“This cake of South American origin is normally served smothered in dulce de leche (caramelised condensed milk). I’ve gone with rose-scented Italian meringue, pomegranate seeds and pistachios. The pomegranate seeds and the pistachios add a nice crunch and the seeds a tartness that help balance out the sweetness of the meringue.” You’ll need to begin this recipe a day ahead.

Ingredients

70 gm blanched pistachio kernels (see note) (½ cup)

Seeds of 1 pomegranate

Milk cake

300 gm plain flour, sieved (2 cups)

2 tsp baking powder, sieved

6 eggs, separated

275 gm caster sugar

125 ml milk (½ cup)

30 ml dark rum

1 tsp vanilla extract

For greasing: butter

500 ml condensed milk

475 ml evaporated milk

375 ml pouring cream (1½ cups)

Italian meringue

180 gm caster sugar

85 ml eggwhites (about 2½)

Pinch cream of tartar

2 tsp rosewater

Milk sauce

120 ml evaporated milk

90 ml condensed milk

70 ml pouring cream

Method

Main

1.For milk cake, preheat oven to 180C. Sift flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt into a bowl and set aside. Whisk eggwhites in an electric mixer until frothy, add sugar gradually, whisking to a stiff meringue. Add yolks one at a time, whisk until combined, fold in milk and flour mixture alternately. Fold in rum and vanilla, pour into a buttered and floured 23cm x 33cm Pyrex pan and bake until cake springs back when lightly pressed (25-35 minutes). Prick cake all over with a skewer and keep warm. Meanwhile, combine condensed milk, evaporated milk and cream in a bowl. Pour over cake and cool to room temperature (1-1½ hours). Cover, refrigerate to firm (overnight).

2.For Italian meringue, combine sugar and 60ml water in a small saucepan over medium heat, stir until sugar dissolves, increase heat to high, brush down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush to remove any sugar crystals. Cook until syrup reaches 121C on a sugar thermometer (6-9 minutes). Meanwhile, whisk eggwhite and cream of tartar in an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually pour hot syrup over eggwhites in a steady stream, whisking continuously on medium speed, then whisk until cooled, thick and glossy (10-12 minutes). Add rosewater, whisk to combine.

3.Meanwhile, for milk sauce, combine ingredients in a jug.

4.To serve, spread Italian meringue over top of cake. Grate 2 tablespoons of pistachios over cake with a microplane. Cut cake into 15 pieces, place in bowls, spoon milk sauce around, cut remaining pistachios into slivers and scatter around with pomegranate seeds.