Most people don’t think about crying when they think about cake- quite the opposite usually! But this Turkish crying cake isn’t named for sadness. Instead the soft cake is soaked in milk and then frosted in layers for a very wet cake, wet like tears.

The cake itself is dense enough to handle the soaking. It’s gently chocolate flavored and takes on the milk easily. It’s sort of like a chocolate version of the tres leches cake so famous throughout Latin America.

The recipe called for 3/4 cup milk, but I reduced that 1/2 cup. The cake didn’t get soggy with 3/4 cup, but it stopped absorbing liquid after a certain point. Better safe than sorry and you can always add more if you need.

The topping for this cake is a simple mixture of whipped cream and powdered sugar. It’s easy to make, but makes a creamy base for the next layer.

The top later is a thin chocoalte sauce that sets slightly in the fridge. If you want a firmer topping you can increase the melted chocolate in the sauce. You’ll want to make sure the sauce is cooled to room temperature before adding it gently on top of the whipped cream- otherwise it can melt and deflate the whipped cream.

The very last step is a specialty of Turkey, a dust made from ground pistachios. These green nuts are found in many Turkish desserts and even though this cake isn’t pistachio flavored, they do add a subtle flavor here.

Overall this cake isn’t too sweet and in that regard it’s very European. But, the mix of moist, creamy, and crunchy is a winning combination and one that a lot of tres leches fans out there will be able to get on board with.