• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
What'sCookin'Chicago?
  • About
  • Recipe Index
    • By Cuisine
    • By Holiday
    • Collections
  • Recipe Videos
  • Vegetarian
  • Winter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
whatscookinchicago-logo

What'sCookin'Chicago?

  • About
  • Recipe Index
    • By Cuisine
    • By Holiday
    • Collections
  • Recipe Videos
  • Vegetarian
  • Winter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Home ยป Uncategorized ยป Tres Leches Cake

Tres Leches Cake

August 3, 2010 · WCC Administr@tr · 14 Comments

4848606668_88263ddb4a-8473594
Do you have any culinary regrets? For me, one would be the fact that I didn’t make my birthday cake from scratch this year. I had a birthday fiesta a few months ago where the menu theme was inspired by Cinco de Mayo since my birthday was only a few days before. For my birthday cake, I ended up purchasing a Tres Leches Cake from a local Mexican bakery since I didn’t have time to make a cake that weekend. Although the cake was good, ever since, I’ve wanted to make a Tres Leches Cake. Finally, I had that chance when my sister and her family came to visit. It was worth the wait because this Tres Leches Cake is most definitely better than any bakery version I’ve ever had…

This cake is fantastic. It’s a cake that’s sturdy enough to soak up the three milks it’s glazed in. Topped with fresh whipped cream and garnished with macerated strawberries, it’s completely heaven. The original called for preparing it in a 9×13 baking pan but I chose to do it in a springform pan instead. Regardless of which pan you make it in, make sure that it will be big enough to bake the cake in and hold the milky glaze. At first you may question how the cake will even absorb all the milk. But don’t worry… chill the cake overnight with the glaze and by morning, the cake will have absorbed every drop. Once you cut into it, you’ll notice how perfectly the cake captured the glaze and with the whipped cream and strawberries, it’s a dessert you’ll have a hard time resisting!

Tres Leches Cake
recipe from Alton Brown

Cake:
Cooking spray to grease cake pans
6 3/4 ounces cake flour, plus extra for pan
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
8 ounces sugar
5 whole eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Glaze:
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup half-and-half

Topping:
2 cups heavy cream
8 ounces sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Garnish:

2 tablespoons sugar
1 lb strawberries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil and flour a 10-inch metal springform pan and set aside.

Whisk together the cake flour, baking powder and salt in a medium mixing bowl and set aside.

Place the butter into the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, beat on medium speed until fluffy, approximately 1 minute. Decrease the speed to low and with the mixer still running, gradually add the sugar over 1 minute. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl, if necessary. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and mix to thoroughly combine. Add the vanilla extract and mix to combine. Add the flour mixture to the batter in 3 batches and mix just until combined. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread evenly. This will appear to be a very small amount of batter. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until the cake is lightly golden and reaches an internal temperature of 200 degrees F.

Do not remove the cake pan to a cooling rack and allow to cool for 30 minutes. Poke the top of the cake all over with a skewer or fork. Allow the cake to cool completely and then prepare the glaze.

For the glaze:
Whisk together the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk and the half-and-half in a 1-quart measuring cup. Once combined, pour the glaze over the cake. Refrigerate the cake overnight.

For the topping:
Place the heavy cream, sugar and vanilla into the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, whisk together on low until stiff peaks are formed. Change to medium speed and whisk until thick. Spread the topping over the cake and allow to chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Meanwhile, chop up the strawberries and place in a bowl with 2 tablespoons of sugar. Toss to combine and set aside until ready to serve.

To serve:
Place the cake on a serving platter. Carefully remove the ring from the springform pan. Slice the cake to serve and garnish with a spoonful of strawberries.

Uncategorized

Previous Post: « Platanos Maduros (Fried Sweet Plantains)
Next Post: Chicken Katsu »

NEVER MISS A POST

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Comments

  1. Julie @ Willow Bird Baking says

    August 3, 2010 at 4:55 pm

    This is such a gorgeous Tres Leches cake! And after a meal with those fried plantains — ohhhh heaven!

    Reply
  2. Joy says

    August 3, 2010 at 6:35 pm

    I have always loved tres leche. Yours look devine.

    Reply
  3. Charisse says

    August 3, 2010 at 6:35 pm

    I LOVE a good tres leches cake! I made one a few months ago and my husband and I keep opening the fridge days after hoping there was more in there! lol

    Reply
  4. Beth says

    August 3, 2010 at 9:41 pm

    This sounds alot like a recipe I use. I have added Kahlua to the glaze mixture – it's amazing that way!

    Reply
  5. vincent says

    August 3, 2010 at 9:41 pm

    Hello,

    We bumped into your blog and we really liked it – great recipes YUM YUM.
    We would like to add it to the Petitchef.com.

    We would be delighted if you could add your blog to Petitchef so that our users can, as us,
    enjoy your recipes.

    Petitchef is a french based Cooking recipes Portal. Several hundred Blogs are already members
    and benefit from their exposure on Petitchef.com.

    To add your site to the Petitchef family you can use http://en.petitchef.com/?obj=front&action=site_ajout_form or just go to Petitchef.com and click on "Add your site"

    Best regards,

    Vincent
    petitchef.com

    Reply
  6. Taylor says

    August 5, 2010 at 3:36 am

    I made a Tres Leches Cake a couple of months ago and was blown away by how good it was! So moist! I'm glad you finally got to make your own from scratch ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  7. Unknown says

    August 5, 2010 at 3:36 am

    This looks lovely. I've never had a tres leches cake tho I do keep meaning to try

    Reply
  8. Heather says

    August 5, 2010 at 3:19 pm

    My GOD does that look amazing.

    Reply
  9. Danielle says

    August 5, 2010 at 3:19 pm

    Mmmmm i tried Tres Leches for the first time a few months ago and have been dreaming about it ever since! yours looks soooo good!

    Reply
  10. Jun Belen says

    August 5, 2010 at 3:19 pm

    I made Alton Brown's tres leches cake, too for my birthday ylast January and it was AMAZING!!! Love the strawberries!!

    Reply
  11. Bonnie says

    August 5, 2010 at 3:19 pm

    Nom nom nom! Ever since I took my first bite when I lived in LA, this has been one of my favorite desserts. Will definitely give your recipe a try since I can't find a good one here in Chicago!

    Reply
  12. Melissa W. says

    August 6, 2010 at 1:08 am

    That is a beautiful cake! I've never actually tried a Tres Leches cake. It looks wonderful though. I will have to try this recipe, thanks! ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  13. Christina @ Still Lucky says

    August 16, 2010 at 6:27 pm

    I made this yesterday for a group of friends and they LOVED it!! Thank you so much for providing the recipe. ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  14. Eva @ Eva Bakes says

    March 13, 2012 at 10:31 pm

    Thanks for sharing this awesome recipe, Joelen. My husband and coworkers devoured it!

    Reply

Primary Sidebar

me
Hi, I'm Joelen! Welcome to What's Cookin, Chicago. My goal is to share my culinary adventures in hopes to inspire you to embrace life in a delicious way.
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Footer

whatscookinchicago-logo
Welcome to What’s Cookin, Chicago. Our goal is to share our culinary adventures in hopes to inspire you to embrace life in a delicious way…

NEVER MISS A POST

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

SEARCH THIS SITE

  • About
  • Recipe Index
  • Wine & Dine
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact

Copyright © 2023 ยท What's Cookin' Chicago