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.
8strandsSaffron Dry roasted till fragrant (optional step)
125gPlain Flour
1 ½tspBaking Powder
½tspCardamom Powder
5Eggswhites and yolks seperated in 2 bowls
200gCaster SugarDivided into 50g and 150g
Tres Leches Syrup
410gEvaporated Milk
10strandsSaffronDry roasted till fragrant (optional step)
397gCondensed Milk
220gDouble Cream
¼tspground Cardamom
Cream
480gDouble Cream
3tbspIcing Sugar
Additional Syrup
410gEvaporated Milk
7strandsSaffronDry roasted till fragrant (optional step)
½tspground Cardamom
397gCondensed Milk
220gDouble 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.