Rooh Afza and Pistachio Mousse Cake
The perfect Eid dessert with a super soft pistachio milk cake and topped with a creamy and luscious Rooh Afza Mousse.
Equipment
- 7" pastry ring or springform pan
- Electric Whisk
- Hand whisk
- Silicone spatula
- Piping bag optional
Ingredients
Pistachio Milk Cake
- 2 eggs separated into whites and yolks
- 35 gs white granulated sugar
- 40 gs all-purpose flour
- 80 ml liquid whipping cream
- 140 ml condensed milk
- 50 ml evaporated milk
- 100 grams pistachio paste
Rooh Afza Mousse
- 30 ml ice-cold water
- 6 gs gelatin powder
- 200 gs white chocolate
- 75 ml milk
- 75 ml liquid whipping cream
- 100 ml Rooh Afza syrup
- 255 ml liquid whipping cream/heavy cream
Topping
- Rooh Afza
- Sweetened whipped cream optional
- Chopped Pistachios optional
Instructions
Milk Cake
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Prepare the baking pan by layering it with parchment paper or greasing it with butter and flour to make sure that the cake does not stick while baking.
- Place the egg white and yolks in two separate bowls and add half the sugar in each bowl. Whip the egg yolks until they are light and fluffy and the egg whites until they are thick, fluffy, and reach medium peaks.2 eggs, 35 gs white granulated sugar
- Add the egg whites and the flour into the egg yolks alternatively, 1/3rd at a time. Fold the mix after each addition with a silicone spatula gently, making sure not to knock the air out of the mixture. There is no baking powder in this cake. The airiness of the egg whites is what helps the cake rise and gives it that spongey texture. If you knock a lot of air off while mixing, your cake will be flat and dense.40 gs all-purpose flour
- Once everything is well combined, transfer the cake batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean from the center. The cake layer should not be too thick, around 2 inches.
- Make the milk mixture: In a bowl, place all the ingredients for the milk: liquid whipping cream, condensed milk, evaporated milk, and pistachio paste and mix until fully combined.80 ml liquid whipping cream, 140 ml condensed milk, 50 ml evaporated milk, 100 grams pistachio paste
- As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, poke holes into it using a fork (to help the milk soak better). While the cake is still hot, pour a generous amount of the milk and let it cool.
Rooh Afza Mousse
- Bloom the gelatin: pour ice-cold water in a bowl and sprinkle the gelatin powder over it. Immediately mix the water until the gelatin water is dissolved, then let it set in the fridge for 15 minutes.30 ml ice-cold water, 6 gs gelatin powder
- In a heat-proof bowl, add the white chocolate. Add the milk, whipping cream, and Rooh Afza in a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Once it’s hot, pour the milk mixture on the chocolate, let it sit for a minute until the chocolate melts, then whisk together until the chocolate is properly incorporated into the milk mixture.200 gs white chocolate, 75 ml milk, 75 ml liquid whipping cream, 100 ml Rooh Afza syrup
- While the mixture is still hot, add the bloomed gelatin and whisk until the gelatin is fully melted and incorporated in the milk mixture. Make sure your mixture is still hot, or the gelatin will not melt properly. Set it aside until it cools down to room temperature.
- In a separate bowl, add the liquid whipping cream and whip it with a hand or electric mixer until it reaches medium peaks.255 ml liquid whipping cream/heavy cream
- Once the milk mixture has reached room temperature, gradually pour it into the whipped cream while folding the mixture gently with a silicon spatula. Do this gently so that the mixture remains airy.
- Top the cooled milk cake with the mousse, then add a few drops of Rooh Afza on top of the mousse and swirl it in. Chill for at least 8 hours or overnight until fully set. Top with sweetened whipped cream and chopped pistachios. Serve cold.Rooh Afza, Sweetened whipped cream, Chopped Pistachios
Notes
Make Ahead:
This dessert can be made the night before. I recommend serving it within 24 hours.
Storage:
The cake can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
Note About Baking Pan:
Ihave used a 7" round pastry frame to make this mousse cake, but it is easily adaptable to be made in other dishes. A springform pan would work great for this cake as you can easily remove it from the pan once it’s set. However, if you do not have a springform pan, you can also make and serve it Tiramisu-style in a square or rectangle glass dish. If using this method, you will not un-mould the cake from the pan, instead you will serve it directly from the dish you set it in. It may not look as nice, but it will still taste delicious.
Whichever pan you choose to use, make sure you bake your cake and shortbread layer in the same pan to make the layering process easy.
Note on Gelatin:
I use gelatin in my mousse recipe as it results in a stable structure that’s needed for layered desserts. However, I know that many people may not be comfortable with using gelatin due to Halal or vegetarian issues. I personally use Halal gelatin as it’s easy to find in stores around me. If you live in the west, you will likely find it in South Asian or Middle Eastern stores.
If you can’t find Halal gelatin or don’t want to use animal products, you can skip the gelatin in the mousse. However, please know that the mousse will not be able to hold its shape as well as it would with gelatin and it will soften easily once it’s out of the fridge. If you are not using gelatin, I recommend making this cake Tiramisu style so that you don’t have to un-mould it from any pan (which will be harder to do with a softer mousse).