No-Bake Rasmalai Cake | Rasmalai Tres Leches

What is Rasmalai

Rasmalai, also known as Ras Malai or Roshmalai, is a traditional and popular Indian dessert. Rasmalai recipe involves making soft, spongy, flattened balls from chenna or paneer (a type of fresh cheese). These balls are first soaked in sugar syrup and then submerged in sweetened, thickened milk (flavored with cardamom and saffron) to create a creamy and delicate dish.

The dessert is typically garnished with nuts such as pistachios or almonds and sometimes edible rose petals. Rasmalai is often served during festive occasions, weddings, and celebrations, prized for its luxurious texture and rich flavors.

I enjoy making traditional Indian desserts like Carrot Halwa, Paal Payasam, Poha Kesari, Vermicelli Kheer, Coconut Ladoos, Rava Laddu, Rose Basundi, and Mango Phirni. I also love making fusion desserts like Chai Cheesecake, Carrot Halwa Baklava, or Gulkand Ice Cream. Some layered desserts similar to Ras Malai Cake are Apple Pistachio Mousse and Mango Cranachan.

What is Rasmalai Cake

Eggless Rasmalai Cake is an innovative dessert that brings together the flavors of the traditional Indian sweet, Rasmalai, in a layered cake form. This dessert can also be referred to as Rasmalai Tiramisu, Ras Malai Cheesecake, or Rasmalai Tres Leches Cake. Despite the variety of names, the dessert consistently delivers the rich and creamy taste associated with Rasmalai.

In this simple and quick recipe, Cake Rusk is soaked in homemade saffron-infused milk and layered with sweetened cream made from ricotta cheese. The result is an easy dessert that is perfectly sweet, moist, soft, spongy, and delicate, all without needing to prepare Rasmalai from scratch.

Using Cake Rusk simplifies the process, making this a go-to dessert recipe that's made without an oven or eggs! The Rusk provides a crunchy texture that balances the richness and sweetness of the milk and cream, creating a delightful fusion of two classic desserts. It's an easy yet elegant way to capture the essence of Rasmalai in a cake format.

To prepare the Saffron-Infused Milk

1. Add milk, and condensed milk to a pan.
2. Then add half a teaspoon of cardamom powder and saffron.
3. Bring it to a boil. It will take 10-12 minutes. Then reduce the flame and let it cook for 6-8 minutes. Keep scraping the sides of the pan as it cooks.
4. Keep stirring regularly till the milk turns pale yellow and thickens a bit. Take the pan off the flame and let the milk come to room temperature.

To prepare the Rasmalai cream filling

1. While the milk cools, add chilled heavy cream to a large bowl. Beat using an electric hand beater until it forms soft peaks. Use the lowest setting. It may take 6-8 minutes.
2. Then slowly add the powdered sugar and beat until it is fully incorporated.
3. Add the ricotta cheese and the remaining half teaspoon of cardamom powder.
4. Continue to beat until the cream is smooth.

To assemble the Rasmalai Cake

1. Dip the rusk cake pieces, one by one, into the prepared milk mixture for 10 seconds. Don't leave in the milk for long or it'll start to fall apart. Crush one Rusk to powder form and use it as a garnish later.
2. Place the milk-soaked rusks in a casserole or baking dish. Add broken pieces of rusk in the gaps. It need not look perfect.

3. Top with half of the whipped cream frosting and smooth it out as much as you can.
4. Repeat with remaining rusk cake pieces.

5. Then top it with the remaining whipped cream.
6. Garnish with crushed pistachios and dried rose petals. Rusk crumbs can also be added as a garnish. Cover with cling wrap and chill in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours. The cake has to get completely soft. The best is to leave this Ras Malai dessert in the fridge, overnight.

When ready to serve, pour a little of the leftover saffron-infused milk onto the serving plate or bowl. Place a square slice of Rasmalai Cake on top, and garnish with saffron strands and gold vark for an extra festive touch. Serve this dessert chilled for the best experience. For a creative presentation, you can also serve this fusion Rasmalai Cake dessert in mini jars or cups, making it perfect for individual servings.

This elegant Rasmalai Cake is ideal for special occasions involving large groups such as birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, baby showers, parties, potlucks, or brunches. It’s also a wonderful way to celebrate festivals and holidays like Raksha Bandhan, Ganesh Chaturthi, Navratri, Diwali, Holi, Ramadan, Eid, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Make this no-bake Indian Rasmalai Cake with ricotta cheese recipe this festive season!

Ricotta cheese can be replaced with Mascarpone cream cheese or American cream cheese for a similar texture and taste. When soaking the Rusk in milk, avoid leaving it in for too long, as it can become soggy and break apart. To enhance flavor and presentation, add a top layer of Rasmalai balls along with the garnish. For an extra layer of aroma, try adding a teaspoon of Kewra water, Kewra extract, or Rasmalai essence to the sweet milk mixture. This will elevate both the taste and visual appeal of the dessert.

With the given measurements, I made two Ras Malai Cake casseroles. If you have a larger dish, you can prepare one big serving instead.

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