Saffron Mango Pistachio Tres Leches Cake- Gluten Free, Egg Free, Refined Sugar Free
Saffron Mango Pistachio Tres Leche Cake
I love herb infused desserts to enjoy with my daily latte. Lately I have been on a Mediterranean/Middle Eastern kick with pistachios and mangos inspiring a lot of my creations. Plus mangos are in season here in Florida and our fridge has been over flowing with the tasty fruits. So today I decided to make a Tres Leches Cake (which means 3 milks) but use coconut milk and gluten free flour instead. The last 3 years, I have had a precious box of saffron that I have been hording in my kitchen decided it was high time to open it up and put some of that precious herb in my latest delicacy. Saffron, also known as sunshine spice, is thought to help brighten the mood and be a rich source of antioxidants. It has a long history of being used by ancient Egyptian physicians in 1600BC. Part of the reason this spice is so special is the process of which it is harvested. Farmers harvest individual stigmas by hand from the autumn crocus when they bloom during a 3 week window in the fall. It takes roughly 75,000 flowers to produce a pound of saffron! Talk about a magical spice!
Recipe
Ingredients:
Sponge-
140g of vanilla unsweetened coconut yogurt
40g honey
1/4 tsp baking soda, 3/4 tsp baking powder
a pinch of salt
a pinch of saffron
1 tbsp of pistachios (ground in your mortar and pastel)
60 g of avocado oil
90g of gluten free flour
Saffron Leche-
nice pinch of saffron
100g of oat milk
1 tsp of maple syrup.
Cream-
250 g of coconut cream
1.5 tbsp of rice flour
1tsp of agar agar or gelatin
2 tbsp of sweetened condensed coconut milk
1 tbsp of ghee or vegan butter
Toppings-
Fresh Mango & Mint
Timing Tip: Prep the Saffron Leche and Cream the Night before or in the morning. Plan on making this cake at least 12 hours before you plan on serving it and have 2-3 fresh Mangos on deck.
Method: Add a nice pinch of saffron to 100g of oat milk and stir in 1 tsp of maple syrup. Let sit in fridge for 6-8 hours to infuse. Add 250 g of coconut cream to a bowl with 1.5 tbsp of rice flour, 1tsp of agar agar or gelatin, 2 tbsp of sweetened condensed coconut milk, and 1 tbsp of ghee or vegan butter. Mix well the microwave for 30 seconds or use the double boiler method until melted. Mix everything well and stick in fridge. Then preheat the oven to 340F and line a 9inch cake pan with parchment paper. Then in a mixing bowl, add 140g of vanilla unsweetened coconut yogurt and 40g honey. Place bowl on top of a pot with a little water simmering so you get a doubt boiler effect. Stir until honey is completely melted and combined. Take bowl off heat and add 1/4 tsp baking soda, 3/4 tsp baking powder, a pinch of salt, a pinch of saffron, 1 tbsp of pistachios (ground in your mortar and pastel). Let sit 5 minutes until bubbly then add 60 g of avocado oil, and sift in 90g of gluten free flour and mix well.
Pour into baking tin and bake for 25- 30 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes then stab a bunch of fork holes all over sponge. Mix up the saffron milk you prepared the night before and slowly pour a little at a time into the sponge until it is soaked through. Pour the coconut cream mixture out of the fridge and stir well. Top cake with small cubes of fresh mango. Pour cream on top of mangos. Make a rim of crushed pistachios around the edges of the cream for decoration. Pop in freezer for 2 hours then in the fridge overnight or at lest 6 hours. Top middle of cake with fresh mango and mint. Enjoy!! Bonus points if you serve with Kashmir Pink Tea.
