The House of Spices

What is Milk Cake?

Milk cake (also known as Alwar Ka Mawa) is a popular Indian sweet (mithai) that’s got a unique grainy texture and caramelized milky flavour. It’s soft, rich, dense, moist and melts in your mouth. It’s mainly made of milk and sugar, topped with nuts and visibly distinct due to it’s gradient shade.

 

Some people make their milk cake with fresh milk, curdling it and then adding acidic agents, whereas some people make theirs with milk powder. Milk powder is certainly easier and quicker, especially for beginners. It also gives a rich flavour. While generally everyone who uses milk powder mostly just cooks everything to form a mixture, in my recipe I show you a simpler method to get the perfect grainy texture and flavours by creating a dough with the milk powder and then cooking to create a mixture. This way, you cannot go wrong.

 

Is Milk Cake the same as Kalakand?

Although the terms milk cake and kalakand are quite often used interchangeably, they are not the same. Coming to appearance, milk cake has a brownish gradient shade whereas kalakand is usually white. Kaland is also often made with different colours and flavours unlike milk cake. 

 

Coming to texture, milk cake is grainy and sticky whereas kalakand is soft and gooey, having a higher moisture content. Lastly, even though both the sweets have milk and sugar as the main ingredients, their cooking method varies.

 

Any tips for someone who is making mithai (Indian sweets for the first time)?

Follow the exact recipe and measure ingredients using a measuring cup to avoid any issues. Additionally, do watch my video recipe for a visual guide, and to get a better idea on the desired consistency.

 

How long can I store the Milk Cake for?

For the best and freshest taste, the milk cake should be consumed within a week and also stored in the refrigerator preferably (especially if you live in a hot country). For prolonged storage, you may keep it in the freezer, however the taste and texture will deteriorate over time. 

 

Any substitute for the ingredients mentioned?

Unfortunately, there are no substitutes for this milk cake recipe. Some recipes use whole milk instead of milk powder, however that makes it more lengthy and even more complicated. This recipe is simple, straightforward and tastes just like the ones you get in Indian sweet (mithai) stores.  

 

Any cooking tips for this recipe?

1. Keep the heat low when cooking the mixture so that it doesn't burn and stick at the base of your pan. 

2. Keep stirring the mixture so that it browns evenly and does not stick. 

3. Transfer the cooked mixture into the tin while it’s hot and cover it immediately to slow down the cooling process so that you get a nice gradient shade.