Pistachio Cardamom Tres Leches Cake

1. Stage

Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Lightly grease the bottom of a 13-inch by 9-inch by 2-inch pan, but do not grease the sides (otherwise, the cake will shrink considerably).

2. Stage

Grind the pistachios: In a small food processor or spice grinder, finely grind the pistachios into a coarse powder (avoid over-grinding, or it'll turn into nut butter).

3. Stage

Prepare the dry ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the pistachios, flour, baking powder, salt, and ground cardamom. Set aside.

4. Stage

Whip the egg yolks and sugar: Add the egg yolks and 1 cup of the sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Set the mixer on low speed until the sugar and egg yolks are combined, then increase to medium speed.  Beat the egg yolks for 3 minutes, or until thick, ribbon-like, and pale yellow, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.

5. Stage

Add the remaining wet ingredients: Reduce the speed to low, then slowly pour in the milk and vanilla and almond extracts and beat until homogeneous. Turn the mixer off, then scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.

6. Stage

Mix in the dry ingredients: Set the mixer back on low speed, then slowly add the dry ingredients until just barely combined; there should still be a few specks of flour in the bowl. Turn the mixer off, transfer the mixture back to the large mixing bowl that you had the dry ingredients in, and fold gently with a spatula until no dry bits remain.  You’ll use the stand mixer bowl again to whip the egg whites.

7. Stage

Beat the egg whites: Wash then thoroughly wipe the stand mixer bowl (there should be no trace of egg yolks or water), and place it back on the stand mixer.  Add the egg whites, then with the whisk attachment, set to medium speed and beat until the liquid just begins to foam.

8. Stage

Add the sugar and beat the egg whites to medium peaks: Increase the speed to high, then slowly add the remaining sugar. Beat the egg whites to medium peaks, about 2 to 3 minutes—lift the beater and turn it upside down to test this. The peak should stand up firmly, but the tip will curl slightly. The mixture will also look slightly glossy and have tripled in volume. To avoid overwhipping, I recommend stopping the mixture every twenty seconds to check the stiffness.

9. Stage

Fold in the egg whites: Stir in a third of the egg white mixture into the batter until mostly combined (it’s okay to see a few small streaks of white). Then, gently fold the rest of the egg whites into the batter until just combined.

10. Stage

Bake the cake and cool: Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Gently tap the pan on the counter to remove any surface bubbles.  Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes back clean. Let cool completely, about 1 hour. Run a butter knife all around the outside of the cake to release it from the edges of the pan.

11. Stage

Make the milk mixture: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the condensed milk and evaporated milk using a whisk.  Set a small saucepan over medium heat, add the whole milk, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom. Bring to a simmer, remove from the heat, and pour slowly into the mixing bowl. Whisk the liquids until combined.  Let cool to room temperature.

12. Stage

Soak the cake: Generously poke the top of the cake all over with a fork or thin skewer. Avoid poking deep enough to pierce the bottom of the cake, as this will cause the liquid to seep out of the cake.  Slowly pour half of the liquid over the cake, letting the liquid slightly seep through for 1 minute. Pour the remaining half of the liquid and let sit for 15 minutes.  Refrigerate cake for a minimum of four hours up to overnight before adding the whipped cream.

13. Stage

Whip the cream: Just before serving, whip the cream. Place the heavy cream in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat the cream on high speed until foamy, then add the powdered sugar and continue whipping to stiff peaks (any formed peaks should stand straight up when the whisk is lifted from the bowl).

14. Stage

Garnish and serve: Use a spatula to transfer the whipped cream to the top of the cake. Using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon, smooth out the cream as needed. Top with chopped pistachios and serve immediately.

15. Stage

Storage: The frosted cake can sit for up to 3 days in the fridge, though the whipped cream may start to deflate, and the pistachio topping can get a bit soggy. It will still be delicious, though! Did you love the recipe? Leave us stars below!