Alright, dessert enthusiasts, gather ‘round! Have you ever thought about what might happen if an Indian Kulfi and a Mexican Tres Leches had a baby? No? Just me? Well, hold onto your spoons, because I’m about to introduce you to the love child of these two delicacies: Kulfi Tres Leches Cupcakes. I swear, these cupcakes will make your taste buds do the cha-cha!
You might be thinking, “Fusion desserts? Oh, come on. What next? Sushi brownies?” But trust me, once you dive into this delicious mess of saffron, cardamom, milky goodness, all skepticism will evaporate faster than water on a hot skillet. Plus, the cherry (or should I say “whipped cream”) on top? This recipe is easy-peasy, and thanks to some store-bought shortcuts, you’ll be snacking on these divine desserts in no time.
Store-Bought Superstars
Alright, so here’s the game plan. We’re gonna start with your good ol’ store-bought cupcake or cake mix. Yes, yes, I know… “Store-bought? That’s heresy in the dessert kingdom!” But hang tight, my sugar-loving comrades. The real magic isn’t in the cake itself, but in that luscious, saffron and cardamom infused tres leches concoction that we’re gonna pour over these babies.
The ‘Milky Way’ Mix
For the uninitiated, “Tres Leches” translates to “three milks”, which sounds simple enough, right? But we’re not just going to stop at simple. We’re gonna spice (literally) things up!
In a bowl, combine:
Sweetened condensed milk (because sweet is never enough)
Evaporated milk (because we want to travel back in time)
Regular milk (because we still like to keep it basic sometimes)
Once you’ve whisked those three milky musketeers together, sprinkle in some ground cardamom (the secret weapon from our Indian counterpart, Kulfi) and a pinch of saffron strands. Mix this aromatic potion until it’s smoother than a jazz playlist on a Sunday evening.
Soaking Soiree
Now, after you’ve baked those cupcakes using the store-bought mix (and hopefully not burned any), poke some holes in them. This isn’t just for fun (although it is surprisingly therapeutic), it’s so our milky mix can seep into every nook and cranny. Slowly pour the tres leches mixture over each cupcake, letting the flavors get all cozy and familiar with each other. It’s like a spa day for your cupcakes.
Whip it Good!
No Kulfi Tres Leches Cupcake is complete without a dollop of homemade whipped cream on top. And no, a spray can won’t do! Grab that heavy whipping cream from the fridge and whip it up (pun very much intended) until it forms soft peaks. I love to throw it into my nutribullet and let it do all the work.
And voilà! There you have it, folks: a fusion dessert that combines the frosty flair of Kulfi with the moist magic of Tres Leches, all in a cute little cupcake. So next time you want to impress at a potluck or just treat yourself to a global dessert experience, remember the Kulfi Tres Leches Cupcake. It’s international diplomacy, dessert-style!
Preheat oven to 350°F degrees, line muffin tin with liners and set aside.
Mix cake mix according to package instructions, mix all the ingredients in a bowl, until you have smooth lump free batter. Next fill each cup cake liner about 3/4 with the batter and place in the oven for 10-14 mins or until center is fully baked.
Kulfi tres leches mixture
In a microwave safe bowl, warm up the whole milk for 30 seconds. Add the saffron and ground cardamon to the milk and stir. Next add 1 cup of evaporated milk and 1 cup of sweetened condensed milk together. Place in the fridge until ready to use.
Whipped frosting
In your stand mixture or hand held blender, combine heavy whipping cream and confectioners sugar on high speed for 5-7 mins until stiff peaks are formed. Place in the fridge until ready to use!
Assembly
Once the cupcakes are done baking, using a toothpick poke about 15 – 2- holes in the cupcake and spoon 1-2 tbsp of the milk mixture slowly on each cupcake evenly.
Let cupcakes sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before placing in the refrigerator for at a hour.
Place your whipped cream frosting in a pipping back or simply just use a butter knife and spread evenly on the cupcakes. Garnish with chopped pistachios and rose petals. Enjoy!
Notes
If you have a blend tec, beast or nutribullet you can also use this to make the whipped frosting.
I did use wax paper cup cake liners because it held the milk mixture very well and did not leak. You can also use the foil liner or even better silicone!
When placing the cupcakes in the fridge please place them on a baking tray or plate in case the mix leaks!
For eggless, simply substitute 1 egg for 3 tbsp of yogurt. I use whole milk yogurt but you can use greek as well and it still turns out amazing.
The dried rose petals can we found at whole foods, its the 365 brand and can be found in the same aisle as seasonings.
Prep Time:15
Cook Time:20
Category:Desserts
Cuisine:American, Indian, Mexican
Keywords: dessert, fusion dessert, indian dessert, kulfi cupcakes, mexican dessert, tres leches
Just an East/West coast girl living the southern life. I love sharing all my tested and perfected recipes here, along with some travel guides and a little bit of my lifestyle
4 replies on “Kulfi Tres Leches Cupcakes”
These were hit at the Diwali party!! I made the eggless version and added a 1/2 tsp cardamom to the cake mix. Absolutely delicious
Hi Radhika, Thank you so much for sharing!! So happy the eggless version worked out for you 🙂
Hey, what cupcake toppers are those? Where to get them from?
Hi its linked on top of the top of the blog!