Pistachio CardamomTres Leches

Set rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Grease only the bottom of a 9×13×2-inch pan — do not grease the sides. The batter needs to cling to the sides to rise properly. Greasing the sides causes the cake to shrink significantly.

Finely grind pistachios in a food processor or spice grinder into a coarse powder. Don't over-process or it'll turn to nut butter. Whisk together with flour, baking powder, salt, and cardamom. Set aside.

In a stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat egg yolks and 1 cup (200g) of the sugar on low until combined, then medium. Beat 3 minutes until thick, ribbon-like, and pale yellow. Scrape down sides as needed.

Reduce to low speed. Slowly pour in milk, almond extract, and vanilla. Beat until combined. Scrape sides.

On low speed, slowly add dry ingredients until just barely combined — a few specks of flour are fine. Transfer back to the large bowl and fold with a spatula until no dry bits remain.

Clean the mixer bowl thoroughly — no trace of yolk or water. Add egg whites, whisk attachment, beat on medium until just foamy. Increase to high, slowly add remaining ¼ cup (50g) sugar. Beat 2–3 min to medium peaks: tip should curl slightly when whisk is lifted, mixture glossy and tripled in volume. Stop every 20 seconds to check — overwhipped whites make a dry, tough cake.

Stir ⅓ of the egg white mixture into the batter until mostly combined — small white streaks are fine. Gently fold the remaining whites in until just combined. Don't deflate them.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Gently tap on the counter to remove surface bubbles. Bake 30–35 min until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Run a butter knife around the edges to release.

Whisk condensed milk and evaporated milk together in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the whole milk with salt, cinnamon, and cardamom to a simmer. Remove from heat, pour slowly into the bowl, whisk to combine. Cool to room temperature. Scale the sauce above to 1.5× or 2× if you want more soak — tested direction.

Poke the top of the cake generously all over with a fork or thin skewer. Don't poke all the way through — you don't want the liquid seeping out the bottom. Pour half the milk mixture over the cake and let it absorb for 1 minute. Pour the remaining half, let sit 15 minutes. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, up to overnight, before topping.

Just before serving, beat chilled heavy cream on high until foamy. Add powdered sugar and continue to stiff peaks — peaks should stand straight up when the whisk is lifted.

Spread whipped cream over the cake with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Top with chopped pistachios. Serve immediately. Store up to 3 days in the fridge — whipped cream may deflate and pistachios soften, but it's still good.