Tres leches: The creamy cake stealing the teatime show

"Tres leches," meaning "three milks," is a classic cake from Latin America, renowned for its remarkable texture and intensely milky flavor. The secret to its uniqueness is soaking the sponge cake in a mix of three types of milk: regular, condensed, and sweetened condensed. This makes the tres leches cake moist, light, yet creamy.

The recipe for tres leches is quite simple but requires care to ensure the cake absorbs all the milky ingredients well. Here's how to prepare this extraordinary cake step by step.

Ingredients for the sponge:

          
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 5 eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Ingredients for soaking:

  
• 1/2 cup milk
• 28 oz condensed milk

Ingredients for whipped cream:

    
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Tres leches cake tastes best chilled. It can be decorated with fruits like strawberries or raspberries, or sprinkled with cinnamon. Cut it into pieces and serve as a delicious, milky dessert that will delight everyone.

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare a rectangular baking dish (about 8x12 inches) by greasing it with butter and lining it with baking paper. In a bowl, mix the flour and baking powder. Separately, beat the egg whites until stiff, gradually adding sugar. Then, add the yolks one at a time, mixing gently. Finally, mix the flour, milk, and vanilla extract until combined. Pour the batter into the dish and bake for about 25-30 minutes until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes clean. Set aside to cool.
2. In a bowl, mix regular milk, condensed milk, and sweetened condensed milk. Poke the cooled cake with a toothpick or fork to facilitate soaking. Then slowly pour the milky mixture over the cake, spreading evenly to soak every piece. Leave the cake in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours, or preferably overnight, to absorb all the milk.
3. Whip the heavy cream until stiff, adding powdered sugar and vanilla extract at the end. Spread the whipped cream evenly over the top of the cake.

Tres leches is a unique cake that wins over everyone who tries it with its delicate, moist texture and creamy flavor. Its sweetness is perfectly balanced, and the milky notes give it a velvety structure. Furthermore, tres leches is easy to prepare, and its final appearance is impressive.

Additional tips:

1. Alcoholic version: If you want to add a touch of sophistication to the cake, you can add a little rum or liqueur to the milk mixture, enriching the flavor and giving the dessert an elegant character.
2. Fruits as an addition: Tres leches pair well with fruits. You can add fresh fruits, such as strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, or mango, to the cake, which will add lightness and freshness.
3. Storage: Tres leches cake is best stored in the fridge. This way, its moisture and creamy texture will be maintained, and the flavor will become even more intense.