This cake has been on my "to-bake" list ever since I came across it on The Pionner Woman blog. I've seen different recipes for it ever since I started taking an interest in baking, but I've never attempted one. This recipe just seemed so easy, using everyday ingredients that I already had on hand. Plus, I needed to use up a bunch of eggs. Like others who attempted this recipe, I was apprehensive about the whole soaking process. Wouldn't the cake get mushy and soggy and wet? However, I found that the cake was just moist enough, and it held its shape nicely even after a few days in the fridge. Some of the pieces were even on the dry side, probably due to uneven pouring. The original recipe suggests to hold back about a cup of the soaking liquid, which is what I did. The next day, my friends suggested to pour the rest onto the cake, since it dried out a bit overnight in the fridge. So I did eventually use all of the milk mixture.
I think the texture of this cake is an acquired taste. It is quite "mushy" compared to traditional cake, and for those uninitiated into the world of the tres leches cake, your explanation of what it is may raise some eyebrows. Like a lot of things, this cake probably isn't for everyone. I liked it, but I'm not too sure if I liked it enough to make it again. It is a solid recipe, so give it a try and be your own judge.
Tres Leches Cake
Adapted slightly from The Pioneer Woman
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 5 eggs, separated
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 can evaporated milk
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
For the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350 Farenheit. Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan and set aside.
- Combine flour and baking powder in a large bowl. Set aside.
- With a mixer, mix egg yolks and 3/4 cups of sugar on high speed until the mixture is thick and takes on a pale yellow colour. Stir in the milk and vanilla extract. Pour mixture over flour mixture and gently combine.
- In a clean bowl, whip the egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and whip until egg whites become stiff.
- Gently fold in the egg whites into the batter. Pour into prepared pan and smooth top. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let cool completely.
For the milk mixture:
- Combine the evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk in a large measuring cup.
- Perforate the cooled cake with a fork. Pour milk mixture evenly over the cake and let soak for at least 30 minutes. You may want to reserve about 3/4 cup of the milk liquid, just in case it gets a bit dry the next day.
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