Meera Sodha’s recipe for saffron milk cake

Margot Henderson once described herself as a “wet” over a “dry” food person, and that frame of mind fits this cake. Many Indian desserts rely on batters or doughs cooked and then soaked in syrup or milk, and this recipe follows that tradition: a classic sponge soaked in spiced, sweet saffron and cardamom milk with a little inspiration from Mexico’s tres leches.

You’ll need electric beaters and a 23cm x 33cm baking tin. For the cake whisk 175g caster sugar, 5 eggs and 1 tsp vanilla for about five minutes until custard-thick, then fold in 175g plain flour with 1¼ tsp baking powder and ¼ tsp fine sea salt, and spoon in 75g melted unsalted butter in three stages.

Bake in an oven heated to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6 for 20 minutes, cool in the tin for 30 minutes. For the soaking milk gently heat 300ml whole milk with 30 saffron strands, 1½ tsp ground cardamom and just under ¼ tsp fine sea salt, simmer and infuse for five minutes, then stir in 300ml double cream and 200ml condensed milk.

India

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