Tres Leches Cake
A light vanilla sponge soaked in three milks and topped with clouds of fresh whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon.
Ingredients
For the cake
- 5 large eggs separated, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar divided
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the three milks
- 14 oz sweetened condensed milk 1 can
- 12 oz evaporated milk 1 can
- ½ cup whole milk or heavy cream for a richer soak
For the topping
- 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream cold
- 3 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ground cinnamon for dusting
- fresh strawberries optional
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
- Beat the yolks. Beat the egg yolks with ¾ cup of the sugar until pale and doubled in volume. Stir in the milk and vanilla.
- Fold. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt over the yolk mixture and fold gently until just combined.
- Whip the whites. In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites to soft peaks, gradually adding the remaining ¼ cup sugar. Fold them into the batter in two additions, keeping as much air as possible.
- Bake. Pour into the dish and bake 22 to 25 minutes, until golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.
- Soak. Whisk the condensed milk, evaporated milk, and whole milk together. Poke the cooled cake all over with a fork and pour the milk mixture slowly over the whole surface.
- Chill. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, ideally overnight, so every crumb soaks up the milk.
- Top and serve. Whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla to medium peaks and spread over the cake. Dust with cinnamon and finish with strawberries.
Notes
The cake needs at least 4 hours in the fridge, so plan ahead. It gets even better on day two. Nutrition is an estimate per slice.