Paneer Cake | Eggless Cake with Indian Cottage Cheese with Step by Step Recipe

One of the things that I often wanted to experiment in making cakes was Paneer. I know it's been an oft beat ingredient off late, can't really help it nor let it go waste. I think it's always good if we come around with a recipe that makes the best of a worse situation.

Coming back to the topic, I wanted to know if I could use paneer in making cakes. I have used buttermilk, curds, milk so far, so assuming that Paneer can also be used was only the next thought, naturally. A while ago when Champa posted a cake made with tofu, I naturally thought back to using Paneer. Then something somewhere led me to Nandita's post on Paneer cake. Only then I remembered that I had bookmarked the recipe.

I set out to make it the moment I could and infact ended up making it twice. Meaning the first time there was so much commotion at home the morning I made this, that something went wrong and the cake got burnt. I saved it before it got worse, still I felt so bad for the overlook. Though I must confess that the burnt cake tasted extremely good..:)

The second time I made I made sure I checked how much of baking powder I was adding, as I realized this was the cause for the quick rise. I was very patient and careful to make sure I don't burn this, in the end I must have spent lot of time just trying to see how it rose. Coming to the verdict, this isn't your typical soft and spongy cake that you get when you do with eggs, it's more dense and more like a brownie, if you can accept a non chocolaty brownie, then this is surely tops!

I was happy that Peddu liked it very much and almost eat it without prompting.

Step by Step Picture Recipe:

Paneer Cake | Sponge Cake with Indian Cottage Cheese

Ingredients Needed:

To make Paneer

Milk - 1/2 litre 1 tbsp white vinegar / 1 Lemon

To make the Cake

Whole Wheat Flour / Atta - 1.5 cups

Baking Powder - 1 tsp

Baking Soda - 1/2 tsp

Sugar - 1 cup, or slightly less, ground with seeds from 2 cardamoms

Condensed Milk - 4 tbsp

Oil - 2 tbsp

Vinegar - 1 tbsp

Milk - 1/4 cup, as required

How to make the Paneer Cake:

Check this to know how to make Paneer

If you are making the paneer just before making this cake, save some of the whey water. Else you can use milk for a loose batter.

Preheat oven at 180 C.

First time I used aluminum foil packs. Second time used a non stick loaf tin. Grease with butter/oil
 

Powder the sugar along with the cardamom. Keep it aside.
 

Dry Ingredients:

In a wide bowl, sieve the flour along with the baking soda and baking powder.

Wet Ingredients:

In a large bowl, mash the paneer well with the oil, condensed milk. Add 1 tbsp vinegar, Sugar to this and half the whey water/ Milk. Second time I blended the paneer with half the milk to get a pouring liquid, mixed the rest of the wet ingredients.

Then add the flour in batches into the whisked wet ingredients. Use the reserved whey water and extra milk if required to get a batter consistency.

Pour into the greased baking tray, pat it on the floor so that the batter spreads evenly.

If you are using two small tins, bake for 30 minutes or 45-50 minutes for loaf at 180 C reducing the temperature after 20 minutes to 160 or so in case of square tins to prevent excessive browning of the tops.

Remove, cool in the tin itself for 15 minutes and remove out with the foil. Slice and serve warm.

Notes: The second time it took more time for baking as I reduced the temperature to 125 and baked for 30 mins. So totally it took me about an hour for the cake to be baked.

The result was not the spongy one you get when you use egg, as I said it was more dense and brownie type.

Next time I will be reducing the sugar, maybe use all purpose flour and more of baking soda instead of powder. Though using wheat flour is healthy I want to see how it might turn with flour.

Enjoy your piece cake for a evening snack.