It means, 3 milk cake in Spanish.

Ana went on to explain to me what Tres Leches Cake is: a light, airy sponge cake soaked with a mixture of three milks: evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and heavy cream. Yes, you heard me. Some say the cake comes from Nicaragua; others, Mexico. But no matter which Latin America nation invented it, it’s absolutely to die for.

*quote from The Pioneer Woman

Yup, you’ve read it right, evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk and cream

*puzzled look* I’m serious.

Well, I don’t know if it’s obvious, but I don’t quite like cakes that are too airy or to spongy or too dense. Haha I’m being controversial. I’m not quite a fan of butter or pound cake or sponge cake. Joconde, chiffon, flourless all those stuffs, I’m fine. *Why am I such a picker. lol* Anyways, so when I first read that Tres Leches Cake is a light and airy sponge cake, it didn’t quite register in me, but when I continued reading, SOAKED with a mixture of THREE MILKS, I’m sold; indefinitely.

I’m a milk person. Even before I was born, my mum drank fresh cows milk, eventually, I became very big framed and my bones are like *touchwood* strong. When I was younger (around kindy age) I would have probably drank a cowful of cow’s milk. Haha serious. Back then, goats milk (which are generally more nutricious and doesn’t have that weird smell) weren’t so easily available. So, yay to fresh cow’s milk Haha OK I think I went a little overboard on milk…

Let’s just continue on the cake.

And this will be the gate to heaven (Ok I’m exaggerating, but, almost there.. )

Tres Leches Cake

(adapted from The Pioneer Woman)

Makes a 9″ x 13″ or 15 mini cakes

Ingredients

250g all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

5 eggs

150g caster sugar

1/2 vanilla pod, scrapped (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)

80ml milk

1/2 can evaporated milk

1/2 can sweetened condensed milk

1/4 cup cream

For the icing,

1 cup cream

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 170 C degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan liberally until coated. I used a silicon mini cakes bakeware for this, but try to use a wide / longish pan as you want the cake to be low (about 1-11/4 inch high, and not 3inch)

2. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Separate eggs.

3. Beat egg yolks with 100g caster sugar on high speed until yolks are pale yellow. Stir in milk and add in vanilla beans. Pour egg yolk mixture over the flour mixture and stir very gently until combined.

4. Beat egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form. With the mixer on, pour in remaining sugar and beat until egg whites are stiff but not dry.

5. Fold egg white mixture into the batter very gently until just combined. Pour into prepared pan and spread to even out the surface.

6. Bake for 20 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Turn cake out onto a rimmed platter and allow to cool. Baking time depends on how big the cake is, individual cakes takes just 20-25 mins, and a bigger pan takes about 35-45 mins.

7. Combine condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream in a small pitcher. When cake is cool, pierce the surface with a fork several times. Slowly drizzle all but about 1 cup of the milk mixture—try to get as much around the edges of the cake as you can.

8. Allow the cake to absorb the milk mixture for 30 minutes. To ice the cake, whip cream until thick and spreadable.
Spread over the surface of the cake. Serve.

I made this cake at night (although it was, 3.5 months ago) And oh dear, sinful it was!! As guilty as it is, it was so so yummmyyy!!!

It is obviously sweet with the condensed and evaporated milk in it. But hey, on the brighter side, there’s no butter in it!! 🙂

OK I don’t feel SO bad now.

Tee hee

ciao