Pistachio Rose Milk Tres Leches Cake
Eggless pistachio sponge soaked in rose-cardamom tres leches milk, topped with rose whipped cream, chopped pistachios, and dried rose petals.
Equipment
- 8-inch square tin or 9-inch round tin
- Parchment paper
- Skewer for poking holes
- Hand or stand mixer for topping
Ingredients
For the pistachio sponge
- 3/4 cup + 1 tbsp all-purpose flour 100 g
- 1/3 cup pistachio powder 40 g; finely crushed pistachio
- 1 tsp baking powder 4 g
- 1/4 tsp baking soda about 1.5 g
- 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp caster sugar 80 g
- 1/3 cup + 2 tbsp thick curd 100 g; dahi; room temperature
- 1/3 cup milk 80 ml; room temperature
- 3 tbsp + 1 tsp neutral oil 50 ml; sunflower or refined light olive
- 1 tsp rose essence or rose extract adjust to brand strength
- Few drops green food colour (optional)
For the tres leches soak
- 2/3 cup evaporated milk 150 ml
- 1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk 100 g
- 3 tbsp + 1 tsp fresh cream 50 ml; 25 to 35 percent fat
- 1 tsp rose water
- Pinch of green cardamom powder
For the topping
- 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp whipping cream 200 ml; chilled
- 1/2 tsp rose essence
- 2 tbsp pistachios chopped
- Dried rose petals, for garnish
- Edible gold leaf (optional)
Instructions
Bake the sponge
- Preheat oven to 170°C. Line your tin with parchment.
- In a large bowl, whisk thick curd and caster sugar until smooth.
- Whisk in milk, oil, and rose essence until combined.
- Sift in flour, pistachio powder, baking powder, and baking soda. Fold gently until no dry streaks. Add food colour if using, one drop at a time.
- Pour into the tin and bake 30 to 35 minutes until a skewer comes out clean and the top springs back lightly.
- Cool completely in the tin. Poke holes all over the surface with a skewer, spacing about 2 cm apart.
Soak and chill
- Whisk evaporated milk, condensed milk, fresh cream, rose water, and cardamom until smooth.
- Pour half the soak evenly over the poked cake. Chill 1 to 2 hours.
- Pour the remaining soak. Chill again while you prep the topping (or cover and chill overnight before topping if you prefer).
Finish
- Whip chilled cream with rose essence to stiff peaks.
- Spread or pipe over the soaked cake. Scatter chopped pistachios, rose petals, and gold leaf if using.
- Chill 4 to 5 hours or overnight before slicing for neatest square cuts.
Notes
- Cup and spoon measures are level unless noted. Weigh flour and pistachio powder for the most consistent sponge.
- Pan volume changes bake time. Start checking at 28 minutes for a thinner layer in a wider tin.
- If the soak looks split, whisk again before pouring; room-temperature milks blend more easily.
- For a slightly lighter soak, reduce condensed milk by 1 tbsp (15 g) and replace with extra evaporated milk.
- Store covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Add pistachios on day two if you want extra crunch.
- For a no-bake rose-cardamom option on the same dessert table, pair with our no-bake mithai cheesecake on the site.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!