This Saffron Milk Cake is is the most delicious version of Mexican Tres Leches Cake. In this recipe, Saffron and Cardamom is added to the Milk mixture and the overall flavour is reminiscent of Ras Malai so it can also be considered a Ras Malai Milk Cake.
Saffron Milk Cake/Ras Malai Milk Cake
This Milk Cake has been our most popular version of Milk Cake amongst friends and family. They absolutely loved this version of Tres Leches.
This Saffron Milk Cake is adapted from my milk cake recipe (this recipe). I have adapted the recipe to include Saffron and Cardamom.
This is a deliciously sweet recipe with a feather light moist sponge soaked in saffron milk.
Tres leches means ‘three milks’. These are Double Cream, Evaporated Milk and Condensed Milk. What makes this cake so light is the airy feather light sponge which is achieved by whipping egg whites.
Ingredients for Saffron Milk Cake
Plain Flour
Baking Powder
Salt
Eggs
Milk
Evaporated Milk
Condensed Milk
Double Cream
Sugar
Saffron
Cardamom
how to make saffron milk cake/Ras Malai Milk Cake
A full detailed recipe is at the bottom of the page.
Preheat the oven to GM4/180 C and butter a oven proof dish or oven tray leaving a 1/2 inch border around the edges. (9 x 13).
Warm Milk for 30 seconds in the microwave or bring to a simmer and add Saffron strands. Set aside.
Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl.
In a second bowl beat the egg whites for a minute before adding sugar and beating for another minute. Continue to beat for 1 – 2 minutes until it reaches the soft peak stage.
In a third bowl beat egg yolks with sugar till pale.
Stir in Saffron Milk.
Combine Egg white and Egg Yolk mixture.
Gently add the flour mixture to the egg mixture.
Pour into tin/dish and bake for 25 – 30 minutes.
Roast Saffron in a dry pan till fragrant and slightly darker. Slightly warm the evaporated milk for the tres leches syrup, and add the saffron and cardamom to it. Let aside to cool. Make Milk mixture by combining the evaporated milk, condensed milk, double cream and cardamom in a bowl and whisking together.
Once cooled, pierce all over with a fork and drizzle in the milk mixture.
Leave for 30 minutes.
Beat the cream with sugar and spread over the top.
Make additional syrup if using and serve alongside milk cake.
FAQ’s and Tips for making the BEST Saffron Milk Cake:
- As ever in this cake, a light touch is very important. Over mixing the when the egg yolk mixture is mixed into the egg white mixture or when the dry ingredients are mixed in, will remove all the volume created from the whisking of the whites.
- Let the cake rest for 1/2 to 1 hour after pouring on the tres leches syrup so it can absorb all the liquid. It can also be left overnight.
- It can be baked in a deep oven tray or pyrex rectangular dish. I used a 9 x 13 inch tin. I would recommend using a light coloured tin. If you don’t have one adjust the baking time slightly (2 – 4 minutes less).
- Butter or spray the tin but not up the sides and not till the edges. This way the cake will rise up the sides.
- This cake will rise like a souffle and then fall slightly in the middle after it comes out of the oven.
- You can add yellow colouring to the batter for the cake and to the tres leches.
- Toasting the Saffron before using enhances the flavour.
- You can flip the cake upside down before pouring over the 3 milk mixture, so you have a nice flat surface to begin with.
how to store/make ahead
This Ras Malai Milk Cake/ Saffron Milk Cake is great made ahead. Store covered in the fridge for a few hours or up to 3 days.
can it be frozen?
This cake can be frozen without the syrup and decoration. Allow to cool and then cover with 2 layers of cling film before freezing for up to 2 months.
To serve, thaw in the fridge over night and add the syrup and decoration the following day.
variations
For a Mint Chocolate version – You can add Mint Essence into the Syrup and melt over some Mint Chocolate.
For a Nutella version – add 1 tbsp Nutella into the Syrup and drizzle some over the top too.
For a Biscoff version, add 1 tbsp of Biscoff into the syrup of the cake as well drizzling some over.
For a Masala Chai version, use milk instead of cream for the syrup and infuse it with masala chai spice and a tea bag in a pan. Place the pan over medium-low heat. When the milk begins to bubble, remove from the heat. Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature. This is best done a day ahead.
other milk cake recipes you may like:
**if you make something from tiffin and tea, i would love to see your creations! don’t forget to rate this recipe and leave a comment below! we love to hear from you. safira x
Saffron Milk Cake
This Saffron Milk Cake is is the most delicious version of Mexican Tres Leches Cake. In this recipe, Saffron is added to the Milk mixture and the overall flavour is reminiscent of Ras Malai.
Ingredients
Milk Cake
- 80 g Milk
- 8 strands Saffron Dry roasted till fragrant (optional step)
- 125 g Plain Flour
- 1 ½ tsp Baking Powder
- ½ tsp Cardamom Powder
- 5 Eggs whites and yolks seperated in 2 bowls
- 200 g Caster Sugar Divided into 50g and 150g
Tres Leches Syrup
- 410 g Evaporated Milk
- 10 strands Saffron Dry roasted till fragrant (optional step)
- 397 g Condensed Milk
- 220 g Double Cream
- ¼ tsp ground Cardamom
Cream
- 480 g Double Cream
- 3 tbsp Icing Sugar
Additional Syrup
- 410 g Evaporated Milk
- 7 strands Saffron Dry roasted till fragrant (optional step)
- ½ tsp ground Cardamom
- 397 g Condensed Milk
- 220 g Double Cream
Instructions
Milk Cake
-
Preheat the oven to GM4/180 C and butter a oven proof dish or oven tray leaving a 1/2 inch border around the edges. (9 x 13).
-
Warm Milk for 30 seconds in the microwave or bring to a simmer and add Saffron strands. Set aside.
-
Combine Plain Flour, Baking Powder and Cardamom Powder in a bowl.
-
Beat the egg whites on high until soft peaks form. This take around a minute. With the machine still running, add 50g/1/4 cup caster sugar and beat on high until egg whites are stiff (1 minute).
-
Stir the Saffron Milk into the egg yolk mixture.
-
Add flour mixture to egg yolk mixture bit by bit, stirring very gently inbetween.
-
Gently fold in egg white mixture with a spatula till just combined.
-
Pour batter into tin or dish. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Tres Leches Syrup
-
Heat evaporated milk until it comes to a simmer and add Saffron. Allow to cool and then combine with double cream, condensed milk and cardamom and mix together.
-
When the cake is cool, pierce all over with a fork. Slowly drizzle the milk mixture over the cake. Set aside for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Cream
-
In a large bowl combine double cream and sugar and whip on high until thick. This takes around 3 - 5 minutes. Keep a very close eye on it though.
-
Spread cream over the cake with a spatula.
Additional Syrup
-
Heat evaporated milk until it comes to a simmer and add Saffron. Set aside to cool. Then combine with double cream, condensed milk and cardamom and mix together.
To Serve
-
Slice the cake into 9 - 12 pieces and add to bowls. Pour syrup around the cake.
Recipe Notes
FAQ's and Tips for making the BEST Saffron Milk Cake:
- As ever in this cake, a light touch is very important. Over mixing the when the egg yolk mixture is mixed into the egg white mixture or when the dry ingredients are mixed in, will remove all the volume created from the whisking of the whites.
- Let the cake rest for 1/2 to 1 hour after pouring on the tres leches syrup so it can absorb all the liquid. It can also be left overnight.
- It can be baked in a deep oven tray or pyrex rectangular dish. I used a 9 x 13 inch tin. I would recommend using a light coloured tin. If you don't have one adjust the baking time slightly (2 - 4 minutes less).
- Butter or spray the tin but not up the sides and not till the edges. This way the cake will rise up the sides.
- This cake will rise like a souffle and then fall slightly in the middle after it comes out of the oven.
- You can add yellow colouring to the batter for the cake and to the tres leches. I didn't do this.
- Toasting the Saffron before using enhances the flavour.
- You can flip the cake upside down before pouring over the 3 milk mixture, so you have a nice flat surface to begin with.
how to store/make ahead
This cake is great made ahead. Store covered in the fridge for a few hours or up to 3 days.
can it be frozen?
This cake can be frozen without the syrup and decoration. Allow to cool and then cover with 2 layers of cling film before freezing for up to 2 months.
To serve, thaw in the fridge over night and add the syrup and decoration the following day.
variations
For a Mint Chocolate version – You can add Mint Essence into the Syrup and melt over some Mint Chocolate.
For a Nutella version – add 1 tbsp Nutella into the Syrup and drizzle some over the top too.
For a Biscoff version, add 1 tbsp of Biscoff into the syrup of the cake as well drizzling some over.
For a Masala Chai version, use milk instead of cream for the syrup and infuse it with masala chai spice and a tea bag in a pan. Place the pan over medium-low heat. When the milk begins to bubble, remove from the heat. Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature. This is best done a day ahead.
Thank-you for this wonderful recipe.
I made saffron cake following you recipe, it came out delicious.
Your trick and tips were really helpful
Thank you so much. So happy you enjoyed it! 🙂
Is this deliberately not supposed to have any fat (butter/oil)?
Hi,
Yes there is no Butter or Oil needed in this recipe. 🙂
Hi I just made this recipe, but the sponge cake is quite flat, if I make another cake and double it would it work.
Hi Fatima,
The cake should rise quite a bit and then once rested it usually sinks.
If you double the batter and use the same size tin, it would need a lot longer in the oven but I am unsure how long as I have not tested it with more batter.
Hope that helps. x