By Michelle Anderson
Cake Decorating Expert, about.com
Tres Leches is a buttery sponge cake soaked in three kinds of milk and topped with whipped cream.
Ingredients
- For the Cake:
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 7 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1¼ cups cake flour, sifted
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- Butter for greasing the pan
- Flour for dusting the pan
- For the Milk Glaze:
- 1½ (20-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1½ (18-ounce) can evaporated milk
- 1½ cups half-and-half cream
- For the Topping:
- 1½ cups unsweetened shredded coconut
- 3 cups 35% cream
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Preparation
For the Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Lightly grease two 9-inch springform cake pans and place a piece of parchment paper, cut to size in the bottom of each pan. Grease the parchment paper and lightly dust the pans. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until very fluffy and pale, about 5 minutes.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the vanilla extract and beat to combine.
- In a small bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in four additions, beating to combine well and scraping down the sides of the bowl.
- Spoon the batter into the cake pans, dividing evenly, and smooth the tops.
- Lightly tap the cake pans on the counter to remove any air bubbles in the batter.
- Bake the cakes in the oven until they are golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes.
- Remove the cake pans from the oven and place them on a wire rack. Cool the cakes for 30 minutes and then use a wooden skewer to poke holes all over the surfaces of the cake
For the Milk Glaze:
- In a medium bowl whisk together the condensed milk, evaporated milk, cream, and cinnamon until well blended.
- Divide the glaze evenly between the two cakes, pouring it over slowly to cover the entire surface of both cakes.
- Cover the pans with plastic wrap and chill the cakes overnight.
For the Topping:
- Place the coconut in a large skillet over medium heat and toast it, swirling the pan, until the coconut is golden brown and very fragrant. Place the coconut in a bowl and set aside to cool completely.
- Pour the 35% cream in a large bowl and beat the cream until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat until the topping is very think and fluffy.
- Take the cakes out of the fridge and run a knife around the outside edge of each.
- Release the springform edges and transfer one of the cakes to a plate by flipping it over so the parchment bottom is on the top.
- Carefully remove the parchment paper.
- Spread the whipped cream topping over the top of the cake.
- Take the other cake and position it on top of the first cake. Carefully remove the bottom of the springform pan and the parchment.
- Frost the entire outside of the cake with whipped topping and generously sprinkle the top with toasted coconut.
- Decorate and store in the fridge. You can also top this cake with chocolate curls.
