Masala Chai Tres Leches Cake Recipe by Chetna Makan

Here I have combined one of my favorite cakes with one of my favorite flavors.

FOR 12 TO 14 PEOPLE

FOR THE CAKE

unsalted butter, for the mold 6 large eggs separated 200 g caster sugar

250g plain flour

1½ tsp baking powder 1 tsp ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cardamom 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground cloves 100 ml whole milk

FOR THE SOAK

397g canned condensed milk

410g canned evaporated milk 200ml fresh cream

4 sachets

To DECORATE

500 ml heavy cream 1 tablespoon caster sugar

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C convection/gas Butter a 30 cm x 20 cm x 4 cm-5 cm deep cake tin and line it with non-stick baking paper.
2. In a bowl and using an electric whisk, beat the egg yolks with half the sugar for 5-6 minutes until pale, fluffy and almost doubled in volume .
3. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and spices and mix well. Add the dry ingredients to the egg yolk mixture and stir. Then gently stir in the milk.
4. In another bowl, beat the egg whites with a clean electric whisk until soft. Slowly add the remaining sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking constantly. Once it’s firm and shiny, add a ladleful of it to the batter and stir it in. Add all the rest of the egg white mixture and gently fold it in.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it evenly and bake for 30 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the sponge cake comes out clean.
6. Combine all the ingredients for the dip in a saucepan, bring to a boil and immediately turn off the heat. Let cool and infuse while the cake bakes.
7. As soon as the cake is cooked, use a toothpick or skewer to prick all over the Remove the tea bags from the dip and pour all the liquid evenly over the cake. Let cool, then refrigerate for 3-4 hours, or overnight, if possible.
8. To serve, whip cream with sugar until thick and smooth. Top portions of the cake with the cream, sprinkle with a pinch of cinnamon and drizzle some dipping from the mold. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

NOW BUY THE BOOK

Our recipes are taken from Chetna’s Easy Baking by Chetna Makan, published by Octopus, £20. To order a copy for £17 until June 26, go to mailshop.co.uk/books*