This is a recipe for the the most decadent, creamy Masala Chai Milk Cake - Chai Tres Leches. Ideal for any Chai lover. Tres Leches is a very popular Mexican dessert in which a soft and tender cake is soaked in a mixture of three Milks and topped with Whipped Cream.
I first made this version during lockdown because who didn’t need a sweet treat and some caffeine then?
If you are a lover of Tres Leches (Three Milks) Cakes, why not try Ras Malai Milk Cake, Rose Milk Cake or Trilece?
Making Milk Cake with Chai flavours just makes sense because Masala Chai is made with Milk and sweetened with Sugar. It is also sometimes made with Evaporated Milk or Condensed Milk. The flavours for Chai work well with all 3 Milks.
The sweetened three-milk mixture is made from sweetened Condensed Milk, Whole Milk or Cream, and Evaporated Milk.
The Cake is very light and airy because the Egg Whites are whipped till voluminous, then folded into the batter.
What is Milk Cake/Traditional Tres Leches Cake?
Milk Cake/Tres Leches/Pastel de Tres Leches, Torta de Tres Leches or Biscuits de Tres Leches is a light and airy sponge cake made with whipped Egg Whites.
The cake is soaked in and infused with a three kinds of milk. This most often consists of Evaporated Milk, Whole Milk or Double/Heavy Cream and Condensed Milk.
In this version the syrup is flavoured with the flavours of Masala Chai.
Jump to:
- What is Milk Cake/Traditional Tres Leches Cake?
- Masala Chai Milk Cake Ingredients
- How to make it
- Substitutions
- Expert Tips
- Make-Ahead Tres Leches Cake
- How to freeze Tres Leches Cake
- Top tip
- How to serve Chai Tres Leches Cake
- More Tres Leches
- Pairing
- Masala Chai Milk Cake - Chai Tres Leches
- Substitutions
- Expert Tips
- Make-Ahead Tres Leches Cake
- How to freeze Tres Leches Cake
- Top tip
- How to serve Chai Tres Leches Cake
Masala Chai Milk Cake Ingredients
This recipe uses simple ingredients, some of which you will likely have in the house already.
Here are the ingredients you will need:
Milk
Milk helps to make a softer more moist cake and it also balance the sweetness of the sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk.
Most Milks actually work here such as Plant based Milks.
Sweetened Condensed milk
This adds a lovey Sweetness to the Milk Soak.
Evaporated milk
This milk has a caramel-like flavour. It adds a rich and creamy flavour.
Double Cream
AKA Heavy Cream. You can use Milk instead of Double Cream. Double Cream adds a rich flavour and is used in the Milk Soak and topping.
Large Eggs
The egg yolks and eggs white are separated and whipped before being folded into the batter.
The whipped Egg Whites create beautiful light and airy texture that makes it easy for the three-milk mixture to really penetrate the sponge cake.
Flour and Baking Powder
Plain Flour or All-purpose Flour is used here and Baking powder makes the Cake rise.
Vanilla Extract
This is optional but tastes really good in thei Cake.
Sugar
Caster Sugar or Granulated sugar is used in the cake batter and in the whipped cream topping too.
Chai Masala Powder
This is a spice blend from the Indian Subcontinent.
Any Homemade Chai Spice Mix/Tea Powder made with fragrant spices or Pumpkin Spice or a blend of Spices such as Cinnamon, Cardamom, Nutmeg, Black Pepper.
I use my own Chai Masala.
Biscuits or Cookies
I add crushed Biscuits on top. Good options are Indian Rusk Biscuits, Parle Biscuits or Biscoff Biscuits. This is optional.
Scroll to the Recipe Card at the bottom of the page for quantities.
How to make it
This recipe is simple enough to make. The Cake Recipe comes together in 10 minutes and whilst the Cake is baking, you can make the Milk Syrup and Topping.
Here is how to make it:
Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4 or 180 degrees C.
Butter a casserole dish or deep oven tin (9 x 13 inches).
Make the Cake Batter
Combine the sifted dry ingredients to a medium bowl - Plain Flour, Baking Powder, Chai Spice Blend and Salt in a large bowl.
Separate Eggs and place Egg Whites and Yolks in separate bowls.
Beat the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer for 1 minute before adding 50g of the sugar and beating for another minute. Continue to beat for 1 – 2 minutes until soft peaks are formed.
In a separate bowl, beat Egg Yolks with remaining sugar for 2 minutes.
Add the Milk to the Egg Yolk mixture and whisk to combine.
Add the Flour mixture to the Egg Yolk mixture slowly.
Add Whites to Yolks. Fold in gently.
Pour into greased tin/dish and place in the preheated oven. Then bake for 25 – 30 minutes.
Cool for 30 minutes.
Make the Milk Syrup by combining the 3 milks in a large bowl or jug. Add Chai Spice and mix to combine. Once this delicious fluffy Cake has cooled, pierce all over with a fork and drizzle in the chai-infused milk.
Beat the cream with sugar until soft peaks form.
Leave for 30 minutes.
Pipe or spread on the top of the cake.
Cover and place in the fridge for 2 - 5 hours.
Add crumbled cookies/biscuits on top.
Make the additional syrup and serve cake with syrup in bowl
Hint: Use a gentle hand when folding Whites.
Substitutions
If you want to make Chai with Black Tea or Tea Leaves and Whole Spices/Indian Spices such as Cinnamon, Green Cardamom Pods, Cloves, Peppercorns for a Spiced Tea flavour instead and use that instead.
I would recommend just adding it to the Milk Syrup.
You can also use Chai Tea Bags instead. Just make Masala Chai like in this recipe in a small saucepan. Replace the Double Cream in the 3 milk mixture with with the Chai.
Expert Tips
Be gentle
Mix batter with a gentle hand as the cake is meant to be light and airy. Over mixing will make it tough. Do not over mix the batter once you add the dry ingredients. That will result in a
Let the Cake rest
The cake tastes best after resting for 4 - 5 hours as it will have time to absorb all the milk syrup. It can even be decorated the next day.
Store brought Cake Mixes - Madeira Cake
To make a super quick version, make the recipe with store brought Madeira Cake instead of baking the cake yourself.
Level the Batter
To make sure the cake absorbs the milk evenly, make sure the batter is level in the tin prior to baking.
Use an offset spatula to spread the cake batter evenly.
Give the tin a few taps on the countertop just before baking to release any air bubbles that may have become trapped during mixing.
An even cake means the milk bath will flow consistently over the surface of the cake and every inch of tres leches will be saturated in milk.
If your Cake isn’t flat, flip the cake upside down before pouring the milk syrup into the cake. This means you have a flat surface to begin with.
Use a clean Bowl and Beaters
This is so that the Egg Whites reach their maximum volume.
Make-Ahead Tres Leches Cake
Tres leches can, and really should, be made a few hours (or up to a day) in advance. The longer the cake has a chance to absorb the milk mixture, the more delicious, rich and creamy it will taste.
Tres leches cake can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
If you want to make it ahead of time for a party or celebration, I recommend leaving the whipped topping off until 2 hours before serving so it’s as light and fluffy as possible.
How to freeze Tres Leches Cake
Chai Milk Cake can be made ahead of time and frozen as long as you make it without the syrup and decoration.
To do this -
Let the cake cool to room temperature.
Cover the baking tin in 2 layers of cling film and freeze for up to 2 months.
When you are ready to serve it, thaw in the fridge over night.
Poke holes all over the cake and add the syrup and deco as normal the following day.
You will not be able to freeze the cake once the syrup has been poured into the cake!
Top tip
Full Fat everything
Use full fat Milk and Evaporated Milk in the milk syrup for best flavour. Also don’t be tempted to use a lighter condensed milk.
How to serve Chai Tres Leches Cake
Serve with extra Milk Syrup in a bowl and a cup of Tea /a Cup of Chai or your favourite hot drink.
More Tres Leches
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favourite dishes to serve with this recipe:
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Masala Chai Milk Cake - Chai Tres Leches
Ingredients
Cake
- 140 g Plain Flour Sieved
- ¼ teaspoon Baking Powder Sieved
- ½ teaspoon Chai Masala Powder
- Pinch Salt
- 5 Eggs Separated
- 200 g Caster Sugar
- 100 g Milk
Milk Syrup
- 410 g Evaporated Milk
- 397 g Condensed Milk
- 200 g Double Cream
- ½ teaspoon Chai Masala Powder or Pumpkin Spice or Mixed Spice (Sweet)
Cream Topping
- 480 g Double Cream
- 3 tablespoon Icing Sugar Sieved
Optional Additional Syrup
- 410 g Evaporated Milk
- 397 g Condensed Milk
- 200 g Double Cream
- ½ teaspoon Chai Masala Powder
Optional Other
- 4 Biscuits/Cookies crushed (Rusk, Parle, Ginger, Speculoos)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4 or 180 degrees C.
- Butter a casserole dish or deep oven tin (9 x 13 inches).
- Combine the sifted dry ingredients to a medium bowl - Plain Flour, Baking Powder, Chai Spice Blend and Salt in a large bowl.
- Separate Eggs and place Egg Whites and Yolks in separate bowls.
- Beat the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer for 1 minute before adding 50g of the sugar and beating for another minute. Continue to beat for 1 – 2 minutes until soft peaks are formed.
- In a separate bowl, beat Egg Yolks with remaining sugar for 2 minutes.
- Add the Milk to the Egg Yolk mixture and whisk to combine.
- Add the Flour mixture to the Egg Yolk mixture slowly.
- Add Whites to Yolks. Fold in gently.
- Pour into greased tin/dish and place in the preheated oven. Then bake for 25 – 30 minutes.
- Allow to cool for 30 minutes.
- Make the Milk Syrup by combining the Evaporated Milk, Condensed Milk and Double Cream in a large bowl or jug. Add Chai Spice and mix to combine. Once this delicious fluffy Cake has cooled, pierce all over with a fork and drizzle in the chai-infused milk.
- Beat the Cream with Sugar until soft peaks form. Pipe or spread on the top of the cake.
- Cover and place in the fridge for 2 - 5 hours.
- Top with crumbled Biscuits/Cookies if using.
- Make the additional Syrup if using and serve cake with syrup in bowl
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