12/07/2025
The Best Saffron Milk Cake
YIELD: 12 SERVINGS PREP: 15 MINUTES MINSCOOK: 30 MINUTES MINSCHILL TIME: 1 HOUR HRTOTAL: 1 HOUR
This saffron milk cake is not only impressive to serve, but it has a delicious floral flavour from the saffron infused sponge cake and milk mixture. Make this for a special occasion and wow your guests!
Ingredients
For the Cake:
▢ 4 large eggs, yolk and whites separated
▢ 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
▢ 1 cup sugar, 200 g
▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla
▢ 1/4 teaspoon saffron strands, crushed in mortar and pestle
▢ 3/4 cup whole milk, 190 ml
▢ 1 1/2 cups flour, 187 g
▢ 1 teaspoon baking powder
For the Soaking Mixture:
▢ 1/2 cup whole milk, 118 ml
▢ 1/4 teaspoon saffron strands, crushed in mortar and pestle
▢ 300 ml sweetened condensed milk, or use half this amount for less sweetness
▢ 354 ml evaporated milk, 1 can
For the Cream Layer:
▢ 400 ml whipping/heavy cream
▢ 1/4 teaspoon saffron strands, crushed in mortar and pestle
▢ 2 tablespoons powdered sugar or icing sugar
For the Garnish:
▢ 2 tablespoons crushed pistachios
▢ 1/8 teaspoon saffron strands (if desired)
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Instructions
For the Cake:
Start by preheating the oven to 350F. Line an 11 by 7 inch baking pan with parchment paper or grease with butter.
Using an electric hand whisk or stand mixer, beat the egg whites in a clean large bowl on medium speed for 2 minutes until fluffy and doubled in size. Add in the lemon juice and beat for an additional 2 minutes until soft peaks are formed.
Using a mortar and pestle, crush the saffron strands into a fine powder. Place the whole milk in a small sauce pan on low heat and add the saffron powder. Heat the milk for a few minutes just until hot but not boiling, to infuse the saffron flavour. Remove from the heat.
In a separate medium bowl, beat the egg yolks with the vanilla and the sugar until pale yellow. Add the saffron milk and mix to combine.
Sift the flour and the baking powder into the egg yolk mixture and fold with a spatula until no more flour clumps can be seen, being careful not to over mix as this build up the gluten in the flour and creates a tough cake.
Add 1/4 of the egg whites to the egg yolk mixture and fold to combine. Add the egg yolk mixture to the rest of the egg whites and fold with a spatula until the batter is fully combined and no white streaks can be seen.
Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
For the Soaking Mixture:
Crush the saffron strands using a mortar and pestle, then add the powder to the whole milk. In a medium bowl or measuring cup, mix together the saffron milk, condensed milk and evaporated milk.
After the cake has cooled for 5 minutes, poke the cake with a fork all over the surface to create tiny holes for the soaking mixture to soak into.
Pour over the milk mixture, reserving about 3/4 of a cup for serving. It may seem like a lot but it will continue to soak into the cake as it rests. Cover the cake with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for a minimum of 1 hour or until serving.
For the Cream:
Before serving the cake, crush the last 1/4 teaspoon of saffron and add the saffron powder to the whipped cream. Use an electric mixer to whip the saffron cream with the sugar in a large bowl to form soft peaks. Spread the whipped cream over the cake and level with a spatula to form a flat surface.
Garnish the the cake with crushed pistachios and more saffron strands if desired. Serve immediately with more saffron milk on the side.
Notes
If you do not want to use that much saffron, you can decrease the amounts to 1/8 of a teaspoon per step (in the sponge, in the milk mixture and in the cream). The flavour will be slightly less pronounced but will be there nonetheless.
The milk cake will keep in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap, for up to five days.
You can make the cake and soak it a few days ahead of serving, if needed.
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 442kcal, Carbohydrates: 54g, Protein: 11g, Fat: 21g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 123mg, Sodium: 153mg, Potassium: 351mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 41g, Vitamin A: 792IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 261mg, Iron: 1mgEnitan catering home
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