I enjoy entertaining and love to make celebratory meals for others. Recently, I made a birthday meal for a friend and, at her request, we enjoyed Pulled Pork with Homemade BBQ sauce, Coleslaw, Cheesy Potatoes, a Fruit and Dip Tray and Sweet Tea.
She asked if I could make a Tres Leches cake, she remembered having one a long time ago and loved it. Yes, that was a tall order, seeing as how I’ve never made one before, but I was up for the challenge. It wasn’t difficult, but there are several steps involved in the process. That is part of the reason that I labeled it a ‘Special Occasion Dessert.’
This cake is a Latin dessert, ‘tres leches’ is spanish for three milks. A sponge cake that is saturated with the three milks and then covered in freshly whipped cream. It is out of this world delicious! AND, a friend who also ate this cake said that this recipe tastes as authentic as he’s ever had (I would think he would know since he grew up in a Mexican family!)
Tres Leches Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup FLOUR
- 1 1/2 teaspoon BAKING POWDER
- 1/4 teaspoon SALT
- 5 EGGS, separated
- 1 cup SUGAR, divided
- 1 teaspoon VANILLA
- 1/3 cup MILK
- 1 can (12 oz.) EVAPORATED MILK
- 1 can (14 oz.) SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK
- 1/4 cup HEAVY CREAM
- 2 cups HEAVY CREAM, for whipping
- 3 Tablespoons SUGAR
The Cake:
For Frosting:
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 9x13 baking pan, set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the egg yolks and 3/4 cup of sugar on medium-high speed until the mixture is thick and pale yellow. Add the milk and vanilla, mix to combine.
- Pour the egg yolk mixture over the flour mixture and, using a rubber spatula, gently fold together until thoroughly combined.
- Wash and dry the bowl and whisk. Add the egg whites to the bowl and whisk at high speed until soft peaks begin to form. With the mixer still running, pour in the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and beat until the egg whites are stiff but not dry.
- Working in three batches, gently fold the egg whites into the batter until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface with a spatula.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Turn the cake onto a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
- Transfer the cake to a rimmed serving plate (I had to cover a baking sheet with foil and use that). Mix together the evaporated milk, condensed milk and heavy cream in a 4-cup measuring cup. When the cake is cool, pierce the surface of the cake all over with a fork. Slowly drizzle all but 1 cup of the milk mixture over the top of the cake, making sure to get the edges of the cake. Discard the remaining milk mixture and allow the cake to absorb the milks for about 30 minutes.
- To frost the cake, whip 2 cups of heavy cream with 3 Tablespoons of sugar until stiff peaks form (this took about 60 seconds for my stand mixer) Spread over the surface of the cake. Garnish with maraschino cherries if you like.
- I put the cake in the fridge until ready to serve.
Printed from Crumbs and Chaos (www.crumbsandchaos.dreamhosters.com)
Recipe Source: The Pioneer Woman
This post may also be shared over at Show Me Your Plaid Mondays, Mealtime Monday, Sugar and Slice Sunday, Sweet Sharing Monday, Mop It Up Monday, Melt In Your Mouth Mondays, Recipe Sharing Monday, Marvelous Mondays, Monday Funday, Two Cup Tuesday, Time to Sparkle, Tuesday Talent Show, Totally Tasty Tuesday, Back For Seconds Social, What’s In Your Kitchen Wednesday, Lil’ Luna Link Party, What’s Cookin’ Wednesday, Show & Share Wednesday, Cast Party Wednesday, Wicked Good Wednesdays, Whimsy Wednesday, Taste and Tell Thursdays, Your Creative Timeout, Thursdays Treasures, Artsy Corner, All Things Thursday, Weekly Creative, Chic & Crafty Party, What’s Shakin’, Weekend Potluck, I’m Lovin’ It, Shine on Fridays, Create & Inspire, Saturday Show & Tell, Strut Your Stuff Saturdays
This looks yummy! Would you come by my Cast Party Wednesday Link Party tomorrow and share some of your recipes with us?
Thanks,
I hope to see you there!
I just had my first piece of tres leches cake a few weeks back and it was transcendent, I swear. Completely transcendent. 🙂 Thanks for providing this recipe because it’s been on my mind every since!
You have a really great looking blog, I’m looking forward to getting to know my way around. 😉
Thank you so much for stopping by Cast Party Wednesday last week. I really appreciate you sharing your recipe with us. I hope you will join us again for another awesome party filled with yummy recipes.
Thanks Again!
this sounds awesome
Oh yummmy! I grew up in Mexico….this is a favorite! I hope you join my party every week and share your recipes 🙂 http://atozebracelebrations.com/2013/04/link-party-14.html
Nancy
i LOVE tres leches cake! 🙂 i followed you from the tasteful tuesdays blog hop. also, I’ve just posted my Tasty Tuesdays link party on my blog & I’d love it if you could stop by & link up some of your recipes! Here’s the link: http://anyonitanibbles.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/Tasty-Tuesdays-8-features-ad.html
Yum! Sweetened condensed milk always makes desserts great!
madge | the vegetarian casserole queen recently posted..Black Bean Soup
Best tres leches I have ever had!! Thanks for making it or me BeccaRae 😉
Woot! You have been featured this week at Recipe Sharing Monday! The new link party is up and I’d love to see you back. Have a great week. 🙂
Ali recently posted..Recipe Sharing Monday #50 + Features!
Just made this for the second time for my co-workers! They’re gonna love it 🙂
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