I tried my hand at an Italian Water Cake as the base for a Tres Leches-style cake with Indian flavorings (Rasmalai Cake, made previously with a ricotta cake base).
I must have done several things wrong because my batter was very thin, and adjusting it a bit resulted in a sturdier cake than I was aiming for.
The soaking liquid was reduced / caramelized milk (basundi) flavored with cardamom and saffron, with ground pistachios added at the end. The cake was also flavored with cardamom and saffron. I used a thickened milk (rabdi) like pastry cream as a sandwich layer.
As I said, it was sturdier than I wanted, but it all seemed to work out as everyone else enjoyed the result. My goal was a lighter cake, but the denser cakes seem to satisfy everyone else like actual rasmalai, so maybe I should stop trying to make what I am envisioning and just go with it 
Forgot cake pics because we were too busy taking people pics, and by the time I remembered, there was nothing left to photograph.
Take 2 on my attempt at a lighter cake today for another group dinner tomorrow, this time using the recipe @Sarahaha shared (which appears to be a crazy cake but with milk instead of water) – 
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