Tres Leches Cake

One of my favorite things in the world is cake.

Being inside a bakeshop makes me giddy. The sight of lovely cakes on glass shelves makes me swoon. And of all cakes out there, Tres Leches cake has got to be my favorite. It is my favorite cake to consume and to make.

What is Tres Leches Cake?

• Tres leches cake is unique in every way. It is made of a simple chiffon cake yet what makes it so special is the delightful milk mixture that is absorbed by the light and airy crumbs.
• You basically pour a mixture of milk into the cake and let it seep through the delicate crumbs, making the cake moist and heavenly.
• Three types of milk in a cake, sealed with whipped cream on top, this cake is simply divine.  I remember baking this cake twice in a week. If you don’t call that serious affinity, I don’t know what that is.

Let’ Make It

The Chiffon Cake

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, use a wire whisk to beat together the egg yolks, ½ cup sugar, oil water and vanilla extract until everything is incorporated and the mixture is a bit frothy.

Sift the flour mixture gradually over the yolk mixture, beating well after each addition. The resulting batter should be smooth and lump free.

Beat the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer until frothy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to neat until soft peaks form. Then with the mixer still running, gradually add the remaining ½ cup sugar until the egg whites form stiff peaks.

Gradually fold the beaten egg whites into the yolk batter using a rubber spatula, until the mixture is uniform in color. Pour and scrape the batter into a 9x 13 inch baking pan.

Tap the pan lightly once or twice against the counter to get rid of any air pockets. Bake at 350 F for 23-25 minutes, or until the cake springs back to the touch.

Place the pan on top of a wire rack to allow it to cool completely.

The Milk Mixture

The Milk Mixture and Assembly

In a container with a spout, combine 1/3 cup of whipping cream, 1 can of condensed milk and 1 can of evaporated milk. Stir mixture to combine thoroughly.

Use the tines of a fork to poke holes all over the surface the cake.

Slowly pour half of the milk mixture on the cake surface, stopping every now and then to let the milk be absorbed first before pouring some more.

Let the cake stand until most of the milk is absorbed.

The Whipped Cream Frosting

Meanwhile, make the whipped cream. In a bowl of the stand mixer, beat heavy cream with icing sugar until stiff peaks are formed. Spread the cream all over the top of the cake.

(You want the surface of the cake to be free of any sitting liquid, so you can frost the cake with ease. You can tilt the pan to distribute the liquid along the edges).

Top the cake with cherries. Finally, serve yourself a slice and enjoy every bite of heaven.

Want more cakes? Also, try these recipes:

• Ovaltine Cake with Whipped Cream Icing
• Pineapple Chiffon Cake
• Ube Chiffon Cake
• Pandan Chiffon Cake
• Mango Cake Roll
• Mocha Cake Roll
• Chocolate Cake with Whipped Chocolate Cream Icing

Continue to Content

Tres Leches Cake

Yield: 10

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Additional Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Tres Leches Cake is a heavenly indulgent chiffon cake soaked in three types of milk. Very moist, delicate and creamy, this is a perfect dessert after a nice hearty meal.

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Ingredients

For the Chiffon Cake

• 1 cup all purpose flour (120 grams)
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• 5 egg yolks, from large eggs
• ½ cup sugar (100 grams)
• 1/3 cup water
• 3 tbsp canola oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 5 egg whites, from large eggs
• ¼ tsp cream of tartar

For the Milk Mixture

• 1 (300 ml) can condensed milk
• 1 (354 ml) can evaporated milk
• 1/3 cup whipping cream

For the Whipped Cream Frosting

• 2 ½ cups whipping cream
• 3 tbsp icing sugar
• 1 cup maraschino cherries, drained ( for garnish, optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder. Set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, use a wire whisk to beat together the egg yolks, ½ cup sugar, oil water and vanilla extract until everything is incorporated and the mixture is a bit frothy.
3. Sift the flour mixture gradually over the yolk mixture, beating well after each addition. The resulting batter should be smooth and lump free.
4. Beat the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer until frothy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to neat until soft peaks form. Then with the mixer still running, gradually add the remaining ½ cup sugar until the egg whites form stiff peaks.
5. Gradually fold the beaten egg whites into the yolk batter using a rubber spatula, until the mixture is uniform in color. Pour and scrape the batter into a 9x 13 inch baking pan. Tap the pan lightly once or twice against the counter to get rid of any air pockets. Bake at 350 F for 23-25 minutes, or until the cake springs back to the touch.
6. Place the cake pan on top of a wire rack to let it cool completely. Meanwhile, make the milk mixture, Stir together condensed milk, evaporated milk and whipping cream until combined.
7. Once the cake is cool, poke some holes all over the surface suing the tines of a fork. Slowly pour the milk mixture all over the cake, stopping once the liquid pools in the surface. Allow the liquid to soak the cake completely. Once the surface the liquid is almost soaked up, start pouring more. Repeat until the milk mixture is all used up. Tip: It helps to tilt the pan to distribute the liquid along the sides of the cake too.
8. Spread the whipped cream all over the cake. Top with drained maraschino cherries.

To Make the Whipped Cream Frosting

1. Combine whipping cream and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat over medium high speed until stiff peaks form. Use immediately.

Notes

• Condensed milk is the same as sweetened condensed milk in some countries.
• You can also use berries in place of maraschino cherries as garnish to the cake. You can also use shaved chocolate.
• The milk mixture may seem too much at first, as it will start to pool on top of the cake. Give the cake some time to soak in the milk before pouring some more.
• Do not miss pouring milk along the sides of the cake, too.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1 slice ( 4 inch)
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 455Total Fat: 32gSaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 208mgSodium: 205mgCarbohydrates: 34gFiber: 1gSugar: 23gProtein: 8g