Easy Healthier Spiced Saffron Cake

Some cakes are just special. They don’t just satisfy your sweet tooth—they nourish your soul. This Eggless Wholewheat Spiced Saffron Cake is one of them. It’s fragrant, fluffy, and packed with warm spices, making it a perfect treat for festive occasions like Eid, Diwali, Holi, or even birthdays. The best part? It swaps refined ingredients for wholesome alternatives, making it a healthier choice without compromising on taste.

Let’s look at the main ingredients

Wholewheat Flour (Aata)

Say goodbye to refined flour! Wholewheat flour adds fiber, making this cake more filling and gut-friendly.

Raw Sugar (or Jaggery)

Ditch the white sugar! Raw sugar and jaggery are unrefined, retaining their minerals. Jaggery even brings a lovely caramel-like depth to the cake.

Yogurt (Curd)

A natural egg substitute, yogurt adds moisture and tenderness while also packing in gut-friendly probiotics and protein.

Oil/Ghee/Melted Butter

Pick your favourite! Oil keeps the cake super soft, ghee adds a rich nutty aroma, and butter lends a buttery flavour. Healthy fats? Yes, please!

Milk

Milk binds everything together while adding calcium and protein. Bonus: it makes the cake super soft!

Cardamom, Cinnamon & Nutmeg

These fragrant spices not only enhance flavour but also boost digestion and metabolism. Plus, they bring that unmistakable festive warmth!

Saffron & Rose Water

The star ingredients! Saffron imparts a delicate aroma and golden hue while being loaded with antioxidants. Rose water adds a floral sweetness that enhances the overall flavour profile of the cake.

Baking Powder & Baking Soda

A dynamic duo! These leavening agents ensure a light, fluffy cake with a perfect rise.

Salt

Just a pinch! Salt balances sweetness and elevates all the other flavours.

If you love baking with spices and traditional flavours, you may love these recipes:

Eggless Wholewheat Persian Love Cake

Eggless Glutenfree Thandai Jowar Nankhatai

Eggless Wholewheat Pistachio Rose Cookies

Eggless Wholewheat Mawa Cake

The Showstopper – Whipped Paneer Frosting

What’s a celebration cake without an indulgent frosting? This one is different—it swaps out heavy cream for whipped paneer, a protein-rich alternative that’s just as luscious. Flavoured with saffron, it pairs beautifully with the cake’s spices.

The Grand Finale – The Toppings

Garnish with pistachios, saffron, and edible rose petals for a stunning finish. Pistachios add crunch and healthy fats, saffron deepens the flavour, and edible rose lends a delicate floral touch.

This cake is proof that indulgence and health can go hand in hand. Celebrate healthier, one delicious bite at a time!

Eggless Wholewheat Spiced Saffron Cake

Serves: 10 Prep Time: 30 mins Cooking Time: 55 mins 55 mins

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

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Ingredients

For Cake -

• 1.5 cup (200 g) - Wholewheat Flour
• 2 tbsp (16 g) - Corn flour
• 1.5 tsp - Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp - Baking Soda
• 1/4 tsp - Salt
• 1 cup (240 g) - Curd/Yogurt
• 3/4 cup (125 g) - Raw Sugar/Jaggery
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) - Ghee/Oil/Melted Butter
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) - Milk
• 1/2 tsp - Cardamom
• 1/4 tsp - Cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp - Nutmeg
• 5-6 strands Saffron
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) - Rose Water

For Frosting -

• 200g - Soft Paneer (Made from 1 liter milk)
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) - Cold Whipping Cream
• 2 tbsp - Raw Sugar/Khand
• 5-6 strands Saffron
• Pinch of Salt

 

Instructions

  For Cake -

1. In a large mixing bowl, take curd or yogurt and add raw sugar or desi khand. Whisk it well until all the sugar is evenly mixed in with the yogurt and you have a smooth mixture.
2.  Now add ghee or oil or melted butter and whisk it until the fat is evenly combined.
3. It’s time for the flavours. Add cardamom powder, cinnamon powder, grated nutmeg, saffron strands and rose water.. Grinding them into a powder will give you the most flavour and colour. Mix these well.
4. Place a sieve over the bowl and add wholewheat flour, corn flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Sift these in. If you are using fine white salt, add only 1/8 tsp.
5. Using a spatula, gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet. Add milk and folding it gently, form a smooth batter.
6. Grease an 8 inch cake pan or square pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake this cake in a preheated oven at 170 C for around 45-55 minutes until the cake has nicely risen, the top is a beautiful golden brown and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
7. Let the cake cool cool completely before frosting it.

For Frosting -

1. While the cake is cooling, make the frosting. Take soft paneer or homemade ricotta and add raw sugar, some strands of saffron and rose water. Grind it all into a smooth paste.
2. Now take cold whipping cream in a chilled bowl and whisk it into soft peaks. Use an electric whisk here for better results.
3. Now add the paneer mixture and fold it gently until a smooth mixture forms. Cover this bowl and refrigerate it for around 1-2 hours.
4. Place the cooled cake on a plate or cake stand and pipe the frosting all over the top. To keep things simple, you can just spread the frosting with a pallet knife or spoon too.
5. Add some chopped pistachios, edible dried rose petals and saffron strands. This is optional of course.
6. Store any leftover cake in a covered container in the refrigerator for upto a week.

Notes

1. You can also use jaggery in this recipe but the colour of the cake will be darker.
2. To keep the flavours more fresh, you can also add some lemon zest to this recipe.
3. Different flour absorbs different amount of moisture. So depending on your flour, you may need slightly less or slightly more milk.
4. Baking this cake at a lower temperature for slightly longer will give you more even crumbs. You can however bake it at 180C for 30-40 mins too.

Did You Make This Recipe?

Have you made this recipe? Tag me on Instagram at @VanillaTrails and use the hashtag #MadeWithVanillaTrails.