Saffron Tres Leches Cupcakes feature a fragrant cardamom sponge soaked in a saffron-infused three-milk blend—an irresistible, exotic twist on a classic dessert and one of our all-time favorite cupcakes.
Looking for more unique tres leches? Try my tiramisu tres leches cake next—it's a delicious fusion you won't want to miss!
👉 This saffron tres leches cupcakes recipe has been a reader favorite since I first shared the recipe in 2016. It was updated with new photos, step-by-step instructions and a short video in June 2025.
My rasmalai tres leches cake has been a longtime favorite, so I transformed it into cupcakes, keeping all the flavor but simplifying the recipe by skipping the ricotta cream.
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Why our recipe?
- Perfectly portioned & packed with flavor: These saffron tres leches cupcakes are individually sized desserts that always steal the show.
- Infused with saffron and cardamom, each bite is rich in flavor.
- No evaporated milk.
- No butter or oil, yet light in texture—thanks to whipped egg whites instead of butter or oil.
- Ideal make-ahead treat, as they need to rest overnight to soak up all that sweet, saffron-infused goodness.
Short video
How to make saffron tres leches cupcakes?
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Make Ahead And Freezing Instructions:
To make ahead: Make the cupcakes 1-2 days in advance and store them, in the refrigerator.
To freeze: Make cupcakes up to step 7 and allow them to cool completely. Do not poke holes in them yet. Store them in a freezer safe bag for 2-3 months. Allow them to thaw completely, then poke holes and prepare the saffron milk and pour mixture over them.
Recipe tips
- Allow to soak overnight. This saffron tres leches cake really needs the full time to soak all of the milk. Make sure it really has at least 8 hours to soak!
- Separate the eggs while they’re still cold, but let them sit at room temperature for at least an hour. This will help them whip up to their full volume.
- To poke holes, use a wooden skewer to prick holes deeply all over each cupcake (but be careful not to poke through the cupcake liners).
- Take your time when adding the saffron milk—use a tablespoon to slowly pour it over each cupcake, allowing it to fully absorb before adding the next spoonful.
- Use the foil cupcake liners instead of the usual paper liners.
More saffron desserts
Saffron Tres Leches Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon cream of tarter
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 ¼ cups whole milk divided
- 2 pinches saffron
- 7 ounces sweetened condensed milk (½ a can)
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
Cardamom whipped cream
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons confectioners sugar
- ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
- 2 tablespoons chopped raw pistachios for garnishing
Instructions
Make cupcakes
- Seperate eggs when cold and leave at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with foil liners.
- Whisk flour, baking powder and salt together in a small bowl and set aside.
- Beat eggs whites and cream of tarter with the hand held beater for about 1 minute, until soft peaks begin to form. Set aside.
- Place 3 yolks in a large bowl and beat for about 2 minutes, until thick. Add sugar in 3 batches and continue to beat for about 4 more minutes, until thick and falls back as ribbons when the beater is lifted. Add ¼ cup milk and beat for a few seconds.
- Switch to a rubber spatula and fold in flour mixture in 2 additions, and then fold in beaten egg whites in 3 additions. (Be gentle while folding the whites)
- Divide batter into the prepared muffin pan. Bake for about 20 minutes, until a tooth pick inserted in the middle comes clean. Place pan on a wire rack and cool.
Saffron milk
- While the cupcakes bake, heat 1 cup of milk with 2 pinches of saffron in a small saucepan over the stove. Warm it until it's very hot but not boiling, stir gently, and set aside to cool.
- In a bowl, whisk together the saffron-infused milk, sweetened condensed milk, heavy cream, and cardamom powder until well combined.
- After the cupcakes have cooled completely, use a wooden skewer to prick holes deeply all over each cupcake (being careful not to poke through the cupcake liners).
- Slowly spoon about 3 tablespoons of the milk mixture over each cupcake, taking care to pour it directly onto the cupcake rather than into the pan. Go slowly—this step is key to ensuring each cupcake fully absorbs the flavorful milk.
- Refrigerate the cupcakes for at least 2 hours or overnight, to allow them to soak up the milk.
Cardamom whipped cream
- Beat heavy cream, sugar and cardamom powder with an electric beater, until stiff peaks form.
- Spoon a little over the top of each cupcake. Sprinkle with chopped pistachios. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.
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Simi
Is cardamom powder the same thing as ground cardamom? And does it matter if it is green or black cardamom?
Maria Doss
Yes, it's the same. I used green cardamom for this recipe. The flavor of black cardamom is a little different than green, so I'd suggest green. Hope it helps, thank you.
Nishuji
replacement for egg ?
Maria Doss
Hi Nishuji, Unfortunately, this recipe totally relies on the sponge that is created by whipped eggs. Hence, it CANNOT be made without eggs - Our sincere apologies, Maria