Tres Leches Cake
Tres Leches cake is a sponge cake doused in a generous sweet mixture of three types of milks. Due to this distinct texture of the cake, it becomes moist, not soggy, despite the amount of liquid it absorbs. It's perfectly sweet and delicious.
You'll need some time for this cake to chill and soak before serving so make it in the early morning or even the night before you serve. Due to the milks in the cake, this cake does need to be stored in the refrigerator. It's best to eat within 48 hours, but it'll keep for up to four days in refrigerated.
What you'll need:
Cake Batter:
1 ¼ cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
5 large eggs, divided
1 cup white sugar, divided 3:1
2 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup milk
Milk Mixture:
⅔ cup whole milk
14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
12 oz can evaporated milk
Whipped Topping:
1 pint heavy cream
¼ cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
How to make it:
Preheat oven to 350° F.
In a medium size mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt, stir together with a fork. Set aside.
In a separate larger mixing bowl, combine just the egg yolks (separate the egg whites into another medium size bowl and set aside), and 3/4 cup white sugar. Whip together until lighter in color, smooth and fluffy.
To the egg yolk mixture, whip in vanilla extract and milk. Add the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
Whisk the egg whites with an electric beater until foamy and white in color, then add in the last 1/4 cup of sugar. Continue mixing on high speed until smooth, white, and stiff peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the cake batter.
Grease a 9×13 cake pan. Pour the cake batter into the cake pan. Bake for 27-30 minutes or until the top of the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
In a medium bowl, combine and whisk together the milks needed for the milk mixture.
When the cake is cooled to room temperature. Poke all over the top with a fork or a large skewer. Then pour the milk mixture over the entire cake. Cover the cake and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours to overnight.
After the cake has chilled and soaked up the milks, prepare the whipped cream. Add the heavy cream to a large mixing bowl. Mix on medium speed until cream starts to thicken, then add in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Continue mixing on medium to high speed until soft peaks form.
Spoon the whipped cream onto the cake, spread with a spatula or butter knife.
Serve the cake with a sprinkle of cinnamon or fresh fruit if desired.
To make macerated strawberries:
1 cup diced fresh strawberries
2 Tbsp sugar
Combine and mix to even coat sugar around berries. Let sit for 30 minutes to a few hours before serving. Store in the fridge.
