Baking from The New Sugar and Spice by Samantha Seneviratne
I can’t remember if I ever told Samantha Seneviratne this story. I first came across her work years ago through her blog Love, Comma, Cake, but I really got to know her name during a culinary school orientation at the International Culinary Center in Campbell, California.
At the end of the orientation, after a wonderful walk through the pastry kitchens (and even sitting in on a class), we were handed a small book by the school’s founder, Dorothy Cann Hamilton, called Love What You Do: Building a Career in the Culinary Industry. It’s a fantastic read for anyone considering culinary school — full of real, honest insights from students and professionals about what the experience is truly like: the good, the bad, and everything in between.
Flipping through the book, one name stood out — Samantha Seneviratne. She shared what a day looked like during her time at Martha Stewart Living: when she arrived, how she worked, and what inspired her. It was fascinating to see her process so clearly laid out. After reading that, I remember thinking, I want to work with Sam, learn from her, and bake with her someday.
That didn’t happen — but I did get to meet Sam years later at the Saveur Food Blog Awards in Brooklyn. She was exactly what you’d hope: warm, kind, and generous — one of the nicest bakers you’ll ever meet.
Discovering The New Sugar and Spice
A few months later, Sam’s new cookbook, The New Sugar and Spice (Amazon/Bookshop) , arrived — and it’s just as beautiful as you’d imagine. Her desserts are elegant yet approachable, full of global flavors and spice-driven imagination. It’s one of those books you can bake from endlessly because every recipe works.
As I flipped through the pages, I could imagine myself in a small patisserie, surrounded by the scent of cardamom, nutmeg, and brown sugar. Sam uses spices with the kind of precision that comes from real experience — her technique is refined but never fussy. You can feel it in the way her recipes read and taste it when you bake them.
My Favorite: The Blackberry Tres Leches Cake
Of all the desserts in the book, one immediately caught my eye: her take on tres leches cake. I’ve made it three times now — once for work — and it’s one of those desserts that never lasts long. Four kinds of milk soak the tender sponge, and a layer of blackberries adds a tart, juicy contrast.
This isn’t a holiday dessert in the traditional sense, but it should be. It’s comforting, sweet, and luscious — a cake you’ll want to eat all year long.
If you love baking with spices and want desserts that feel both familiar and new, The New Sugar and Spice (Amazon/Bookshop) deserves a spot on your shelf.
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Samantha Seneviratnae’s Blackberry Cuatro Leches
- Yield: 12
Ingredients
Unsalted butter, for greasing the pan
12 oz [340 g / about 2 ½ cups] fresh blackberries
1 ½ cups [190 g / 6 ¾ oz] all-purpose flour:
(I used whole-wheat pastry flour in the same weight)
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp kosher salt
4 large eggs, separated
¾ cup [150 g / 5 ¼ ounces] sugar
⅓ cup + ¾ cup [240 ml / 1 cup total] whole milk
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
¾ cup [240 ml / 240 g] sweetened condensed milk
¾ cup [180 ml] evaporated milk
¾ cup [180 ml] heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F [180C]. Butter the bottom of an 8-inch square baking pan.
- Cut 6 oz [170 g] of blackberries in half lengthwise and set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks and 1/2 cup [100 g] of the sugar on medium speed until pale and thick, 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in 1/3 cup [80 ml] of the whole milk and the vanilla seeds. Beat in the flour mixture, just until combined.
- In a large bowl, with clean beaters, whip the egg whites until foamy and the yellowish hue has disappeared, about 1 minute. Slowly add the remaining 1/4 cup [50 g] sugar while beating and continue to beat the mixture until you have shiny, medium-stiff peaks, about 2 minutes. Stir one quarter of the egg white mixture into the flour mixture to loosen it. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the remaining egg whites into the batter.
- 5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and scatter the halved blackberries on top. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool on a rack for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile in a medium bowl, combine the remaining 3/4 cup [180 ml] whole milk, the condensed milk, the evaporated milk, the heavy cream, and the vanilla extract. Cut around the edges of the cakes. With a toothpick, poke holes all over the cake and let it soak in. Then pour another 1 cup over the cake. Cover and chill the cake for at least 4 hours or up to overnight.
- Serve slices of the cake with the remaining milk mixture and remaining blackberries. Store leftovers, well-wrapped, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
5 Responses
Your description of Sam is so sweet! I love her new book and have had my eye on this beauty since day 1! Like, quatro leches?? HELLO!
YUM. I love tres leches cakes, but I’m intrigued by the additional fourth milk and the blackberries. Also, Sam’s book is so lovely!
love sam, love her book, and love this post even more.
everything i made from this book turned out awesome (so far: poached quince, insanely easy and delicious coconut oil chocolate chip cookies, and the plum hazlenut galette)
Thank you for this beautiful post, Nik. I’m really very honored and touched to be a little part of your gorgeous blog.
It was such a pleasure meeting you a few months ago and I hope it happens again soon!
Well thanks to the very detailed instructions and great photos I made this last night and the end result was beautiful!!!!