Saffron Milk Cake

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

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:

Trilece

Chocolate Milk Cake

Milk Cake

Pistachio Milk Cake