The ninth holy month of our lunar calendar, Ramadan, is observed by more than a billion Muslims worldwide. It involves fasting from sunrise to sunset, spending time in prayer at night and performing charitable deeds to cleanse their souls. But not every Muslim fasts — there are a few exceptions. Fasts are broken with dates and water at sunset, and then Muslims start eating a variety of foods that their parents and other family members often prepare, which are often traditional cultural foods but are sometimes fusions of multiple cultures’ foods.

Tres leches is a sponge cake that soaks up three types of milk (evaporated, condensed and whole), hence its name. Though its origin is Latin America, our family modified the recipe by adding Somali tea (known as “shaah”) to the milk. It’s spicy, light, and delicate, and the sponge cake base is drenched in a tea-infused milk mixture before being topped with whipped cream and cinnamon sugar. Dreamy, right?

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups of flour
• ½ cup unsalted butter 
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder 
• 5 eggs 
• 2 cups whole milk 
• 1 can of sweetened condensed milk 
• 1 ½  cups of heavy whipping cream 
• 1 teaspoon of chai masala 
• 2 chai tea bags 
• 1 can of evaporated milk
• 1 cup of white sugar 
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• Cinnamon powder (to taste)

Cake preparation instructions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a bowl, mix sifted flour and baking powder. 
3. In a second bowl, mix melted butter and sugar with an electric mixer until nice and fluffy.
4. In the second bowl, add eggs and vanilla extract. 
5. Slowly add the flour and baking powder into the second bowl. 
6. Combine everything and mix slowly. 
7. Grease pan and add mixture. 
8. Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until you can insert and remove a toothpick in the center without any mixture sticking. 

Shaah mixture preparation: 

1. Put 1 cup of the whole milk on the stove on high. 
2. Add 2 tea bags and chai masala. 
3. Wait for the mixture to boil and turn the heat off. 
4. Let tea cool. 
5. Get another bowl, add evaporated milk and condensed milk and mix until smooth. 
6. Add tea-infused mil and mix together well. 
7. Whip heavy whipping cream until it becomes whipped cream.
8. Add sugar and vanilla extract and heavy whipping cream mix with an electric mixer until smooth.
9. Ensure cake is cooled, then poke holes with a fork all around. 
10. Add chai mix until fully covered, and wait until all mix is soaked. 
11. Add whipped cream and slowly sift the cinnamon powder on top. 
12. Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight. 

After a long day of fasting (or just going to school or work), a nice soft tea cake will be all you need to relax. So go ahead — indulge!