Rasgulla Cake

Rasgulla Cake recipe from MasterChef India judges Ingredients2 cups: Refined flour 1 tsp: Baking powder ¾ tbsp: Soda bicarb 1 cup: Amul curd A few drops of Vanilla essence ¾ cup: Milk ¾ cup: White butter ¾ cup: Caster sugar 6 tbsp: Cocoa powder 500 gm: Chhena 2 nos. Star anise 3 cups: Sugar 400 ml: Non-dairy cream 3 nos. Tangerines 3 nos. Sweet limes 1 nos. Butter paper MethodPreheat oven to 170*C. Grease a cake tin and line it with butter paper. Sift flour, baking powder, soda bicarb and cocoa powder together. Heat the milk till it is lukewarm. Whisk the curd, caster sugar, butter and vanilla essence together till smooth and frothy. Fold in the flour mixture alternating with milk. Mix quickly but gently to a smooth batter. Pour into the cake tin and bake on the centre rack for 20 minutes. Meanwhile in a saucepan mix 3 cups of sugar with ½ cup milk, 2 cups water and star anise. Place on flame and stir till sugar dissolves. Bring the mixture to a boil. While the sugar syrup is cooking, grate/crumble the chhena, mix in 1 tsp flour and knead till very smooth and light. Shape into small balls. Check the cake. Insert a skewer or knife in the centre. If it comes out clean, remove cake from the oven and after a few seconds, demould it and leave to cool. Check the sugar syrup. Clarify it by spooning off the grey layer. If syrup has come to a boil, gently add the chhena balls and poach them till done. To test whether rasgullas are cooked, drop one in a deep bowl full of water. If it sinks to the bottom, the rasgulla is cooked. If rasgullas are done, remove and cool. Whip the non-dairy cream till soft peak stage. Cut the cake into three horizontal layers. Cut rasgullas in half. Peel and cut tangerines and sweet limes into segments. Arrange one layer of the cake on a presentation plate. Arrange the rasgullas and place one more layer on top. Fill half the whipped cream into a piping bag with a large star nozzle. Cover the cake with the remaining cream. Arrange the tangerines and sweet limes as shown. Pipe stars onto the cake using the piping bag and chill till set.