13 Traditional Indian Cakes (+ Easy Recipes)

For desserts that are guaranteed to blow your tastebuds away, look no further than these Indian cakes. 

When we think of Indian food, cakes barely cross our minds. It’s a shame because there’s an abundance of Indian desserts you’ll surely enjoy.

What makes these cakes extra special is the use of exotic ingredients and Indian spices.

Instead of being overly sweet, these cakes will please you with their wonderful balance of flavors. 

What’s also interesting is that some of these cakes are cooked on the stovetop instead of in the oven.

If you want to explore new ways to make dessert, you’re in the right place.

1. Indian Milk Cake (Alwar Ka Mawa)

It’s bite-sized squares of moist and dense caramel-flavored mithai (dessert) that will melt in your mouth. 

Made with simple ingredients, milk, sugar, lemon juice, and ghee (Indian clarified butter), this dessert is easy to make.

It’s also one of those cakes I mentioned that needs no baking. Instead, the ingredients are cooked together in a saucepan.

The combination of milk and lemon juice causes the mixture to coagulate. This results in a wonderfully dense and slightly lumpy treat. 

2. Eggless Mango Cake

This treat has layers of spongy mango cake, mango pudding, fluffy cream cheese frosting, and fresh ripe mango slices.

One bite of this cake will take you to a tropical paradise.

As someone who has an obsession with mangoes, I knew right away I had to give this recipe a try. It totally blew my mind.

I love how refreshing this cake is!

The pudding and cream cheese frosting complement the sweetness of the golden fruit, enhancing its flavor even more. 

The interesting thing about this dessert is it doesn’t call for eggs, at all! It’s perfect if you’re allergic.

3. Eggless Whole Wheat Jaggery Cake

This jaggery cake is made with whole wheat and doesn’t contain eggs and refined sugar. You might think it doesn’t have a lot of flavor.

But please, don’t knock it until you try it. I have a strong feeling it’ll be your newest favorite tea-time treat.

This cake is very light and moist. Its primary flavor comes from jaggery, which is unrefined cane sugar.

Kissed with cinnamon, this cake has just the right amount of sweetness with a little bit of warmth.

4. Marbled Turmeric Pumpkin Chocolate Bread

Beautiful swirls of chocolate and pumpkin cakes make up this phenomenal sweet bread. 

The combo of pumpkin puree and chocolate is already fantastic, as it is. But this cake’s flavor doesn’t end there.

The cake also gets a warm touch from turmeric and spice. The turmeric also lends its bright golden hue to the loaf.

As an added bonus, this cake is vegan and soy-free.

5. Masala Doodh Mini-Cheesecakes

Yes, India has its very own version of cheesecake. One bite will get you hooked.

Besides the rainbow whipped cream on top, these mini-cheesecakes are extra special because of masala milk powder.

It’s made by grinding almonds, cashews, pistachios, cardamom, nutmeg, and saffron.

From the aroma to the nutty and warming flavors, this is one extraordinary powder.

Thanks to this ingredient, these cheesecakes have a deep and beautifully complex flavor.

6. Honey Cake

This honey cake is dense yet very tender and moist. 

Just like poke cake, it’s poked with holes and drizzled with sweet honey syrup.

This simple technique gives the cake its immense flavor and texture.

A thin layer of strawberry jam is smeared on top for added flavor and a pop of color. It’s finished with desiccated coconut for a lovely crunch.

Feel free to throw in some chopped nuts for added texture.

7. Gajar ka Halwa Cake (Indian Carrot Cake)

The Indian version of carrot cake is loaded with pistachios, cashews, and golden raisins.

Instead of cinnamon, the batter is seasoned with cardamom to give the cake a sweet and subtly minty taste.

It has only two tablespoons of raw honey to sweeten the entire cake.

You can expect this carrot cake to be more rich and buttery than sweet.

8. Almond Cardamom Cake

Serve this almond afternoon cake with a cup of chai for a lovely, Indian-inspired afternoon tea.

Infused with cardamom, this tea cake bursts with a sweet and spicy fragrant. 

It’s not frosted, instead, simply dusted with powdered sugar. Because it’s not too sweet, the flavor of the cardamom really shines through.

Studded and adorned with almond slivers, the cake gets a layer of nutty flavor and a nice crunch.

9. Chai Masala Cake

If you like the pairing of tea cake and chai masala, why not put the two together? 

It’s a moist and tender cake with swirls of cashew streusel.

The streusel doesn’t only create a textural variety but lends a scrumptious flavor as well.

It’s made with flour, sugar, cashews, and chai masala powder. The streusel is crumbly and crunchy, as well as sweet and wonderfully spiced.

10. Idlis Steamed Rice Cakes

These steamed rice cakes are incredibly soft, bouncy, and slightly chewy. It’s this distinct texture that makes the cakes impossible to resist.

While they’re technically cakes, these are definitely not a dessert.

If you check the ingredients, they don’t call for any sweetener whatsoever.

Idlis are traditionally served as a side dish, paired with stews and stir-fries. You can also serve them with chutney for a sweet-savory snack.

11. Goan Baath Cake

Baath cake is a traditional dessert that originated in Goa, India.

Made with semolina and coconut, it has a dense, moist, and crumbly texture.

The ingredients are moistened with coconut milk, giving it an added layer of coconut-y flavor. 

It’s easy to make, but take note that the batter requires 6 hours of resting time.

This allows the semolina and coconut to absorb the moisture of the liquid ingredients.

12. Eggless Dates Cake

This eggless is healthy, but it still manages to be super tender and moist.

It gets its unique flavor from dates, which burst with richness and a caramel-like taste. 

Imagine a crossover of chocolate, butterscotch, toffee, and cinnamon. That’s how amazing ripened dates are!

The cake may be simple, but this glorious flavor won’t disappoint.

Packed with almonds, the soft and spongy cake is given a crunchy textural contrast.

13. Saffron Pistachio Milk Cake

It’s tres leches with an Indian twist!

The sponge cake is made with ground, roasted pistachios, so expect it to explode with a full nutty flavor.

It’s then drizzled with a mixture of three kinds of milk: condensed, evaporated, and cream. 

The best part about this milk mixture is that it’s infused with cardamom and saffron!

It gives the cake creamy, deeply fragrant, and warm flavors. What a treat.