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thandai mousse cake ( eggless thandai cake)

Thandai mousse cake ( eggless Thandai cake)

Eggless cake layers soaked in Thandai syrup and filled with a delicious Thandai mousse!
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Ingredients
  

For the cake

  • 190 grams or 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour or maida
  • 240 ml or 1 cup yoghurt or curd at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 120 ml or 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Thandai syrup

  • 2 tablespoons thandai syrup
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 240 ml or 1 cup water

For the Thandai mousse

  • 60 ml or 1/4 cup thandai syrup
  • 60 ml or 1/4 cup milk
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon agar agar powder
  • 360 ml or 1 1/2 cup whipping cream cold

Instructions
 

To make the cake

  • Preheat the oven to 180 C or 350 F. Butter and flour a 8 inch round pan and line the bottom with parchment ( optional )
  • In a bowl, whisk together the curd and sugar until smooth.
  • Whisk in the baking soda and baking powder. Let rest for 5 minutes while the mixture bubbles up.
  • Whisk in the oil and vanilla extract until smooth.
  • Sift in the flour and salt , whisk until smooth
  • Fill the batter into the prepared pan , smoothen top and immediately transfer to oven
  • Bake for 25 to 28 minutes until the cake springs back on pressing and a toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean
  • Cool in pan for 5 minutes , gently unfold from pan , remove parchment (if using) and then completely cool right side up on a wire rack.

To make the Thandai soaking syrup

  • In a thick bottomed saucepan ,mix the thandai syrup and sugar into the water
  • Bring to a boil over medium - high heat
  • Then simmer on low heat for upto 10 minutes so the syrup is slightly thickened
  • Take off heat and cool completely

To make the Thandai Mousse

  • Make the mousse when you are ready to assemble the cake
  • In a thick bottomed saucepan , measure out the milk , sugar , thandai syrup and agar agar powder .
  • Mix well
  • Over medium heat , bring to a boil while stirring constantly.
  • Continue heating for another minute and then take off heat. Strain if needed. You want this mixture warm ( not hot ) to mix into the cream
  • As the mixture becomes warm, in another bowl, whip your cream until you have firm peaks ( the cream shouldn't move when the bowl is upturned)
  • Continue whipping / beating the cream , as you add the warm mixture continuously into it .
  • Once all the mixture is added into the cream , mix well with a spatula to make sure the mousse is uniform

To assemble

  • Slice the cool cake horizontally in 2 layers
  • Place the bottom half onto your serving dish or plate.
  • Using a pastry brush or spoon , soak the layer with about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of cool thandai soaking syrup - the cake should be damp to touch but not oozing out
  • Using a piping bag or a spatula , spread the mousse on top of the cake layer . Create as thick a layer as mousse as you want , reserving some for the top and sides if you wish
  • Place the second layer of cake gently on top . Again soak the layer until damp.
  • Spread mousse on top and sides if you wish. Garnish with toasted nuts or as desired.
  • Chill for at least 4 hours or longer . Serve cold !

Notes

This recipe makes one 8 inch mousse cake 
You may have more syrup and mousse than you need. If you want less mousse to begin with , you can half the mousse recipe.
The cake and syrup can be made a day or 2 earlier and stored in the refrigerator but the mousse has to be made just before assembly of cake.
For the best results while whipping cream , place your cold cream in a steel bowl with your beater blades or whisk and place this in the freezer for 10 minutes before whipping.
While using agar agar in the mousse , remember 1) to stir it into room temperature ingredients first as it may clump on heating 2) strain the mixture after heating if you feel bits of agar are left undissolved 3) keep the mixture warm (hot) while mixing it into the cream ( reheat slightly if needed ) and keep mixing continuously as you add  - as agar starts setting when cold
If using Thandai powder instead , you can use about 1.5 tablespoons of thandai powder for every 1 tablespoon of sugar used. 
Every Thandai powder and syrup is different . So adjust the amount of sugar in soaking syrup and mousse if needed
As with every layer cake , this cake is best made a few hours or a day earlier so the flavours get a chance to merge.
As its made with agar agar , the cake stays firm at room temperature for a while
My measuring cup is 240 ml