Tres Leches Cake
Desserts · Serves 12 · Prep 30 min · Cook 30 min · Total 1 hr
A light sponge cake soaked overnight in evaporated milk, condensed milk and whole milk, then covered with softly whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon. It has to be made the day before, which makes it easy party food.
Ingredients
The Cake
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 5 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar, divided
- 1/3 cup whole milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
The Three Milks
- 1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
- 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 cup whole milk
The Topping
- 1 1/2 cup cold heavy cream
- 3 tbsp powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, for dusting
- 12 maraschino cherries (optional)
Steps
The Cake
- Heat the oven to 350°F and butter a 9x13-inch baking dish. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
- Beat the egg yolks with 3/4 cup of the sugar until pale and thick, 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in the milk and vanilla, then gently stir in the flour mixture.
- In a clean bowl with clean beaters, whip the egg whites to soft peaks. Gradually add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and whip until stiff and glossy. Fold the whites into the batter in three additions, keeping as much air as you can.
- Spread the batter in the dish and bake until golden and springy, and a toothpick comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool 15 minutes.
The Three Milks
- Whisk the evaporated milk, condensed milk and whole milk together. Poke the warm cake all over with a fork or skewer, then pour the milk over slowly in a few rounds, letting it soak in between.
- Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
The Topping
- Whip the cream with the powdered sugar and vanilla to medium peaks. Spread it over the cake, dust with cinnamon and dot with cherries if you like. Serve cold, spooning a little of the milk from the dish over each piece.