If you’ve travelled to any part of Latin America, you would know that Tres Leches cake is a favourite dessert everywhere. Said to originate from Nicaragua, this cake combines the delicious flavours of three different types of milk: evaporated, condensed and whole milk. For this recipe, I added a hint of spice to the mix. Saffron is an incredibly fragrant and colourful spice, and makes a perfect pairing with dairy. Like the saffron lattes served in cafes across South America and Spain, I also wanted to add a layer of coffee-infused dulce de leche to mimic having cake and coffee, giving the most authentic café experience right at home.
Related: Vegan Creamy Coconut Hot Chocolate
ingredients
Milk Syrup
Saffron Tres Leches Cake
Coffee-Infused Dulce de Leche
Whipped Cream
directions
This recipe requires 1 hour rest time and 6 hours chill time.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
For the milk syrup, in a small pot add your whole milk and saffron. Bring to a boil, then set to simmer for 10 minutes or has turned a vibrant golden yellow. Set aside to cool. Once cooled, add the condensed and evaporated milk. Whisk until thoroughly combined.
For the cake, separate egg yolks from whites, placing whites in a large mixing bowl and setting yolks aside in a small bowl. Whisk the egg whites until light and fluffy.
In the bowl of egg yolk, add the sugar and milk. Blend to a smooth and silky consistency.
For the dry mixture, in a separate bowl combine flour, salt and baking powder.
Gradually combine egg yolk mixture into flour mixture. Fold in fluffy egg whites until just combined. Don’t overmix, the mixture should be light and fluffy.
Pour cake batter into a 8×8-inch butter-greased cake pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Once finished, allow cake to cool for 1 hour.
To the cake pan, add the milk mixture. Allow the liquid to soak into the cake. Refrigerate for a minimum of 6 hours.
1 hour before the saffron cake is done chilling in the fridge, start making the coffee-infused dulce de leche by combining milk, sugar, baking soda and instant coffee in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and allow to simmer for 1 hour, whisking periodically. Pour into small bowl and set aside.
For the whipped cream, combine heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. Mix on high-speed until light and fluffy.
Once cake has chilled, spread the coffee-infused dulce de leche over top. Add the whipped cream on top. Cut into small squares and serve.
