Tres Leches Three Milks Cake Latin America Food

MEXICAN TRES LECHES CAKE RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 356 degrees F and bring eggs to room temperature for easier beating. Separate egg whites and egg yolks into two small bowls.
• Sift flour using a fine mesh strainer or flour sifter.
• Pour egg yolks, vanilla and 1/2 cup sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, or use a hand mixer.
• Beat egg yolks until uniform, smooth, pale yellow and doubled in volume. Pour mixture into a separate bowl.
• Wash and dry the stand mixing bowl and whisk, add egg whites to the bowl and beat on high speed. This is the secret to a light and spongy cake.
• Slowly add half of the remaining sugar and beat until soft peaks form.
• Add remaining sugar and beat on high until stiff peaks form. Mixture should be light and fluffy and stick to the whisk attachment or beaters when scooped from the bowl.
• Gather your three bowls: one with flour, one with egg white mixture, and the other with the egg yolk mixture. Using the egg yolk mixture as your main mixing bowl, you'll add flour and then egg white mixture little by little, alternating as you fold into the batter.
• First, add two tablespoons of flour to the egg yolk mixture.
• Fold flour into the yolk mixture.
• Add a scoop of the egg white mixture to your main mixing bowl.
• Gently fold into the flour mixture.
• Add more flour.
• Fold into the cake batter.
• Add more egg white mixture.
• Gently fold in the egg white.
• Continue alternating and folding in flour and egg white until you've added everything to the main bowl. Mixture will become lighter in color as you add ingredients and the final cake batter should be smooth, thick and fluffy.
• Grease and flour an 8 1/2 or 9 inch pan. Use a pastry brush to spread the butter in the round cake pan.
• Place a cookie sheet under your cake pan. Then, pour the tres leches cake mix into the prepared pan.
• Use the spatula to scrape the batter from sides of the bowl into the pan.
• Smooth the top of your cake evenly with the spatula.
• Place your cake on the center rack of the oven and bake at 356 degrees F for 40-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Remove from the oven, let sit five minutes, and then turn the cake out onto a wire rack to cool.
• Line the cooled cake pan with plastic wrap. You're going to place the cake back in the pan and then cover, so be sure you leave enough wrap on the sides to do so.
• Carefully place your cake bottom up into the lined baking pan.
• Gather your condensed milk, evaporated milk and light cream (or table cream) in separate bowls, as well as a large bowl, measuring cup and wire whisk.
• Pour the cream into the measuring cup.
• Add the sweetened condensed milk.
• Pour in the evaporated milk.
• Empty the measuring cup contents into a large bowl.
• Whisk the three milks until combined, and then pour back into the measuring cup.
• Using a fork, poke holes into the cooled tres leches cake.
• Pour the milk mixture into the holes and all over the surface of the cake. Don't forget the edges.
• Lift and fold over the flaps of the plastic wrap to cover the soaked cake.
• Once your cake is completely covered, place in the refrigerator and let rest for at least 8 hours. Overnight is best.
• Once the cake has rested, make the whipped topping. Gather your ingredients: heavy whipping cream, clear vanilla extract, sugar and vanilla pudding mix.
• Fit your stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Then add the whipping cream to the mixing bowl.
• Pour in the sugar and vanilla extract. The frosting uses a clear vanilla extract to keep it from changing color.
• Pour in the vanilla pudding mix.The pudding creates a stabilized whipped cream so you won't have to worry about it melting all over your cake in the refrigerator.
• Whip the cream on medium speed until soft peaks form. Take care not to over beat. If you do so, the cream could separate. The cream should be light and fluffy.
• Remove your tres leches cake from the refrigerator and prepare a serving dish or cake pedestal.
• Turn out your cake into the center of the dish.
• Carefully separate the pan from the cake.
• Slowly unwrap the plastic wrap by folding the wrap over itself.
• Remove the plastic wrap completely from the cake.
• Frost the sides of the cake with the whipped topping using a frosting spatula.
• Carefully frost the top of the cake, being careful not to let the spatula touch the cake directly. You don't want the cake crumbs to show up on your beautifully frosted cake.
• Gather your garnishes. If you're using strawberries, slice them in half and make a ring around the center of the cake, pressing the tops of the berries gently into the cake, cut side up. Fill in the ring with more strawberries, then sprinkle with raspberries and blueberries. Serve cold.

TRES LECHES: THREE MILK CAKE

Steps:

• Poke holes in the cake with a fork all over. Pour topping mixture over cake. Let mixture absorb completely in refrigerator.
• Cover with whipped cream or cool whip and sprinkle sweetened coconut over top of cake.

PASTEL DE TRES LECHES (THREE MILKS CAKE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F Grease a 9-by-13-inch glass baking pan with butter. In an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine egg whites, baking soda, and salt. Beat until soft peaks form. Do not overbeat.
• Add egg yolks to the egg white mixture. Beat just until completely combined. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly add the sugar until combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Fold in the melted butter by hand using a rubber spatula or hand whisk.
• Sift 1/4 cup flour on top of the cake mixture. Fold in to combine. Sift and fold in remaining flour 1/4 cup at a time. Don't overfold or you will lose volume. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until cake is golden and a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes.
• While the cake is baking mix together the milk, evaporated milk, condensed milk and vanilla.
• When the cake is done remove it from oven and place the pan on a wire rack. Quickly poke some small holes all over the cake using a cake tester or a toothpick.
• Pour the milk mixture over the hot cake. It should take about 5 minutes for all the milk to absorb. Let the cake stand in the pan until cool. Cover the cake with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours but preferably overnight.
• When ready to serve frost the cake with either Italian Meringue frosting or whipped cream. Serve with fresh fruit if desired.

TRES LECHES (THREE-MILK CAKE)

Steps:

• In a large bowl, with a mixer on high speed (use whip attachment if available), beat eggs and sugar until thick and pale yellow, 5 to 6 minutes.
• In a small bowl, mix flour and baking powder.
• With mixer on medium speed, gradually add flour mixture in small increments and beat until smooth.
• Scrape batter into a buttered 9 by 13 inch baking pan.
• Bake in a 325 degree oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a blender, whirl condensed milk, evaporated milk, regular milk, Kahlua, and vanilla until well blended.
• Pour evenly over hot cake; let cool about 15 minutes, then cover and chill until cake has absorbed all the milk mixture, at least 3 hours, or up to 1 day.
• Cut cake into squares or rectangles, lift out with a wide spatula, and set on plates.
• Top each piece of cake with a spoonful of whipped cream and garnish with strawberries.

3 MILK CAKE OR TRES LECHES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Grease and flour a 9x13-inch baking pan.
• Beat 6 egg whites in a large bowl with an electric mixer until fluffy; set yolks aside. Gradually beat in sugar until mixture holds soft peaks. Beat in flour gradually, then beat in milk, reserved egg yolks, melted butter, 4 teaspoons vanilla extract, and baking powder, beating in each ingredient thoroughly before adding the next. Pour batter into prepared baking pan.
• Bake in preheated oven until cake is browned and crusty on top, no more than 30 minutes. Let cake cool in pan for about 10 minutes before gently removing cake to finish cooling.
• Whisk sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and half-and-half in a bowl. Pour half the 3-milk mixture into a pan deeper and longer than the cake. Lay the cake into the milk mixture. Use a fork to score deep lines into the top of the cake and pour remaining 3-milk mixture over cake, allowing the mixture to soak in.
• Beat cream cheese with 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in a bowl with electric mixer until soft and fluffy; gradually beat in cream until frosting is thick and spreadable. Spread over the cake.