A Masala Chai Tres Leches Cake is a twist on a classic Mexican dessert where a fluffy white sponge cake is soaked in a syrup of three milks infused with masala chai. It's topped with a luscious chai date caramel whipped cream. This Indo-Mexican masala milk tea cake is a soft, creamy, and cozy dessert that is perfect for celebrations.
This post is sponsored by our friends at Natural Delights Medjool Dates. I had the unique opportunity of joining them for the date harvest in Yuma, AZ, in September 2023, and I learned so much about Medjool dates! All opinions are my own. Thank you for continuing to support the brands that make Masala and Chai possible.
I've always wanted to make a Masala Chai Cake and can't think of a better dessert to combine it with than a classic Mexican Tres Leches Cake. A Tres Leches Cake is a popular Mexican dessert made with a soft, fluffy white sponge cake that's soaked in a sweet and creamy mixture of three milks - sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and whole milk.
This Indian milk cake is the ideal chai dessert to bring to dinner parties, birthdays, and holiday gatherings! Bring your Lactaid pills because this cake is sooo deliciously creamy.
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Why You'll Love this Recipe
What better way to enjoy the flavors of a creamy Masala Chai than infused in a tres leches cake? The Indian black tea and chai spice is brewed in the three milks. The soft, spongey cake soaks in all the cozy masala chai flavors. It reminds me so much of dipping cake rusk in a hot cup of masala chai.
The classic whipped cream topping is sometimes traditionally combined with dulce de leche (a caramelized milk) for extra sweetness. Similarly, we're making a caramel out of Natural Delights Medjool dates and adding plenty of chai spice. Then, we're mixing the chai date caramel into our whipped cream!
What is Tres Leches Cake?
Tres leches cake is a popular dessert from Mexico that is made with a light, fluffy sponge cake and soaked in a sweet mixture of three milks. It's typically topped with whipped cream and strawberries. You can check out this authentic Tres Leches Cake recipe by Isabel Eats!
Tres leches means "three milks" in Spanish, hence the name of the cake. The sweet, syrup-like milk mixture consists of milk in three forms - whole milk, sweetened condensed milk, and evaporated milk. The texture of the cake stays soft and spongey, similar to a chiffon cake, due to whipping the egg whites into a meringue and folding it into the batter.
The cake can be found at Mexican restaurants and is usually served for special occasions like birthdays, weddings, Cinco de Mayo, holiday parties, and more.
Ingredients - Notes and Substitutions
Masala Chai Tres Leches Cake
- Milks - Whole milk is used in the cake batter to create a lighter texture as well as in the three-milk mixture. The three-milk mixture has whole milk, sweetened condensed milk, and evaporated milk. If that's too much dairy, I also love using coconut milk, coconut cream, and sweetened condensed coconut milk.
- Eggs - For my eggless diet Indians, this may not be the recipe for you unless you'd like to try using whipped aquafaba instead. The egg yolks and egg whites are separated. The egg yolks are mixed with sugar until pale yellow and ribbony, and the egg whites are whipped until stiff peaks and then folded into the batter. The light and airy batter is what helps the three milks soak into the cake without making it soggy.
- Flour - Use sifted unbleached all-purpose flour or cake flour.
- Baking Powder - Our leavening agent to help the cake rise.
- Sugar - White granulated sugar is mixed in the egg yolks and helps the egg whites whip up to sweeten the cake batter.
- Chai Masala - Use a high quality, preferably homemade chai spice from freshly ground spices. I also really love Pur Spices.
- Black Tea - Search for Indian brands of black tea that use the CTC method. For tea bags, I love Tetley British Blend. Taj Mahal and Wagh Bakri are other great options. They can readily be found online or in South Asian grocery stores.
- Heavy Whipping Cream - A tres leches cake with a whipped cream topping is a must!
Chai Date Caramel
- Coconut Milk - Instead of using even more dairy, coconut milk is mixed into the date paste to smooth it out into a delicious, thick caramel texture.
- Chai Masala - Use a high quality, preferably homemade chai spice from freshly ground spices. I also really love Pur Spices.
- Medjool Dates - Medjool dates are the best variety for a homemade, sugar-free chai date caramel that's mixed into the whipped cream frosting. They're large, soft, and naturally sweet compared to other varieties. There are many health benefits to adding them to your diet, such as added vitamins and minerals and high fiber (WebMD). They're available pitted at the grocery store and online by brands like Natural Delights which makes this recipe quicker.
Recommended Kitchen Equipment
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Buy Now → How to make Masala Chai Tres Leches Cake
The Tres Leches Cake
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with oil or brush it with softened butter.
Let's start with making the cake batter.
Step 1 - In a small bowl, beat together the 5 egg yolks and ¾ cup of sugar until it reaches a pale yellow color and a smooth ribbony texture. Mix in ¾ cup of whole milk and vanilla extract.
Step 2 - Mix the beaten egg yolks into a large mixing bowl with the flour, baking powder, salt, and ¼ teaspoon of chai spice until the cake batter is smooth with no lumps.
Step 3 - Now, we're going to whip the egg whites with some sugar. We're looking for a light and airy sponge cake that can absorb all the milk without getting soggy, and whipping the egg whites is the key to this.
Start with the egg whites in a separate large bowl. Beat the egg whites with a handheld electric mixer or stand mixer on High until it gets frothy.
Once it gets frothy, start adding in a ¼ cup of sugar little by little. Keep going until shiny stiff peaks form. At this point, the egg whites are done.
Step 4 - Gently fold a third of the egg whites into the center of the cake batter.
Step 5 - Continue to fold in the egg whites in intervals until the batter is completely mixed together.
Step 6 - Transfer the fluffy and airy cake batter into the greased baking dish that we prepared. Pop the baking dish into the oven for 35-40 minutes, or until the top has browned. Insert a toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean, it's done. Allow the cake to cool for 20 minutes.
Step 7 - Pour the evaporated milk and whole milk into a sauce pan. Add 1 tablespoon of black tea leaves, or 4-5 black tea bags, and 1 tablespoon of chai spice. Bring this up to a boil, and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Turn the heat off. Stir in the sweetened condensed milk until it melts into the mixture. Let the milk mixture fully cool.
Step 8 - Once cooled, strain the milk and tea mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a liquid measuring cup. There should be just about 2 cups of liquid.
I like to reserve a ¼ - ½ cup of the tres leches for pouring into the plate when serving.
Step 9 - Poke holes into the cake with a fork or skewer. Be sure to poke all the way through to the bottom of the cake so that the liquid can evenly penetrate the cake.
Step 10 - Slowly pour the masala chai tres leches mixture over the entirety of the cake. Cover the baking dish and refrigerate for 3 hours, or overnight.
Top Tip
The take cake out of the refrigerator halfway through the chill time and spread the mixture stuck on the sides of the cake into the middle with a small rubber spatula for an even distribution.
The Chai Date Caramel Whipped Cream
Now, to make the delicious whipped cream. A plain whipped topping or one mixed with dulce de leche is pretty common to find in Tres Leches Cakes. Our little spin is making a chai caramel out of Medjool dates!
First, soak the Medjool dates in warm water for 10 minutes so they get soft and plump. This makes it way easier to blend them.
Drain the water from the dates. Toss them into a food processor. Pulse the dates until it starts to become a paste. Take the lid off and scrape the sides every now and then.
Add a tablespoon of chai spice and a pinch of salt into the food processor. Slowly begin to pour 6 ounces of coconut milk into the top of the food processor. Keep running the processor on High speed. You're looking for a thick and smooth caramel.
Give the caramel a taste and adjust with more chai spice or a sprinkle of salt.
Beat 1 cup of heavy cream and a ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl until soft peaks start to form. Add ½ - 1 cup of the chai date caramel, depending on sweetness preference, into the whipped cream and mix just until combined.
Once the cake has rested in the refrigerator, spread the whipped topping all over the cake.
Serving Suggestions
Now that the whipped topping is on the cake, you're ready to garnish and serve! I like to slather the whipped topping with a bit more of the chai date caramel and lightly mix it in with the back of a spoon. Garnish with chopped pistachios or sliced almonds. Rose petals would also be a gorgeous pop of color.
Cut the tres leches chai cake into slices and serve on cake plates. I like to reserve some of the masala chai tres leches mixture and pour it into the cake plate for an extra bit of wetness.
Storage and Make Ahead Instructions
Store the Tres Leches Cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
If you're taking the cake elsewhere and you have a few hours before you plan on serving it, I'd recommend soaking the cake with the tres leches at the beginning of the party and storing it in the refrigerator. Then top with the whipped cream a couple of hours later once you're ready to serve it.
More Cake Recipes to try
Recipe
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Masala Chai Tres Leches Cake
Equipment
- Baking Dish 9x13 inch
Ingredients
Cake Batter
- cooking spray, or butter, for greasing baking dish
- 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsps baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon chai spice
- 5 eggs, yolks and white separated
- 1 cup granulated sugar, divided
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup whole milk
Masala Chai Tres Leches
- 5 black tea bags, (or 1 tablespoon of black tea leaves)
- 1 tablespoon chai spice
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
- 12 oz evaporated milk
Whipped Cream Topping
- 12 Medjool dates, pitted
- 6 oz coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon chai spice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray, or brush it with softened butter. Set the baking dish aside.
- In a small mixing bowl, beat together the 5 egg yolks with ¾ cup of sugar on High using a handheld mixer or the whisk attachment on a stand mixer. After 1-2 minutes, the color will be a pale yellow and the texture will be smooth and ribbony. Add the vanilla extract and ½ cup of whole milk, and beat on low until just combined.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and chai spice. Pour the egg yolk mixture into the bowl and mix until it's a smooth batter with no lumps.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites on high on High using a handheld mixer or the whisk attachment on a stand mixer. Once the eggs become frothy, slowly start to add in the ¼ cup of sugar in intervals while continuing to mix. Keep going until the meringue forms stiff peaks.
- Add a ⅓ of the fluffy egg whites into the bowl of cake batter. With a rubber spatula, gently fold in the egg whites until fully combined. Keep doing this with the rest of the egg whites in thirds. Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and keep going until everything is combined with no white streaks.
- Transfer the cake batter into the greased baking dish. Pop the baking dish into the oven for 35-40 minutes. Insert a toothpick into the center. The cake is done if it comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool for half an hour.
- While the cake cools, prepare the masala chai tres leches. In a saucepan, bring the evaporated milk and ¼ cup of whole milk to a boil. Add a tablespoon of chai spice and a tablespoon (or 4-5 teabags) of black tea leaves. Simmer for 5 minutes, then turn off the heat. Stir in the condensed milk until it has melted into the mixture.
- Let the masala chai tres leches mixture fully cool. Then strain it into a liquid cup measurer with a fine mesh strainer. There should be about 2 cups of liquid.
- Once the tres leches and cake has cooled, poke holes into the cake with a fork, being sure to reach all the way to the bottom. Slowly pour the tres leches mixture all over the cake and the sides. Cover the cake and refrigerate for up to 3 hours.
- While the cake is chilling, soak Medjool dates in warm to hot water for 10 minutes until soft and plump. Transfer the date into a food processor and pulse until they become a paste. Add ¼ teaspoon of salt and a tablespoon of chai spice into the food processor.
- Run the food processor on High while slowly pouring in 6 ounces of coconut milk. It's done when it's completely smooth and thick.
- 30 minutes before serving, beat heavy cream in a large mixing bowl just until soft peaks start to form. Add ½ - 1 cup of the chai date caramel, depending on sweetness preference, and beat until fully mixed and soft peaks have formed.
- Plop the chai date caramel whipped cream onto the cake and fully spread it out using an offset spatula.
- To serve, add a few extra dollops of chai date caramel in random areas and spread it into the whipped cream. Garnish with chopped pistachios or sliced almonds. Cut the cake into slices and serve on cake plates.
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