Ready-Set-Eat : Tres Leches Cake

Soaked cake? Yes, please! The tres leches cake is just that...a white cake that has soaked up evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk and heavy cream. "Tres leches" is Spanish for three milks. This cake is best described as a light, airy but moist cake without being mushy. It is popular in Nicaragua, Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico and Guatemala. The process of soaking a cake in liquid is also popular in Italy with their famous tiramisu, in Britain with the beloved trifle and in parts of Central America with their "drunken cake."

Tres Leches cake can be eaten alone or, as you will later see, with a few toppings of my own! This cake is totally made from scratch and well worth your effort. I hope you will try it! You'll be glad you did. Let's get to baking...

Tres Leches Cake
Prep Time: 45 minutes Cook Time: 35-45 minutes Serves: 12

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 & 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 whole eggs
1 cup sugar, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup milk
1 can evaporated milk
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup heavy cream

For the icing:
1 pint heavy cream, for whipping
3 tablespoons sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 pan.

Next, in a large mixing bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir well, then set aside.

Now it's time to separate the egg whites from the yolks. As simple as that...whites in one bowl, yolks in another.

In another mixing bowl, add the egg yolks and 3/4 cup of sugar. Mix on high until the mixture is this beautiful, light yellow color and the yolks have doubled in size.

To this mixture, you will add the milk and vanilla extract. With a spoon or spatula, stir gently until just combined.

Then, pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture. Once again, stir gently till just combined.

You haven't forgotten about those egg whites, have you? Yes!...in another bowl, pour them in and whip them on high speed until soft peaks are formed. Next, add the rest of the sugar, which should be the remaining 1/4 cup. Mix on high until the egg whites are stiff

This may feel like the 50th step of this recipe but it's not. I know it's a lot of mixing in separate bowls, combining with the previous bowl and whatnot but let me reassure you, IT'S WELL WORTH IT. You are soon going to eat the most moist cake ever. Pat yourself on the back. You're halfway there. :)

Pour those beautiful egg whites in your mixture of egg yolks and flour. Now, you will "fold" the egg whites into the batter. "Folding" is a technique to ensure your cake is light and fluffy. A large spatula works best. Cut a path thru the center of the mixture using the side of your spatula. Slowly turn half the mixture onto the other half. Continue until it is well blended. Be careful not to over mix. You will want to retain all the air you have beaten into the egg whites. DO NOT USE AN ELECTRIC MIXER.

It is now ready to pour into the prepared baking dish.

Lookin' good!

With the back of your spatula, evenly spread the top of cake batter. Cook for 35-45 minutes.

Stand back and admire all your efforts! #inovenshot

Take cake out of oven when a toothpick comes out cleanly.

Now, you have two options. You can either turn your cake onto a rimmed platter or leave in original baking dish, as I have done. Allow the cake to cool completely.

Here comes the star of the show! The leading role! The icon of this cake! Pour a can of sweetened condensed milk (uno), a can of evaporated milk (dos) and 1/4 cup of heavy cream (tres) into a small pitcher. Stir well. (This does not show a picture of heavy cream but it has been added.)

After your cake has completely cooled, poke with a fork. I mean, have at it! You want tiny holes all in the cake so our "uno, dos, tres" mixture can seep all throughout the cake! SLOWLY pour all but 1 cup of the mixture over the cake.

Make sure the three milk mixture is evenly distributed over the cake. Wait 20-30 for the cake to soak. Be patient; it's worth it.

Yum! I could eat it just like this but we're not done yet. I believe this cake needs another layer of sweetness.

For the icing, pour 1 pint of COLD heavy cream and 3 tablespoons of sugar into a bowl and whip on high speed until it is stiff but still spreadable.

Lastly, spread all the topping onto the cake.

Your homemade Tres Leches Cake!

A simple piece of tres leches cake is to die for! It's moist, light and fluffy. It's a sponge cake, like angel food cake, so it never gets soggy. My husband preferred it with no toppings...just the simplicity that it is...