the happiness. please do write in your comments below as they really help to improve the recipe and the know-how the recipe worked out in another kitchen. Last but not the least, Merry Christmas!!
Heavenly finger millet and jaggery cake
egg-free, dairy-free recipe
Ingredients
for Flax eggs
- 2 tbsp flax seeds powdered
- 6 tbsp drinking water
for the dry ingredients
- 1.5 cups finger millet powder (ragi, korakan, Kooveragu)
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp wheat germ
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
Wet ingredients
- 1 cup Banana ( overripe and mashed)
- 1/4 tsp instant coffee powder ( optional)
- 1/2 cup jaggery ( or unrefined sugar, powdered)
- 1 cup warm water
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Mix the flax seed powder with water and set aside for it to bloom
- Preheat the oven at 180 degrees for about 10 minutes
- Sift together the dry ingredients and set aside
- Mash the overripe banana with the cocoa powder and have 1 cup of the mashed banana ready in a mixing bowl.
- Mix the jaggery in 1/2 cup of warm water and strain through a seive.
- Add the jaggery liquid, salt, instant coffee if desired, the flaxseed powder mixed in water with the mashed banana and mix well.
- Sift the dry ingredient mix again as you add into the wet ingredients and fold gently. Do not over mix.
- Grease a round cake pan, and dust it with another tbsp of ragi flour ( to keep it gluten-free) or line it with baking paper.
- Pour the cake mix into the pan and bake for 25 minutes or till the skewer comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven and cool before unmoulding
- Unmould the cake and sprinkle on some shimmering stars and moons for the milky way effect.
- Alternately you can frost the cake with chocolate ganache of that ultimate decadence.
- Enjoy your slice and don't miss to share
Notes
Finger millet is quite a dry flour so the cake will slightly crack on top as you bake, giving a rustic feel to the cake. The use of coffee is only to enhance the flavour of the chocolate and can be totally avoided if you do not like coffee. Add in a 1/4 cup of dark chocolate chips into the batter for an extra bite of chocolate. Two tbsp of flaxseed powder is equal to two medium-sized eggs. Replace them if you prefer.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Hi what’s the cake size pan to b used for this ragi cake. Thank u
Hi Shradha, I have used a pan of 18 cms diameter as the one in the image. Hope that helps.
Asking again.. what’s the size of cake tin to b used. Thank u.
Hi Shradha, I just tried the same recipe in a 22 cm pan and it has come out well as well. the rise is not as high as the 18 sm one (obviously), but the moist fluffiness the same as the 18 cms pan. Hope that helps.
Saw the reply. Thank u so much. Will give it a go . 💕
Let me know how yours goes, it is of real value to seeing how it bakes for another oven.
What is wheat germ?
Hi Gautami, the Wheat germ is that tiny part of wheat from which the new wheat plant grows. it is nutritionally rich in proteins and essential fats. It is removed and marketed separately as a nutritional supplement. you can sprinkle this on cereals and add it to sabjis as well as it is neutral in taste.
Is it ok if I dont use it in this cake?
absolutely… skip it if you dont have
wheat germ contains gluten. How do you claim this recipe to be gluten free?
Nethra, thank you for pointing that out. It is an honest mistake and will rectify that asap. My apologies.
I tried this at a friends place and it was truly heavenly! I want to make muffins out of it though. How long do you think I need to bake it if I put them in cupcake moulds?
It will be very interesting to try it as muffins, I will surely try.. if you do please let me know how it went
Can we use Jowar or Bajra millits instead of ragi.
Honestly, I have never baked with jowar and bajra, so I am not quite in a position to comment on how the cake will be. However, I have added 1/2 cup jowar once to muffins and they were fine. If you do try, let me know, I will love to try as well.
how many bananas make one cup ?
It takes approximately 2.5 bananas to one cup
Can I skip the flax egg?
Shilpa, If not using Flax eggs you will have to use a binder of some sort. So not worth skipping it. You can use eggs if you like.
Can we use Pearl millet ?
Ashu, I have never used pearl millet in my bakes yet. I am sure it will be worth a try though.
Hi …I just tried this recipe using fifty percent Finger Millet and fifty Foxtail Millet. Was wonderful. An absolute hit amongst health food lovers in my Family. Would make for a lovely dessert if eaten along with Ice Cream. The texture was perfect.
I am very happy to hear this review. It is fantastic you were able to swap flours and get the same effect. I agree the cake tastes far better with icecream anyway. Thankyou again for trying