With Diwali coming up I was drawn to the idea of baking a cake with festive and traditional flavours. Pistachio, saffron, rose seemed like the perfect blend. I put together this Pistachio Cake with flavours of the Gulab Jamun cake and I think we have a winner. This Pistachio Tres Leches is fuss-free, non demanding and full of festivity in every bite.
Making this Pistachio Tres Leches Cake
This cake has 3 components to it. First, we make the pistachio cake with rose and of course pistachios. Next, we soak the cake in a tres leches mixture, with saffron and cardamom and lastly, top the cake with whipped cream. Tadaaa! Doesn’t it sound like a riot of Indian flavours. I could hardly wait to devour this cake.
If you like the idea of a Tres leches cake, you can also try this Tres Leches Cake from earlier. And if you enjoy flavours of rose and mild spices, you’ll definitely enjoy the Basbousa cake. That is one cake we can’t get enough of in our home, an absolute crowd pleaser.
Don’t let the idea of a tres leches cake trick you in believing this cake is a lot of work and time. I’ve simplified it to fit your busy schedule and your festive calendar. Quick to put together and delicious in every bite. Happy Diwali! Sending oodles of love and light your way.
Pistachio Tres Leches Cake
For the Pistachio Cake
190 gms butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp rose essence
2 tbsp yogurt/hung curd
1/4 cup pistachios, roughly chopped
For the Tres Leches mixture
1 cup milk
3/4 cup condensed milk
1/2 cup milk cream (you can use low fat cream here)
A few strands of saffron
2 pods of cardamom
For the frosting
1 cup whipped cream,
1/4 cup icing sugar
1 tsp rose essence
Pistachios to garnish
- Begin by preheating the oven to a 170 C.
- Grease a large loaf pan or a medium sized square pan with butter and then dust it with flour. Keep aside.
- In a large bowl, mix the butter and the sugar. Using a handheld mixer, beat the two ingredients on medium speed until the mixture is pale and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, one by one, continuing to beat with the mixer just enough to blend in the eggs after each addition.
- Sift in the flour and the baking powder and mix the ingredients on low speed.
- Add in the hung curd, vanilla and rose essence. Mix with the beater on low speed.
- Turn off the beater. Using a spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix the batter.
- Add the chopped pistachios and mix well, using a spatula.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared cake tin, and bake in a preheated oven for 45-55 minutes.
- The cake is done, when a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Leave the cake to cool on a wire rack.
While the cake bakes, you can make the Tres Leches Mixture.
- To make the Tres Leches mixture, combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Heat over a gentle flame until the mixture is slightly warm. Leave it to cool. Strain and set aside.
- For the frosting, mix the whipped cream with the sugar and rose essence. The whipped cream should be whipped to stiff peaks. Scoop the whipping cream into a piping bag fitted with a decorating tip of your choice. I used a 1m Wilton icing tip.
To assemble the cake
Place the baked and cooled cake on a serving tray. With a fork, gently pierce the cake all over so it can soak up the mixture. Pour the tres leches mixture all over the cake. Pipe the whipped cream on the top and garnish with chopped pisctachios.
