Time for our Bake-Along, and for this week's theme, my baking buddy, Zoe from Bake For Happy Kids has chosen Tres Leches Cake. When Zoe suggested this cake for our theme baking, I was excited because I have read so much about this cake and have always wanted to give it a try. On the other hand, the long steps of making this cake is one of the reasons that it is still on my list of to-try! Sometimes, I needed that push, and this is definitely it!
Tres Leches Cake is very popular in Latin America : it is a light airy sponge cake, soaked in the combination of three types of milk ; evaporated milk, condensed milk and heavy cream. I have never tried Tres Leches Cake before and am rather curious about cake soaked in milk! And I am not a fan of soggy desserts, especially bread pudding! But I am keeping an open mind on this, as I have read the good reviews about Tres Leches Cake, and mostly from those who has tried it for the first time.
I have a couple of baking cookbooks that has Tres Leches Cake recipe. There's one from "Heavenly Cakes", and there's some extra steps involved, you know Rose's recipes! Another one from "The Cake Book" which requires quite a few extra ingredients and also some extra steps. So my search for a simple Tres Leches Cake began. And found it at The Pioneer Woman's website, with very, very good reviews! The best thing is, it is so simple and easy to follow, so I decided to use the recipe from The Pioneer Woman!
First of all, make the sponge cake. Since this is the first time that I'm going to try Tres Leches Cake, and not even sure whether would I like it or end up disliking it, I've made only a third of the recipe. My cake above is baked in a 8-1/2" x 4-1/2" loaf pan. I did not line the pan with parchment paper, simply grease it generously, but I have some problem getting it out of the pan, so my advise would be to grease and line the pan. Bake the cake as per the instructions in the recipe below, turn in out immediately after baking and leave to cool, right side up. Place the cake in another platter with rims at the sides, or you can use the same baking pan, clean it first, as you are going to soak the cake with milk mixture later.
Prepare the milk mixture of evaporated milk, condensed milk and heavy cream. I have added in 1 tsp of rum. I did not wait for the cake to cool down, while still warm, maybe about 20 minutes after baking, prick some holes all over with a fork, pricking it right to the bottom of the cake so that all the milk will go right through. Drizzle the milk mixture over the cake.
You can see the milk mixture already seeping into the cake.
Leave the cake undisturbed for 30 minutes.
This is less than 30 minutes later! Maybe about 25 minutes! All the milk mixture has been absorbed by the cake! I am so excited to see the whole process of it! Now I can't wait to try the cake, but it will have to wait for the next day, as it was already late and I am actually lazy to whisk the frosting, because I have washed my mixing bowl and whisk beater twice when making this cake, once for the egg yolk batter and also for the egg whites! Haha! Lazy, lazy!
I left the cake in the refrigerator covered overnight and frost it the next day. The frosting is made up of heavy cream plus 1 teaspoon of caster sugar, whipped until thick and spreadable. Spread the frosting all over the cold cake.
Slice and serve! What's the review?
Super delicious cake! This is one of the best cake I've eaten! A total winner with the family. This cake is not soggy at all, the texture is moist, make that very moist, in such a way that it is not soggy at all. The sponge cake soaks up the milk mixture without falling apart, and the sweetness is just perfect, it is not overly sweet, maybe because I used slightly less than what the recipes calls for, and also less condensed milk in the milk mixture. Do not skip on the frosting, it blends very deliciously with the cake. I have a request from my son to make this cake for his birthday! Haha, he might change his mind, but I am happy to make this cake again! Perhaps now I am more confident to try out either Rose Levy's or Tish Boyle's recipes!
Thank you, Zoe, for that "push", otherwise it will still be on my list of-to-try! Now it is on my list of "family gathering yummies"!
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Tres Leches Cake
(adapted from The Pioneer Woman)
For the batter :
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
2 whole eggs
scant 1/3 cup sugar, divided
1/2 tsp vanilla
80ml milk
For the milk mixture:
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1/4 cup condensed milk
2 tbsp heavy cream
1 tsp rum (my addition)
For the frosting :
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 tsp caster sugar
Preheat oven to 350degreesF. Grease and line a 8 x 4-1/2 inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
For the batter :
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Separate the eggs.
Whisk egg yolks with the sugar (leaving about 2-3 tbsp to use for the egg whites later), on high speed until yolks are pale yellow.
Stir in the milk and vanilla. Pour egg yolk mixture over the flour mixture and stir very gently until combined.
Whisk 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.
Fold egg white mixture into the batter very gently until just combined. Pour into prepared pan and spread to even out the surface.
Bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Turn cake out into a rimmed platter and allow to cool.
For the milk mixture :
Combine condensed milk, evaporated milk, heavy cream and rum (my addition) in a small pitcher. (I use a mini hand-held whisk to whisk everything together). When the cake is cool, pierce the surface with a fork several times. Slowly drizzle the milk mixture over the cake - try to get as much around the edges of the cake as you can.
Allow the cake to absorb the milk mixture for 30 minutes.
For the frosting :
Whisk heavy cream with sugar until thick and spreadable.
Spread over the surface of the cake. Decorate cake with whole or chopped glazed cherries.
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