A Taste of Mexico in Your Kitchen: The Easiest Recipe for the Iconic Tres Leches Cake
The most tender and creamy dessert that will surprise both your family and guests at your party.
When all the most delicious desserts from the local bakery start tasting the same, it’s probably time to give a try to something new and pretty exotic. One of the best options is the famous Tres Leches cake that is widely popular in all the countries of Latin America.
Despite some thinking they’ll spend hours on making this cake, it’s actually quite easy and quick to prepare, so save the recipe for the next time you’ll wonder what kind of dessert to serve at home.
Ingredients:
For the sponge cake: 1 cup (130–150 g) of wheat flour, 1.5 tsp of baking powder, 1/4 tsp of salt, 5 eggs, 1 cup of sugar, vanilla sugar or extract to taste.
For the filling: 1 can of condensed milk, 1 package (200 g) of 10–20% cream, 1 can of condensed milk or the same amount of coconut milk (380–400 ml).
For decoration: 100 ml of whipping cream (to taste), powdered sugar (to taste), 200–300 g of fresh fruit (to taste).
Separate the egg whites from the yolks and beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add 50 grams of sugar, continuing to beat. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. To help the egg whites whip up faster, use eggs at room temperature.
Mix the yolks with sugar and vanilla. Beat for 3–5 minutes until the mixture turns white and fluffy.
Mix the flour with baking powder and salt. Combine the beaten yolks and flour, then gradually fold in the beaten egg whites. Gently fold the mixture, working from the bottom up, trying to preserve the light, airy texture of the batter.
Pour the batter into a baking pan and bake in an oven preheated to 170–180°C for 35–40 minutes.
When the sponge cake is done, turn off the oven and, without opening the door, let the cake cool in the oven. Using a fork, prick the cooled sponge cake all around the edges.
Combine the condensed milk, heavy cream, and coconut milk, and mix thoroughly.
Place the sponge cake in an airtight container and pour the mixture of the three types of milk over it.
Place the sponge cake in the fridge, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it rest for a while.
Whip the cream with powdered sugar. Spread the whipped cream over the top of the cake. The remaining cream can be used later to decorate the cake or served on the side.
Garnish the top of the cake with fresh fruit. Fruits and berries with a rich flavor and a slight tartness work best — like kiwis and strawberries.
