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–+ servings
Chai Milk Cake in a bowl

Masala Chai Milk Cake - Chai Tres Leches

Safira
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.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Cooling and Resting 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 45 minutes
Course Baking, Baking/Dessert, Dessert
Cuisine Indian, Mexican
Servings 9
Calories 654 kcal

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

Notes

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 Chiaor your favourite hot drink.

Nutrition

Calories: 654kcalCarbohydrates: 68gProtein: 14gFat: 37gSaturated Fat: 23gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 206mgSodium: 176mgPotassium: 441mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 56gVitamin A: 1487IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 331mgIron: 1mg
Keyword Chai Cake, Chai Tres Leches, Tres Leches
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