Rose Milk Cake! A delicious and fragrant vanilla cake infused with a rose milk syrup. My rose milk cake is the perfect dessert to impress your guests!
Disclosure: A very special thank you to North American Herb and Spice for providing the rose essence shown below and sponsoring this post! And thank you to all my readers for supporting companies like North American Herb and Spice that keep The Hint of Rosemary going!
Love baking and want to truly take your healthy baking up a notch? Read my full No Discard Sourdough Starter Guide for Beginners! You can use sourdough starter in everything from cookies to cakes, breads, and so much more!
WHAT IS ROSE MILK CAKE MADE OF?
Rose milk cake is made of:
- A delicious light and fluffy cake base
- Sweet rose milk syrup
- Rose whipped cream topping
WHAT DOES IT TASTE LIKE?
Rose cake has a light airy texture, and sweet taste with a subtle hint of rose flavor. It is so delicious and a very light fluffy cake that is not too heavy!
ROSE ESSENCE VS ROSE WATER
I want to briefly note that rose essence and rose water are two completely different products! Most rose milk cakes call for rose water. My recipe calls for rose essence from North American Herb and Spice!
I love using rose essence because it actually is more concentrated and you need less of it in your recipes! And rose essence has some amazing health benefits like:
- Flavonoids & Phenolic Compounds in rose help to reduce inflammation all over the body!
- Terpenes are plant compounds found in roses that have been shown to have powerful calming and anti-depressive benefits.
- Great for skin! I wanted to throw this in here because I know most of you love a good face mask! Rose essence is great for your skin, as it calms inflamed skin. I love mixing my rose essence with a bit of jojoba oil for an overnight face serum. 🙂
TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST ROSE MILK INFUSED CAKE
USE FRESH EGGS! Fresh eggs will whip to perfection for a light airy cake texture.
DON'T GET ANY YOLK IN THE EGG WHITE. And while we're on eggs... make sure there is no yolk in the egg white bowl or you will not get perfect stiff peaks.
PREPARE ALL CAKE COMPONENTS AT ONCE. I like to have 1 bowl for the egg yolk and sugar, 1 bowl for the whipped egg whites, 1 bowl for the sifted flour and the last for the milk. Then, I just pour everything together and nothing is over mixed!
ADD MILK AND FLOUR IN 2 PARTS. Adding the milk and flour alternatively helps to prevent over mixing.
FOLD DON'T STIR EGG WHITES. Fold in the egg whites. Keep scooping under the egg whites and folding the cake batter on top. This will help prevent egg whites from deflating and leaving you with a flat cake.
COOL CAKE BEFORE ADDING ROSE SYRUP. Cool cake completely then poke all over with a fork. I poked it about 150 times to make sure the rose milk syrup totally soaked in!
HOW TO MAKE ROSE MILK TRES LECHES CAKE AT HOME
Okay so I made this rose milk cake from a couple of different bloggers and some recipes were easy to follow.. some were so confusing that my cake did not look like the picture at all! I hope that I broke down the steps here so that my rose cake is easy to make for you!
STEP 1: separate egg whites and yolks
- First, separate 5 eggs.
- Put egg whites in 1 bowl and yolks in another bowl.
- Add sugar to the egg yolks. Beat the egg yolks on medium speed until they turn pale yellow.
- Next, with clean dry beaters, beat the egg whites till they are stiff peaks. Set these aside for later.
STEP 2: sift together dry ingredients and make the vanilla milk
- In a third bowl, sift the flour with baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- Finally, pour milk into a measuring cup. Add the vanilla. Set aside. (If you want a strong rose flavor, use rose essence in place of vanilla extract!!)
Now all 4 rose milk cake components are ready! You should have:
- Whipped egg yolks with sugar.
- Whipped egg whites.
- Sifted flour.
- Vanilla milk.
STEP 3: add milk and flour to egg yolks
Add your milk and flour alternatively to the rose milk cake batter in two parts, mixing after each addition. This helps to prevent over mixing cake batter. If you haven't done this before this is how:
- Add ½ of milk to the egg yolks. Mix till just combined.
- Add ½ of flour mix to the egg yolks. Mix till just combined.
- Pour the remaining ½ of milk. Mix till just combined. (Add 2-3 drops red food dye here if using!!)
- Add the remaining ½ of flour mix. Mix till just combined.
STEP 4: fold in the egg whites and bake cake
Finally, fold the egg whites into the rose milk cake batter. Scooping under and folding in. Make sure you DO NOT STIR. Stirring will deflate your egg whites. Fold until the batter is uniform and fluffy.
Pour the batter into a greased and floured 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool cake in the pan on a wire rack.
STEP 5: make the rose milk syrup
In a small bowl, whisk together the 3 milks: whole milk, sweetened condensed milk, and evaporated milk. Add rose essence and 2-3 drops of red food dye if you want a pink rose milk syrup color.
Poke the top of your cooled cake all over with a fork. Poke 150-200 times to make sure the rose milk will get absorbed!
Pour about ¾ of the rose milk over the top. Save the other ¼ of rose milk for serving.
STEP 6: refrigerate and make the rose whipped cream
Refrigerate rose milk cake 1 hour or overnight.
To make the rose whipped cream:
- add heavy cream and rose essence to a bowl
- whip until it starts to thicken
- gradually add the powdered sugar
- keep whipping till stiff peaks form
Spread the whipped rose milk cream over the top of the cake. And finally sprinkle chopped pistachios and dried rose petals for serving.
Cut cake and serve with an extra drizzle of the leftover rose milk.
Hope you enjoy!!
FAQ's
Frequently asked questions about my tres leches rose milk cake recipe.
How do I make a more wet cake?
Most rose milk cake recipes have a LOT of syrup, for me that is too much so I made my cake with less syrup which gives you a moist yet still fluffy cake. If you want a very wet cake like the traditional rose cake, simply double the rose syrup recipe!
Can I use all purpose flour instead of cake flour?
Yes! All purpose has slightly more protein than cake flour, so you just might not have as light of a cake texture but it will work!
How do I serve rose milk cake?
Serve your cake cut into squares with a drizzle of rose syrup over the top or around the sides.
How long can I store the cake for?
This cake can be stored, covered tightly, in the fridge for up to 4 days. It is a great cake to make ahead for busy days with guests!
How do I make the pink colored cake and rose milk?
Just simply mix in a couple of drops of red food coloring! I used an all natural food dye that is made from beets. Add less dye for a pale pink color and more for a darker pink color.
More dessert recipes you might like:
- Pistachio cardamom cupcakes with rosewater frosting
- Qatayef
- Walnut Baklava
- Basbousa with Cream
- Arabic Butter Cookies
- Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
- Pink Cinnamon Rolls
- Pink Meringue Cookies
If you try this Rose Milk Cake Recipe, please let me know your thoughts by leaving a rating and comment below! Ready for more? Subscribe to my newsletter or follow along on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube!
Rose Milk Cake
Equipment
- beaters
- measuring cup
- 9 x 13 baking pan
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 5 lg eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar I use organic raw cane sugar
- 1 cup cake flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder (aluminum free)
- ½ teaspoon pink sea salt
- ⅓ cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2-3 drops all natural red food dye
For the rose milk syrup:
- 1 tablespoon rose essence sub 2 tablespoon rose water
- ½ cup sweetened condensed milk
- ¾ cup evaporated milk
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 2-3 drops all natural red food dye
For the rose whipped cream:
- 1 tablespoon rose essence
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan and sprinkle with flour. Set aside.Separate 5 eggs. Place egg yolks in 1 bowl, egg whites in another bowl.
- Add 1 cup of sugar to the 5 egg yolks. Beat egg yolks and sugar until the mixture is a pale yellow color, scrape down the bowl as needed.
- Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Do not over mix. Set aside.
- In another bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt.In a measuring cup add the milk and vanilla extract. Gently whisk till its combined.
- Add the ½ the flour and ½ the milk alteratively, mixing after each addition till just combined. Add 2-3 drops red food dye with the second addition of milk. Do not over mix.
- Gently add the egg whites to the cake batter bowl. Fold the egg whites into the batter, making sure to not deflate the egg whites. Fold egg whites in until cake batter is completely uniform.
- Pour cake batter into prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool cake on a wire rack.Once cake is cool, prick entire surface with a fork about 150-200 times, making sure entire surface is pricked so the rose milk can absorb into the cake.
For the rose milk syrup:
- In a small bowl, whisk together the rose essence, 3 milks, and red food dye.
- Pour ¾ of the syrup evenly across the cooled and pricked cake.
- Place in the fridge 1 hour to allow time for the cake to absorb the syrup.
For the rose whipped cream:
- While the cake rests, make the whipped topping. Add the rose essence and heavy whipping cream to a clean bowl.
- Whip until it starts to thicken. Gradually add the powdered sugar.
- Keep whipping until stiff peaks form.
- Spread rose whipped cream across the cake. Sprinkle with dried rose petals and crushed pistachio for decoration.
- Serve with the reserved rose milk and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
If you enjoyed this Rose Milk Cake recipe make sure to pin it for later!
Gina
This cake is sooo good!! I’ve had it before! I can’t wait to make it this year for Eid!
Rose
Okay I had this before and want a fan because it was such a “wet” cake! I made your version because I stumbled across your website and it looked SO pretty! And oh my gosh your version is so good. It is fluffy, light and slightly moist from the rose milk thank you for all the recipe steps pics!!!
Rosemary
I hope it turned out great! EID Mubarak! <3
Rosemary
I'm sooo glad you liked my version of it!
R.khan
What's the equivalent of rose water to rose essence?
Rosemary
rose essence is much more concentrated than rose water so I used about half the amount of rose essence hope this helps!