Paan Gulkand Dessert

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Paan and Gulkand is a flavor combination that is so authentically Indian that it is almost impossible to speak of traditional Indian flavors and not dedicate a substantial amount of revered discussion in honor of this age-old culture. I mean really, nothing spells ‘Indian’ as clearly as Paan Gulkand.

Paan is one of the most popular delicacies in India, usually eaten as a mouth freshener after meals, and is celebrated by different states and cultures across India. Paan is made with a betel leaf combined with a lot of other fillings, but one of the most important fillings on a paan is the gulkand! Gulkand is a rose petals jam or rose petals preserve which is also pretty delicious when eaten on its own.

So this Diwali, I have for you, a western dessert, rooted in this very flavor combination: It’s an Eggless Paan sponge soaked in Paan- flavored milk and layered with a lovely pink-tinted Gulkand flavored whipped cream frosting garnished with edible dried rose petals.

Here’s what you need:

To make the Eggless Paan Sponge:

• 1 cup of flour
• 1 cup of buttermilk (or add the juice of half a lemon to one cup of milk)
• ½ to ¾ cup of sugar (depending on your taste)
• 4 tbsp of oil
• ½ tsp of baking powder
• ¼ tsp of baking soda
• 3 to 4 drops of paan essence or paan flavor
• 1 to 2 drops of green gel food color

For the frosting:

• ¾ cup of whipping cream (whipped to stiff peaks)
• 1 to 2 drops of pink food color (I used 2 drops of Americolor Electric Pink (click to view on Amazon) and less than half a drop of Wilton Rose Pink color)
• 3 to 4 tbsp of Gulkand
• 1 to 2 drops of rose flavor (optional)

To soak the sponge:

• ½ to ¾ cup of milk
• ½ tsp of sugar
• 1 drop of green food color
• 1 drop of Paan essence
• Gulkand (depending on your taste)

For the Paan & Gulkand layered dessert:

• 1 Paan Sponge Cake baked in a rectangular baking tray or square baking pan (recipe below)
• Soaking Liquid (recipe below)
• Frosting (recipe below)
• Edible rose petals – fresh or dried (optional)

How to make it:

• The very first step is to make the sponge cake. For that, we will add the buttermilk and baking soda and mix them well.
• Next, add in the oil and whisk vigorously.

• Now add in the paan essence along with sugar and whisk again till the sugar is dissolved.

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• Sift in the flour and the baking powder and mix well.

• Now add in the green food color and mix.

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• Line a 8×4 baking tray and pour in the batter.

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• Bake in a preheated oven at 170° C for about 8 to 10 minutes or till a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.

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• Let it cool before you proceed.

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• I have cut this cake to show you its texture and how it looks from the inside.

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• Another thing we need to prepare the dessert is the frosting. For that, we are first going to whip some whipping cream to stiff peaks.

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• Then we are going to add the pink color, rose essence and gulkand to it.

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• Now depending on the size of your serving bowl cut out the sponge.

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• Place one layer of the cake at the bottom of your serving dish.

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• Soak this layer with some of the sponge soaking liquid. To make this liquid, mix the milk, sugar, green food color, rose essence, and gulkand together.
• Layer some whipping cream on it.

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• Place another layer of the cake on this and then again layer it with the whipped cream.
• Keep repeating this process till you reach the top of the serving bowl.

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• Garnish it with some of the paan sponge crumbles along with dried rose petals.
• Your delicious Paan Gulkand Dessert is ready!

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If you loved this recipe, don’t forget to comment below and tell me! Also, if you try it out, do share your experiences and pictures with me on Instagram (@anjalisbakeaffair)

Shop on Amazon: Here are some products that can help you in the kitchen while making this recipe

1. Sugar: https://amzn.to/3kmuwCe
2. Baking Powder: https://amzn.to/3dMD8PW
3. Baking Soda: https://amzn.to/2Hoa1Xz
4. Paan Essence: https://amzn.to/3lhH5iH
5. Green food color: https://amzn.to/2UcoatH
6. Gulkand: https://amzn.to/2UdKa7G
7. Whipped cream: https://amzn.to/2HHa9Bc
8. Americolor Electric Pink: https://amzn.to/3n8F3BY
9. Rose Essence: https://amzn.to/3eIkrxz
10. Edible Rose Petals: https://amzn.to/3mmky4g
11. Glass Mixing Bowl: https://amzn.to/3jYC0v8
12. Electric Hand Beater: https://amzn.to/2HyopMM
13. Oven: https://amzn.to/3lQ9b4w

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