To prepare for a recent Mexican-themed dinner party, I hit the Internet seeking a classic tres leches cake recipe. My exhaustive search inspired me to create my own, an amalgam of techniques and ingredients that yielded a sweet, thick slab of milky cake topped with bourbon whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon. The best part of the recipe is that the cake can be made days in advance, leaving you plenty of time to plan the rest of your fiesta.
Tres Leches Cake Adapted from a recipe at Sweet Pea’s Kitchen 6 to 8 servings
7 oz. sweetened condensed milk
6 oz. evaporated milk
1 cup heavy cream, divided
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4 oz. (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
½ cup whole milk
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. cinnamon, plus more for dusting
1½ Tbsp. corn syrup
1 Tbsp. bourbon
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
• Pour the sweetened condensed milk into a microwave-safe medium bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave on low about 3 to 5 minutes, then stir, cover and microwave another 3 to 5 minutes, until the milk darkens and thickens. Slowly whisk in the evaporated milk, ½ cup heavy cream and vanilla. Set aside to cool.
• Meanwhile, butter the bottom and sides of an 8-inch round cake pan and dust with flour. Set aside.
• In a small saucepan over low heat, heat the butter and milk until the butter melts. Remove from heat and set aside.
• In a large bowl, use a mixer on medium speed to beat the eggs 30 seconds, then slowly add the sugar. Increase the speed to high and beat 5 to 7 minutes, until thick and glossy. Reduce the speed to low and beat in the butter mixture and vanilla.
• Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon into the egg-butter mixture. With a rubber spatula, fold in the flour mixture just until combined, but do not overmix. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool cake in the pan on wire rack at least 10 minutes.
• Using a chopstick or skewer, poke holes on top of the cake at ½-inch intervals. Slowly pour the milk mixture over cake. Let stand at room temperature 15 minutes, then refrigerate, uncovered, at least 3 hours and up to 24 hours.
• In a medium bowl, use a mixer on medium speed to beat the remaining ½ cup heavy cream, corn syrup and bourbon about 2 minutes, until soft peaks form. Turn the cake out onto a serving plate and spread the whipped cream over the top of the cake.
• The cake can be assembled and refrigerated up to 3 days. Dust the cake with ground cinnamon and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving.
This article appears in November 2015.
