Tres Leches Cake
A light sponge cake soaked in three milks and topped with whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon.
Recipe in testing: I'm cooking it in my TM7™ and will update the steps and the photo with my own.
Tres leches is a sponge cake soaked in evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk and whole milk, then topped with whipped cream. The sponge needs plenty of air to drink up all that milk, and the Thermomix® TM7™ whips the eggs and sugar with the butterfly whisk at 37°C (98°F), which helps them turn thick and pale.
Bake the cake in a glass or ceramic dish, since it stays there to soak and to serve. It tastes best cold, after at least 4 hours in the refrigerator, so it is a great dessert to make the day before a party.
Made in the Thermomix® TM7™
Tres Leches Cake
Makes: 1 cake, 9 x 13 inches (15 pieces)
- Prep30 min
- Cook25 min
- Total5 h 15 min
- Serves15
Ingredients
Sponge cake
Three milks
Topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter and flour a 9 x 13 inch glass or ceramic baking dish.
- Insert the butterfly whisk. Place the eggs, sugar and vanilla in the mixing bowl and whip 6 min/37°C (98°F)/speed 4 with the measuring cup in place. Then whip 5 min/speed 4 without heat, until the mixture is thick, pale and more than doubled in volume.
- Add the flour, baking powder and salt, and mix 5 sec/speed 2 with the butterfly whisk still inserted. Remove the whisk and fold gently with the spatula, scraping the bottom of the bowl, until no dry flour remains.
- Pour the batter into the dish, spread it evenly and bake for 22 to 26 minutes, until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let it cool for 20 minutes.
- Rinse and dry the mixing bowl. Place the evaporated milk, condensed milk and whole milk in it and mix 20 sec/speed 4.
- Poke the warm cake all over with a fork or skewer. Pour the milk mixture slowly over the cake in 3 or 4 additions, letting it soak in between. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
- Wash and dry the mixing bowl well. Insert the butterfly whisk, add the cold cream, powdered sugar and vanilla, remove the measuring cup and whip 1-2 min/speed 3.5, watching through the lid opening, until soft peaks form.
- Spread the whipped cream over the chilled cake, dust with cinnamon and cut into 15 squares. Serve cold, with a little of the milk from the dish.
Tips
- Stop whipping the cream as soon as it holds soft peaks: a few seconds too long and it turns grainy.
- For a coconut version, swap the whole milk for 250 g coconut milk (1 cup) and sprinkle toasted coconut over the cream.
- Fresh strawberries or a few maraschino cherries on top make a classic garnish.
- Keep the cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
