VERY BEST EVER TRES LECHES CAKE RECIPE. OR, “HOW I BRING ALL THE BOYS TO THE YARD”.
Finally, an easy & crazy delicious Tres Leches recipe that doesn’t dirty half the bowls in my kitchen! This simple sponge recipe is my adaption of Cook’s Country’s version and drinks up the three-milk mixture like a champ. The difference between using a vanilla cake for Tres Leches and using a sponge, well, is a soaked cake vs a soggy cake. A good sponge recipe will hold in the liquids, soaking them in with falling apart. Save that vanilla cake recipe for another day, this cinnamon Tres Leches cake recipe is gonna knock your socks off and make your home – and your yard – smell Heavenly!
Cake:
260 g AP flour (2 c)
2 t baking powder
1 t salt
1 1/2 t ground cinnamon
4 oz unsalted butter
8 oz whole milk (or half & half)
4 large eggs, room temperature
400 g sugar (2 c)
2 t vanilla
Milk Mixture:
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
8 oz heavy cream
1 t vanilla
Whipped Cream Frosting:
16 oz heavy cream
25-50 g sugar (1/8-1/4 c)
1 t vanilla
Preheat oven to 325 F. Goop or grease & flour a 9×13″ pan.
In a saucepan over low fire, heat milk & butter until butter is melted; set aside.
Whisk or sift flour, baking powder, salt & cinnamon in a medium bowl and set aside.
In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs on medium about 30 seconds and and then slowly add the sugar until incorporated. Turn the mixer to med-high and beat for 5-7 minutes, until the mixture is thick and glossy.
Turn to low and add vanilla.
Pour the milk/butter mixture in slowly while on low.
Add in flour mixture in 3 parts, scraping as neccessary; once incorporated, mix on med for 30 seconds.
Bake 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. While cake is baking, pour the three milks & the vanilla into a blender and blend well. Set aside.
If serving on another platter, invert to cool, or you may leave it in the dish (if you are planning on using another platter keep in mind the milks will leak so use a dish with an edge). Cool 10 minutes. With a skewer, poke deep holes all over the cake, not neglecting the corners and edges.
While still warm, slowly pour some of the milk mixture over the cake. Let it soak and continue to pour and it soaks into the cake. When the milk has been soaked in, set the cake in the fridge to chill. You may do this ahead and chill over night.
With a whisk attachment on a stand mixer, beat the cream, sugar and vanilla on high until stiff peaks form. Spread over the chilled cake. Fresh strawberries or peaches are wonderful topped onto Tres Leches. Enjoy!