Tres Leches Cake

This cake has been on my to-do list for ages. The idea of pouring different types of milk over a cake sounded intriguing. I love sweetened condensed milk and to pour it over a cake sounds not only tasty but also fun. If you have kids I bet they would enjoy this part. I had fun…    This cake has a reputation of being very sweet. And so I contemplated whether to decrease the amount of sugar which is what I usually do with recipes. But then decided to just give the original recipe a try before I mess with it. I am glad I did because this cake is perfect.

The whole idea of soaking this cake in milk is just amazing. You might think it would turn out all soggy but believe it or not it is not soggy just heavenly delicious… I am not kidding…

Most people are probably familiar with this cake. This cake is very popular in Central and South America. The name Tres Leches refers to the three different types of milk poured over the cake. Even though I have read and heard a lot about this, it was the first time for me to actually give it a try. What on earth took me so long… 

Tres Leches Cake

Ingredients

Cake

• 1 cup / 120 g all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• 5 eggs
• 1 cup / 200 g sugar, divided
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup / 80 ml milk

Glaze

• 1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
• 1 can (14 oz) sweetened, condensed milk
• ¼ cup / 60 ml whipping cream or heavy cream

Topping

• ¾ cup / 180 ml whipping cream or heavy cream
• 3 tbsp sugar
• maraschino cherries (optional)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Grease the inside of a 9 x 13 inch / 23 x 33 cm baking pan.

Combine the flour with the baking powder and the salt.

Separate the egg whites from the egg yolks. In a bowl, combine the egg yolks with ¾ cups of sugar (150 g). Beat with an electric mixer until foamy. Add the milk and vanilla. Combine. Sieve the flour mixture over the sugar-egg mixture and combine gently.

In another bowl, beat the egg whites (with a cleaned mixer) on high speed until soft peaks form. Then add the remaining ¼ cup of sugar (50 g) while the mixer is running. Beat until the egg whites are stiff but not dry. Add the egg whites to the egg-yolk mixture and gently fold the ingredients until just combined. Pour the batter into the baking pan. Smooth out the surface.

Bake for up to 35 minutes or until a tooth pick comes out clean and the cake is lightly golden. Let the cake cool completely.

Combine the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and the whipping cream. Poke the cake all over with a fork. Then pour the glaze over the cake. Be sure to pay more attention to the cake edges and really soak them with glaze. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

For the topping, combine the whipping cream with the sugar. Beat with an electric mixer until thick. Spread over the whipped cream on top of the cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish with maraschino cherries if desired.

Guten Appetit!

Recipe from The Pioneer Woman

author:the German Baltic Maid