Milk Cake or Milk Barfi, A rich decadent Indian sweet which is easy to make and requires only milk, sugar. Learn how to make the authentic halwai style milk mithai with step by step pictures and video.
Milk Cake Recipe
Paal khova is one of my favorite sweets to make when I had abundant of milk leftover. Whenever I am craving for something sweet, this is what I prefer to make. This recipe I made few weeks back and loved it to the core.
Delicious milk cake which is super easy to make and needs just four ingredients. Milk, Sugar, Lemon juice and Ghee. Also LOTS OF PATIENCE.
Table of Contents
About Milk Cake
Milk cake is reduced milk with sugar till it is thickened and comes together like a halwa. This texture is achieved only when you take your time and cook the milk.
This recipe of indian milk sweet requires milk, sugar, ghee. Little lemon juice is added to get the correct texture in the milk cake. This Indian milk sweet is a no fail recipe to try when you want to make something special on a special occasions. This can be moulded in a cake tin and served as a birthday cake too. Make sure you follow the video and step by step instructions to get the proper texture. If you love this recipe, you will enjoy my kalakand and basundi.
Milk Cake Recipe Video
Similar Recipes,
Kalakand
Coconut Burfi
Khoya Burfi
Beetroot Burfi
Ingredients for Milk Cake
Milk - Use full fat whole milk, low fat milk won't work in this recipe. You can additionally add ½ cup of milk powder to make the thickening process faster.
Sugar - You don't have to add too much sugar. I used 1 cup (200 grams) sugar for 2 litre of milk.
Lemon Juice - use very little lemon juice, it is used for achieving the texture. Too much can make the sweet sour.
Ghee - helps making the sweet comes together like a halwa. Also adds flavour.
Optional - flavourings like saffron, ground cardamom, chopped nuts can be added.
How to Make Milk Cake Indian Sweet at Home
Reducing Milk
Boil full fat milk in a large pot. Cook milk on medium high heat till it comes to a boil. Keep scraping the sides of pot and cook the milk till reduced to ⅓rd of its original volume.
Thickening Milk
Once the milk is reduced to ⅓rd of the original volume. Add in lemon juice little at a time, the milk mix will start to curdle a little. Keep cooking on medium high heat till thickens.
Adding Sugar & Ghee
Once the milk cake mixture starts to get thick. Add little sugar at a time and keep cooking. Keep mixing and cooking and add little sugar at a time. Once you finish adding sugar, you can add ghee and cook till it comes together like a halwa.
Moulding & Serving
Transfer the milk cake mix to a greased mould. Spread evenly so the top is smooth. Wrap the mould with foil and then wrap it with some cloth so it cools very slowly which results in the different shades of milk cake once you cut it. Once it is cooled for 4 to 5 hours, you can slice and serve.
Expert Tips for Milk Cake Indian Sweet
Milk
Use full fat milk for making this milk cake, also use a large pot when cooking milk so it reduces a lot faster. Scrape the sides of the pan when the milk is reducing and add the milk solids back into the pot.
Lemon juice
The small amount of lemon juice will create the texture in the milk cake. Never add too much, just a tsp or two is enough.
Sugar
When adding sugar to milk add little at a time. I like to add 2 tbsp of sugar into the milk at a time and cook for 2 to 3 mins before adding the next 2 tbsp of sugar. This step ensures your sugar melts into the milk and starts to thicken instead of curdling.
Cool, Slice & Serving
Once the milk cake is transferred to the pan. Wrap the pan really good with foil and then towel. So the barfi cools a lot slower which creates a dark shade colour in the centre which is iconic in halwai style milk cake.
Storing & Make Ahead
Any Indian sweets that are made with milk doesn't have long shelf life. You can store this in fridge for upto a week. Bring it back to room temp before serving for best taste.
Milk Cake Recipe (Step-wise Pictures)
1)Take milk in a large pot.
2)Boil it
3)Keep scraping the sides of the pan
4)Cook on medium high heat.
5)Keep scraping the milk solids
6)As the milk reduces the colour of the milk changes
7)You have to keep scraping the milk solids
8)Add in lemon juice once the milk is reduced to ⅓rd of its original volume.
9)Keep mixing.
10)Keep scraping and keep mixing.
11)Now the milk has even reduced.
12)Now start adding sugar little at a time.
13)You can add 2 tblsp of sugar at a time.
14)Keep adding sugar and mix well.
15)Keep cooking and mixing till it thickens.
16)At this point. Add ghee little by little.
17)Keep mixing.
18)Cook till the mixture starts to leave the sides of the pan.
18)Add ghee
19)Mix well
20)You have to cook until it gets to this texture. Thick and comes together as a halwa.
21)Grease a pan with ghee
22)Spoon filling in
23)Wrap it in foil
24)Wrap it in towel.
25)After few hours. Slice and serve
25)Serve
📖 Recipe Card
Milk Cake | Milk Cake Recipe | How to Make Milk Cake Sweets at Home
Ingredients
- 2 litre Full Fat Milk
- 1 cup Sugar
- 6 tbsp Ghee
- 2 tsp Lemon Juice
Instructions
- Take milk in a large pot and bring it to a boil. Now boil this and keep mixing and cook on medium high heat. Scrape the sides of pot and add it back into the milk. Boil till till it reduced to ⅓rd. It will take around 30 mins to 45 mins.
- Once the milk is thickened. Now add in lemon juice and mix well. It will curdle a little but Keep cooking till it thickens. It will take around 15 mins
- Now add sugar little at a time. Keep mixing and keep cooking. Never add sugar all at once which will make the mixture so liquid. Add little sugar at a time and keep cooking. Cook till it thickens.
- Now add in ghee little at a time and continue cooking on a low flame till it thickens and leaves the sides.
- Grease a pan with ghee to set the burfi. Pour the mix into the pan. Spread evenly and flatten.
- Now wrap the pan with foil and wrap it in towel really well. This step makes the cake cools slowly which creates the different shades in the burfi when you slice it.
- Leave to rest for 4 to 6 hours. once completely cooled, un mould, slice & serve.
Video
Notes
- Cook milk in a large pot so it reduces a lot faster.
- Scrape the sides of the pot so the reduced milk is added into the milk.
- Add little sugar at a time only when milk is reduced and thickened.
- Add sugar little at a time and keep cooking.
- Wrap the pan really good with foil and towel. So the barfi cools a lot slower which creates a dark colour in the centre.
Nutrition
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Veenas
Yummy Recipe. Super Aarthi Mam. Its Delicious to Watch. Photos are Nice. I’ll definitely be making this one again!
Rani
this is really nice
Kamelarasi
Hi Ms Aarthi, im your fan from Malaysia after Master Chef program. I have tried some of your recipes, all tastes really yummy. All the best.
Farhat Jahan
I always try to make some easy and indigenous recipes for my family as they like.
Thanks for the recipe.
Fathima
Hi Aarthi,
Can you please tell me the name of the pot which you used to make milk cake. Thank you.
Kind regards,
Fathima.