Looking for something special to bring to your New Year’s eve gathering? Wow your friends, and their tastebuds, with this paleo, gluten-free Gulab Jamun Cake. Gulab Jamun is a popular dessert in the Indo-Pak subcontinent. Gulab means rose and Jamun is a small fruit common in the region, referring to the small size and shape of the dessert.
Traditionally, gulab jamun are super-sweet balls of white flour and milk soaked in a rose and saffron-flavored syrup. This version matches the original for sweetness, but without the allergenic ingredients that can cause problems for some.
Cake batter:
3 cups almond flour
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
3 eggs, room temperature (otherwise the cold eggs will make the coconut oil solidify)
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tsp baking soda
1.5 tsp ground cardamom
Pinch salt
1/2 cup arrowroot
*
Syrup:
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup honey
7-8 whole green cardamom pods, slightly crushed
1/2 tsp of saffron
2 tsp rose water
*
Rose petals, slivered almonds/pistachios for garnish
*
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease an 8” springform pan with coconut. Line the bottom with parchment and rub again with coconut oil. Mix the dry ingredients together. Mix the coconut oil, maple syrup, and eggs together with a hand mixer. Add in the dry ingredients and mix well. Immediately pour into your ready pan and place in the oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until golden brown and centre is set.
*
While the cake is baking, in a small saucepan, prep the syrup. Add all the syrup ingredients, except for the rose water. Bring to a simmer and let it reduce and thicken just a bit, allowing the cardamom and saffron flavors to infuse into the syrup. Leave it on low heat until ready to use.
*
Once the cake has been removed from the oven and has cooled slightly, poke holes in it with a wooden skewer. Remove the syrup from heat. Add the rose water to the syrup and mix well. With a spoon, pour the syrup over the cake, allowing it to seep into the holes. Avoid the cardamom seeds and pods, but be sure to get all the saffron threads onto the cake - they’re too precious to waste! Garnish with slivered nuts and rose petals. Allow the cake to set for 15-20 minutes before cutting and serving. Enjoy!
*
If you enjoy this recipe enough to share, please be kind enough to link it back to my site and credit me. Thank you! #paleo #glutenfree #dairyfree #grainfree #eastmeetswest #servewithchai
