When we lived in TX I worked in a bakery (counter help) that specialized in this wonderful cake and I’m dying for a piece! The best I’ve gathered is that you can use any white cake and then you soak it in cream, condenced milk, evaporated milk, and brandy. Can anyone confirm this? Or have a favorite family recipe? Please help!
No one’s heard of this?
Actually, I read some article (can’t remember where, sorry) that said something about tres leches cake being sort of trendy now. Anyway, without going crazy trying to find that article, a simple search on “tres leches recipe” turned up this. Hope it helps.
Two more recipes from the Food Network. I suppose whether brandy or rum or vanilla/almond extract is used just depends on personal taste.
Very Milky Cake?
Thanks Earthling, I’d tried foodtv.com, but I couldn’t make the recipefinder work for me. I’ll let you know when I give it a try tomorrow.
No, no…it’s Spanish, not French. It means “three milks cake,” the name coming from using whole milk (or cream, in some variants), evaporated milk, and sweetened condensed milk altogether in one recipe. But I suppose with all that milk, “very milky” would be accurate as well.
MMMMMMM, tres leches…I live in TX and there are many places to get it…but few are very good. I will try to get my favorite place’s recipe for you…although it might be hard as they speak little english and I speak un poquito de espanol!
I just had this for the first time recently at a Cuban restaurant! It was heavenly. I don’t know if the restaurant served it in a classic fashion, but what I had was a thick slice of pound cake soaked in a rum syrup, and then the slice was liberally frosted with whipped cream. Tasted like a butter rum Lifesaver with whipped cream, except the rum was real!
This thread’s title was enough to make me gain weight…
Below is a recipe I’ve used to make Tres Leches cake at home. It turned out fabulously (though it was a bit of work). Truly, it was delicious.
Pastel de Tres Leches
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 T baking powder
4 eggs separated
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
Topping (recipe follows)
Meringue (recipe follows)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 13x9x2" pan. Sift flour with baking powder. In large bowl with clean beaters, beat egg whites until frothy. Add sugar gradually, beating to form stiff peaks. Add yolks one at a time. Slowly add flour and milk. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until edges are golden brown (40-45 minutes). Remove from oven and let cool on a rack. Prepare Topping and pour over cake. Let sit until all of the mixture is absorbed, 20 to 30 minutes.
Prepare meringue and spread over cake. Garnish as desired with fresh berries and mint leaves. Refrigerate.
Topping
1 12oz. can evaporated milk
1 14oz. can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups whipping cream
In a small bowl, combine milks and cream. Pour half the mixture into a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in remaining mixture. Cool before adding to cake.
Meringue
3 egg whites
1 cup sugar
6 ounces light corn syrup
Juice of 1 lime
In the top of the double boiler over medium heat, mix egg whites and sugar; beat until frothy with electric mixer. Slowly add corn syrup and beat to form stiff peaks. Add lime juice and beat until meringue turns shiny. Remove from heat until ready to spread on cake.
Mmmmmmmm… tres leches…
Beadalin I’ve never seen it with merangue before, always whipped cream. I’ll have to try that.
Mmmm…it tastes better with meringue.
Sigh…One of my favorites desserts, and now I cannot eat it(can’t find a place around here that offers it, and neither time nor money to make my own).