Saffron-Spiced Milk Cake: A Sweet Twist on Indian Soaked Desserts

If you're more of a "wet" food fan than a "dry" one, this sweet and spiced, milk-soaked sponge will tick all your boxes. Margot Henderson once described herself as a "wet" over a "dry" food person, and that distinction suddenly made the world clearer to me. I'm also firmly on the "wet" side—I need a sauce with every meal—and I'd bet many Indians agree, especially with savory dishes, but also with sweets. Indian treats like rasmalai, gulab jamun, and jalebi all involve batters or doughs cooked and then soaked in syrup or milk. I wanted to create a "wet" cake in that tradition: a classic sponge soaked in spiced, sweet saffron and cardamom milk. This recipe takes a little inspiration from Mexico's tres leches cake.