Eggless Paan Tres Leches Cake
A soft eggless sponge soaked overnight in paan-flavored tres leches milk with gulkand and fennel, topped with rose whipped cream and candied fennel. Indian fusion dessert perfect for Diwali and dinner parties.
Ingredients
For the eggless sponge
- ½ cup neutral oil 120 ml; avocado, sunflower, or vegetable
- ½ cup granulated sugar 100 g
- 1 cup plain whole milk yogurt 240 g; room temperature
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp vanilla extract 2.5 ml
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour 190 g
- 1¼ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp fine salt
For the paan milk soak
- 1¼ cups evaporated milk 300 ml
- 4 large fresh paan leaves betel; about 15 g
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- ¼ cup gulkand rose petal preserve
- ½ cup sweetened condensed milk 120 ml
- ½ cup heavy cream 120 ml
- 2 drops green gel food color optional
For the rose whipped topping
- 1½ cups heavy whipping cream 360 ml; cold
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar 18 g
- 1 tsp rose water
- 1 drop pink gel food color optional
To garnish
- Candied fennel (mukhwas)
- Tutti frutti or chopped pistachios (optional)
Instructions
Make the eggless sponge
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease an 8-inch square pan with oil. Do not line with parchment. Tres leches is easiest when the cake stays in the same pan from bake to soak to serve.
- In a large bowl, whisk the oil and sugar until smooth and the sugar mostly dissolves, 2 to 3 minutes by hand or with a mixer.
- In a small bowl, stir the yogurt and baking soda together. Let sit 2 minutes until foamy. This means the baking soda is active.
- Add the yogurt mixture and vanilla to the oil-sugar bowl. Whisk until combined.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into the wet ingredients. Fold gently with a spatula until just combined. Do not overmix or the sponge will bake dense and resist soaking.
- Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. I usually pull mine at 25 minutes. The sponge should look set but still springy, not dry.
- Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, at least 1 hour.
Prepare the paan milk mixture
- Add the evaporated milk and paan leaves to a blender. Blend until the leaves break down and the milk turns pale green. Add the green food color here if using.
- Add the fennel seeds and gulkand. Blend again until smooth.
- Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl or measuring cup, pressing on the solids. Discard the fibrous pulp.
- Stir in the condensed milk and heavy cream until fully combined. Taste a spoonful. It should read sweet, floral, and faintly fennel-forward.
Soak the cake
- When the cake is cool, poke holes all over the top using a chopstick, skewer, or fork. Go about three-quarters of the depth of the cake. Space holes roughly 1 inch apart.
- Measure out 1¼ cups (300 ml) of the paan milk and set aside for serving. You will pour this around each slice, not over the whole cake.
- Slowly pour the remaining paan milk over the cake in stages, about ½ cup first, let it absorb 5 to 10 minutes, then add more. Repeat until all the soak milk (except the reserved portion) is used.
- Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.
Whip the rose cream and finish
- When ready to serve, add the cold heavy cream, powdered sugar, and rose water to a mixing bowl. Whip on high speed with a whisk attachment until stiff peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Add pink food color if using. Stop as soon as peaks hold. Over-whipping turns the cream grainy.
- Spread or pipe the whipped cream over the chilled soaked cake.
- Garnish with candied fennel and tutti frutti if you like.
- Cut into 9 squares. Place each slice on a plate and spoon a little of the reserved paan milk around it before serving.
Notes
Boxed mix shortcut: bake one box of vanilla cake mix in an 8-inch square pan per package directions. Cool completely, then follow the paan milk soak and topping steps. Eggs in the mix are fine if your household eats them.
Paan leaves: look for fresh betel leaves at Indian grocery stores. Rinse and pat dry before blending. If unavailable, see the post FAQs for paan masala substitutes.
Room-temperature soak: cold milk soaks more slowly. Let the blended paan milk sit out 20 minutes before pouring, or warm it 15 to 30 seconds in the microwave. Never pour hot milk on the cake.
Avoid sogginess: reserve 300 ml of liquid before soaking. Tres leches should be moist, not soup.
Make-ahead: bake the sponge up to 2 days ahead, wrapped in the fridge. Soak and chill up to 24 hours before adding whipped cream. Add cream within a few hours of serving.
Storage: store the soaked cake (without whipped cream) covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Once topped with cream, serve within 24 hours.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!