TRES LECHES CAKE

Tres Leches Cake (Pastel de Tres Leches)

PASTEL de TRES LECHES

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup unsalted butter

2 cups white sugar (divided)

5 eggs

1-1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (divided)

1 cup milk

1/2 of a 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 of a 12-ounce can evaporated milk

1/3 cup Liqueur, Frangelico, Brandy or Chambord, for example (optional)

1-½ cups heavy (whipping) creamPreheat oven to 350F degrees. Grease and flour a 9x13-inch baking pan. 

Sift flour and baking powder together and set aside. Cream the butter and 1 cup of the sugar together until fluffy. Add the eggs and 1/2 teaspoon of the vanilla. Beat well. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, 2 tablespoons at a time, mixing well until blended. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes. 

When cake has finished baking, pierce it in 8 or 10 places with a fork or skewer, and let it cool. Combine the whole milk, evaporated milk, condensed milk and liqueur and pour over the top of the cooled cake. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Whipped Cream Topping: When ready to serve, combine the whipping cream and the remaining 1 teaspoon of vanilla and 1 cup of sugar, whipping until thick. Spread over top of cake. 

Because of the milk in the cake, it is very important that you keep the cake refrigerated until ready to serve. Serve chilled.Makes 1 cake. 

Tres Leches Cake Variations

Caribbean Tres Leches Cake

Replace the sweetened condensed milk with 1 cup of Coco Lopez Cream of Coconut in the milk mixture. You can also add ¼ cup rum.

Southern Tres Leches Cake

In addition to the three milks, add 1/3 cup peach schnapps. You can add cup of diced, drained peaches to the batter. About cup of pecans can be added to the batter or sprinkled on top of the cake before serving.

Now, if you like cherries, blueberries, raspberries or apples, you can add them to this cake much in the same way. Well, what about chocolate? Why not add some chocolate syrup to the three-milk mixture, or temper in some white chocolate. This is another one of those great recipes that allows for culinary adventure. Plus, it is just plain delicious.