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+ servings
Saffron Milk Cake in a bowl with rose petals and pistachios on top

Saffron Milk Cake

Safira
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.
5 from 10 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Rest Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Course Baking/Dessert
Cuisine Mexican, Spanish
Servings 12
Calories 717 kcal

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).
  • Beat egg yolks with 150g or 3/4 cup Caster sugar on high speed, until yolks are a pale yellow (This takes 2 minutes). 
  • 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.

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.

Nutrition

Calories: 717kcalCarbohydrates: 74gProtein: 15gFat: 41gSaturated Fat: 25gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 216mgSodium: 271mgPotassium: 594mgFiber: 1gSugar: 62gVitamin A: 1588IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 468mgIron: 1mg
Keyword Ras malai Milk cake, Saffron Milk Cake, Tres Leches Cake
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