Food and Drink

Tres Leches Cake

2 July 2014

This immensely popular cake in Latin American is a soft sponge cake soaked overnight in 3 types of milk, evaporated milk, condensed milk and double cream. There are also variations to the cake which involves the use of dolce de leite.

Cook: 30-45 minutes
Recipe serves: 8

Ingredients for cake

1 cup sugar
5 large eggs, separated
1/3 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1-1/2 tsp baking powder

Ingredients for syrup

1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
1 can condensed milk
1/2 cup double cream
2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F. Generously butter a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.
Combine the flour and baking powder into a large bowl, stir it together and set aside.
With a hand mixer whisk together the egg yolks and 3/4 of a cup of sugar till light and fluffy.
Fold in the flour, baking powder, vanilla extract and milk.
Beat the egg white until soft peaks form them gradually add the remaining 1/3 cup of sugar, beating with the mixer on high until the whites are firm.
Gently fold the whites into the yolk mixture.
Pour the batter into the buttered baking dish, tten bake the cake for abour 30-45 minutes until it feels firm and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Let the cake completely cool in the baking dish.
Once cool, pierce the cake all over with a fork, taking care to not tear it up.
Pour in a pitcher the can of evaporated milk and condensed milk. To this mixture, add the double cream. Stir the mixture together.
Slowly pour the mixture evenly over the top of the cake. Spoon the overflow back over the cake until it is all absorbed.
Place in the refrigerator until the liquid absorbs into the cake overnight, or at least 3 hours.