You are here: Home> Course > Indian Desserts , Sweets > Cakes > Eggless Almond Praline Cake
Eggless Almond Praline Cake | Indian Vegetarian Almond Praline Cake | Vegetarian Praline & Almond Sponge |
Tarla Dalal
21 July, 2012
Table of Content
Eggless Almond Praline Cake | Indian Vegetarian Almond Praline Cake | Vegetarian Praline & Almond Sponge |
The Eggless Almond Praline Cake, often celebrated as an Indian Vegetarian Almond Praline Cake or simply a Vegetarian Praline & Almond Sponge, is a delightful dessert that perfectly marries the light, airy texture of a classic sponge with the irresistible crunch and flavor of praline. This cake is a fantastic choice for those seeking a sophisticated, rich-tasting dessert without eggs, making it a popular option in Indian cuisine and among vegetarians. Its harmonious blend of soft cake, creamy icing, and crisp praline creates a textural and flavorful experience that's truly special.
Crafting the Irresistible Praline
The heart of this cake lies in its homemade praline, a sweet, crunchy confection that adds a unique texture and nutty depth. To prepare it, sugar is carefully melted in a pan over a slow flame until it reaches a one-string consistency – a crucial test to ensure perfect caramelization. Once the sugar is melted and at the right consistency, coarsely ground cashew nuts (kaju) or almonds are added and mixed in. This hot mixture is then quickly poured onto a lightly greased rolling boardand rolled thinly with a greased rolling pin. Once cooled slightly but still workable, it's cut into small triangles using a greased knife or metal dough cutter, with the remaining praline being coarsely crushed for later use as a topping and filling.
Assembling the Layers: The Cake Foundation
The cake itself begins with an eggless vanilla sponge cake (175 mm or 7 inches), which forms the light and tender base. This sponge is horizontally sliced into two equal parts. A vibrant plain butter cream icing is prepared separately, tinted with a few drops of lemon yellow food colour and flavored with almond essence, adding a beautiful hue and fragrant aroma. A portion of this butter cream is set aside for later decoration. The bottom layer of the sponge is generously soaked with half of the sugar syrup, ensuring a moist and flavorful foundation for the dessert.
Layering Perfection: Cream, Praline, and Sponge
The next step involves layering the delicious components to build the cake's structure and flavor profile. Half a cup of the prepared butter cream icing is spread evenly over the soaked bottom layer of the sponge. A generous sprinkle of the crushed praline is then scattered over the cream, adding delightful crunch and a nutty flavor to every bite. This layer is then carefully sandwiched with the second layer of the sponge cake. The top layer is also soaked with the remaining sugar syrup, and the rest of the butter cream icing is spread evenly over the top and sides of the entire cake. The assembled cake is then transferred onto a cake board and refrigerated for 20 minutes, allowing the icing to set firmly and ensuring a stable structure.
The Art of Finishing and Decoration
Finishing this Vegetarian Praline & Almond Sponge is where its visual appeal truly shines. The cake is placed on a turntable, and a pastry comb is run along its sides to create an elegant textured pattern. A plastic disposable piping bag, fitted with a No. 5 star nozzle and filled with the reserved butter cream icing, is used to create delicate swirls on top of the cake. By applying gentle pressure and moving the wrist anti-clockwise, beautiful peaks are formed. Six such swirls are piped onto the cake, one for each serving. The crushed praline is then used to decorate both the center and the base of the cake, adding a rustic yet refined touch.
Serving and The Benefits of Eggless Cakes
To complete the presentation, one of the prepared praline triangles is carefully placed on top of each piped swirl, adding a final flourish and indicating the delicious praline within. The cake is then cut into 6 equal wedges and served. This Eggless Almond Praline Cake is not just a treat for the taste buds but also offers the benefits inherent in eggless baking. It caters perfectly to vegetarian diets, those with egg allergies, and anyone seeking a lighter dessert option without compromising on flavor or texture. Eggless cakes often maintain a wonderful moisture and tenderness, making them a consistently delightful choice for diverse palates and dietary preferences.
Tags
Preparation Time
20 Mins
Cooking Time
15 Mins
Total Time
35 Mins
Makes
1 cake
Ingredients
For The Praline
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup coarsely ground cashew nuts (kaju)
oil for greasing
greased rolling board
greased rolling pin
greased knife or metal dough cutter
For The Cake
1 eggless vanilla sponge cake [175 mm (7?)]
1/2 cup sugar syrup
1 1/2 cups plain butter cream icing , refer handy tip
a few drops of lemon yellow food colour
a few drops of almond essence
leftover crushed praline (from above)
Finish The Cake
1/4 cup butter cream icing (from above)
6 praline triangles (from above)
plastic piping bag fitted with a no 5
Method
For the praline
- Melt the sugar in a pan on a slow flame.
- Carefully take a little sugar syrup with the laddle, place it on your thumb, press your index finger against it and check if you get a 1-string consistency. If so, then syrup is ready and if not, then continue cooking , while stirring continuously till you get a 1-string consistency.
- Once it has melted, add the coarsely ground cashew nuts or almonds and mix well to make the praline.
- Grease a flat rolling board with a little oil.
- Pour the mixture on the greased flat surface and roll it with the greased rolling pin so as to get a thin layer. Do not touch the praline at this point as it will be really hot and can cause serious burns.
- To make small triangles, cut parallel lines at a distance of 25 mm. (1") with the help of a knife or a metal dough cutter.
- Then cut the praline diagonally to form a triangle. Make 6 such triangles and keep aside.
- Crush the remaining praline coarsely with a rolling pin. Keep aside.
For the cake
- Slice the sponge cake horizontally into 2 equal parts. Keep aside.
- Combine the plain butter cream icing, food colour and almond essence in a bowl and mix well using a wooden spoon. Keep ¼ cup of butter cream icing aside for the decoration.
- Soak the bottom layer of the sponge cake with ½ the soaking syrup.
- Spread ½ cup of butter cream icing on the soaked layer of the cake.
- Sprinkle a little crushed praline on top and sandwich with the second layer of the sponge cake.
- Soak the second layer of the cake with the remaining soaking syrup and spread the remaining butter cream icing cream evenly on top and at the sides.
- Transfer the cake onto a cake board and refrigerate for 20 minutes to set.
Finish the cake
- Place the cake on a turntable and run a pastry comb along the sides.
- Fill the plastic disposable piping bag fitted with a no. 5 star nozzle with the butter cream icing. Hold the piping bag in your hand and move your wrist anti-clockwise while applying gentle pressure to make a swirl.
- Finish the circle and gently lift it in a single motion to form a peak.
- Repeat to make 6 swirls on top of the cake.
- Using the crushed praline, decorate the centre and the base of the cake.
- Place 1 praline triangle on each swirl.
- Cut into 6 equal wedges and serve
Handy tip
- For the butter cream icing, sieve 1 cup icing sugar and add 2tsp chopped lemon rind to it and keep aside. Cream 3/4 cup of icing margarine using a wooden spoon till it is light and smooth and gradually, add the sieved icing sugar and lemon rind and cream till all the icing sugar is added. Mix well.
Almond Praline Cake ( Cakes and Pastries Recipe) recipe with step by step photos
Nutrient values (Abbrv)per plate
| Energy | 1191 cal |
| Protein | 15.9 g |
| Carbohydrates | 201.6 g |
| Fiber | 1 g |
| Fat | 35.2 g |
| Cholesterol | 0.1 mg |
| Sodium | 9 mg |
Click here to view Calories for Almond Praline Cake ( Cakes and Pastries Recipe)
The Nutrient info is complete
Radha Hoizal
June 6, 2021, 8:28 p.m.
I tried this recipe on the Birthday of my elder daughter on 25th sept.Turned out simply yummy.Here in the praline I used Almonds instead of kaju and the cake was simply yummy that I could not stop posting the photograph,but since the recipe here is already having a photograph I have posted it in the facebook.It is I can say almost a 'No Fuss cake' that any one can try.
