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Easy Eggless Rava Cake (Semolina Cake)

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Easy Eggless Rava Cake is a moist and delicious tea time cake that can be enjoyed as a snack. This semolina or Suji cake is a simple one-bowl type recipe that does not need any fancy types of equipment. This cake can be made in an open pan or a pressure cooker or a kadai too. 

Top view of Semolina Cake

Eggless suji cake uses simple ingredients like semolina, sugar, milk, curd, butter/oil, and leaving agents. As said this eggless cake is a simple recipe, where you mix all the ingredients together and bake. We do not need to cream the butter or sugar together or anything at all. Simply mix and go.

This semolina yoghurt cake gets a lovely golden brown colour on the top when baked. It is moist and has a porous texture. I would say one of the best tea time cakes and is very close to tasting in the famous Iyengar style bakery rava cake. Needless to say, this cake would be gobbled in minutes.

So let’s look at the ingredients used in this Eggless Semolina Cake or Eggless Rava Cake

The first main ingredient is Rava or Sujo/sooji or Semolina.

What is Rava?

Rava or Suji means Semolina. Semolina as you all would be aware is a coarse flour made from grinding wheat. It has a slight golden colour as compared to all-purpose flour and is used in making pasta, bread, porridge, etc. 

Rava is used a lot in Indian cooking as well. Suji Halwa is one of the common sweets made during festivals and rava upma (Savory Porridge) is a very common breakfast recipe from India. 

I also like to make this quick and easy Instant Carrot Rava Idli loaded with vegetables and this Instant Rava Dhokla. Both can be served for breakfast or lunch. They are best for your kid’s lunchbox, finger and can be enjoyed as a picnic or travel food.  

I also like to make this Goan Baath Cake or Semolina Coconut Cake which is made using fresh coconut and rawa.

Close up look of a slice of eggless rava cake served on a plate

Variety of Rava used.

Rava is available as coarse and fine. I am using a fine variety of suji here. If it is difficult for you to get the fine rava, slightly process the rava in a grinder.

The next ingredient used is milk which helps in hydrating the flour. As we are not using any egg here, the curd is used as a replacement for the egg. It activates along with the leaving agents baking powder and baking soda and gives the necessary rise to the cake. Use fresh curd in this recipe and do not use sour curd.

Butter and oil are used as the necessary fat. One can replace the butter completely with oil, however, I have not done so yet. 

I am using Demerara sugar a raw type of sugar. One can use white sugar or brown sugar as well. I have not processed the sugar at all, one can however process the sugar to a fine powder and add it.  

Flavorings used in cake

I have flavored this eggless cake with pineapple essence. One can replace it with vanilla or even mango essence. 

Fruit Peels & Nuts

Mixed fruit peels or tutty fruity is being added for taste, bite, and texture. One can skip this completely or even add some nuts to this. 

I have made this cake multiple times now for family and friends and everyone liked it so much. Even my kids and their friends love this cake. So when Poonam from Annapurna gave me yoghurt and rava as the secret ingredients for our November “Christmas Bakes” challenge for our group Shhhhh Cooking Secretly Challenge I decided to bake this cake. I gave her juice and milk and she baked this delicious Healthy Christmas Fruit Cake

Close up look of the texture of rava cake

Variations of this cake

One can make this vanilla or mango flavour. If you want to make it chocolate flavour, replace 2 tablespoons of semolina with cocoa powder. One can even add chocolate chips and almonds to make it nutty and chocolaty.

Is this Gluten-free?

As this uses semolina or Rava which is derived from wheat it is not gluten-free.

Is this vegan?

The cake uses milk, curd, and butter. I have used non-vegan milk and curd. However one can replace this with vegan milk and curd, like coconut milk and coconut yoghurt. I have not tried vegan products so cannot comment much on taste, but I think using coconut milk, and yoghurt would add to a delicious taste if you like coconut.

If you do not like coconut milk or yoghurt you can use any other vegan milk or yoghurt. Butter can be replaced with any flavorless oil. 

Shelf life of this cake

The cake stays fresh for 1-2 days outside at normal room temperature. However, as it uses fresh milk and yoghurt it is best to keep this cake in the refrigerator and consume it within 4-5 days.

Can this cake be frozen?

Yes, this cake can be frozen. First, let it cool completely. Slice the cake and arrange in a plate or a tray and let it freeze. Once the pieces are frozen, wrap them in plastic wrap, or keep them in a zip lock or an air-tight container. To consume, either microwave or defrost it and slightly warm it using a double boiler. 

Can this cake be made in a pressure cooker or a kadai?

Yes, this cake can be made in a pressure cooker or a kadai, or in an open pot. Follow the process to do so in this Eggless Chocolate Cooker cake.

Can this cake be made in a pressure cooker or an Open-pot on an Induction Stove Top?

Yes, this cake can be made in a pressure cooker or a kadai or in an open pot on an Induction Stove Top. Follow the process to do so in this Eggless Lemon Drizzle cake

Recipe process of Eggless Rava cake (Sooji/Suji/Semolina Cake)

The first step of the recipe is to hydrate the rava. As rava absorbs liquid it is best to soak the rava in milk and curd for at least 30 minutes. The next step is to add all the remaining ingredients. So either in the same bowl or another bowl add in the sugar, essence, softened butter, oil, and mixed fruit peels or tutti frutti. Add all this to the rava mixture and give it a mix. Add the leavening agents, and salt, and mix again. Pour this mixture into the prepared baking tin and bake in a preheated oven for 30-40 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

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Close up look of a slice of eggless rava cake served on a plate

Recipe of Eggless Rava cake (Sooji/Suji/Semolina Cake)

Close up look of a slice of eggless rava cake served on a plate

Eggless Rava Cake (Semolina Cake)

Easy Eggless Rava Cake is a moist and delicious tea time cake that can be enjoyed as a snack or for your parties.
4.89 from 17 votes
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Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: Eggless Bakes, Semolina
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Resting Time: 30 minutes
Author: Renu Agrawal-Dongre

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ Cup fine rava / Semolina – called as chiroti rava too
  • 1 ¼ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • 1 cup milk
  • ½ cup fresh curd
  • ¼ cup softened butter at room temperature
  • ¼ cup oil
  • 1 tsp Pineapple essence – can be replaced with vanilla or mango essence.
  • 1 cup Demerara sugar – White sugar or brown sugar can be used as well
  • ¼ Cup of Mixed Fruit peels/Tutti Frutti – Optional
  • 1/2 teaspoon extra oil or butter for greasing the baking tin

Instructions

  • In a bowl add rava, curd and milk and mix everything.
    1 ½ Cup fine rava / Semolina, 1 cup milk, ½ cup fresh curd
    Yogurt and milk added to rava
  • Let this mixture rest for atleast 30 minutes.
    Semolina mixed with yogurt and milk
  • After 30 minutes preheat the oven to 180 Deg C / 356 Deg F
  • Grease your baking tin with oil and keep it aside.
    1/2 teaspoon extra oil or butter for greasing the baking tin
  • In the same bowl or in another bowl add in the softened butter, oil, sugar, essence and mixed fruit peels.
    ¼ cup softened butter at room temperature, ¼ cup oil, 1 tsp Pineapple essence – can be replaced with vanilla or mango essence., 1 cup Demerara sugar, ¼ Cup of Mixed Fruit peels/Tutti Frutti
    Mixed Fruit Peel added to mixture
  • Add baking powder and baking soda and mix everything.
    1 ¼ tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda
  • If using a separate bowl, add this to the rava mixture and mix everything.
  • If using same bowl, simply mix everything.
    The prepared cake batter
  • Pour the mixture into the cake tin and tap it gently.
    Sooji cake ready to be baked
  • Bake this in a preheated oven for 30-40 minutes.
  • The cake is done when a toothpick inserted comes out clean and you see the cake leaving the edges of the tin.
    Baked Semolina Cake

Notes

  • Standard US Size Cups used.
  • The top layer of this cake gets brown. So do not worry.
  • If you do not like it, you can cover the top with aluminium foil. Read above for substitutions.
 
 
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Disclaimer: I am not a nutritionist. The nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It varies depending upon the product types or brands.

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Recipe Rating




KALA Lavin

Friday 18th of August 2023

Made this cake today. Did a peaches upside down version with this recipe. Absolute winner. Thank you.

5 stars rating too little... can up it 7 stars.

Renu Agrawal Dongre

Friday 18th of August 2023

Thank you so much for your feedback. Glad you liked it and thanks for letting know about the tweaks. Appreciate your feedback.

Taj

Friday 12th of May 2023

Really enjoyed making this. So simple and easy. Added chopped dried apricots and dried orange peal. Beautiful. Thanks for the recipe ♥️

Renu Agrawal Dongre

Friday 12th of May 2023

Glad you liked it. Thank you for trying and sharing your feedback

Prema

Saturday 8th of October 2022

I try out this recipe and turns out really good. Thank you for sharing this recipe. I can add different flavors by using this method

Renu Agrawal Dongre

Saturday 8th of October 2022

Thank you for your feedback. Glad it turned out well. Yes, you can add different flavors to this.

Rafeeda - The Big Sweet Tooth

Friday 14th of January 2022

I haven't baked rava cake in years, and yours is absolutely tempting me. The texture that semolina gives to its bakes is really amazing, isn't it? It is so visible in this delicious bake of yours...

Kalyani

Saturday 25th of December 2021

Sooji cake with all those delicious add-ons looks absolutely smashing, Renu ! I love that it is eggless with a few non dairy components too