Description
Ina Garten’s tres leches cake merges Mexican culinary traditions with elegant baking techniques. Rich milk-soaked layers create a luscious dessert you will cherish for special celebrations.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 extra-large eggs (at room temperature)
- 1 ½ cups (190g) all-purpose flour
- 1 (14-oz/396g) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 (12-oz/354ml) can evaporated milk
- ½ cup (120ml) whole milk
- 1 ¼ cups (300ml) heavy cream
- 1 ½ cups (360ml) cold heavy cream
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsps crème fraîche
- 2 tbsps granulated sugar
- ¾ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp pure almond extract
- ¼ cup (30g) confectioners’ sugar
- Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean
- 8 cups (around 1 liter) mixed fresh raspberries and sliced strawberries (for serving)
- Sifted confectioners’ sugar (for dusting)
Instructions
- Preparation: Preheat oven to 350°F and butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan thoroughly.
- Dry Ingredients: Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt to create a light, uniform mixture.
- Batter Creation: Whip eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract for 10 minutes until pale and voluminous, gradually folding in flour mixture and milk with a delicate technique.
- Baking Process: Pour batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly, and bake for 25 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean and the surface springs back when touched.
- Cooling Stage: Let cake rest in pan for 30 minutes, then puncture extensively with a bamboo skewer.
- Milk Soak: Blend heavy cream, evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, almond extract, and vanilla seeds, then slowly pour over cake, allowing complete absorption.
- Chilling: Refrigerate cake, covered, for minimum 6 hours to develop rich, harmonious flavors.
- Whipped Topping: Whisk cream, confectioners’ sugar, granulated sugar, crème fraîche, and vanilla until soft peaks form.
- Fruit Preparation: Toss selected fruits with sugar to enhance natural sweetness.
- Serving: Dust cake with confectioners’ sugar, slice into squares, plate with macerated fruit, and crown with whipped cream dollop.
Notes
- Precision Matters: Measure ingredients exactly for the perfect cake texture and consistent results.
- Whip with Care: Beat egg mixture for full 10 minutes to create a light, airy base that determines cake’s quality.
- Absorb Slowly: Pour milk mixture gradually, allowing each addition to soak completely into cake for maximum flavor penetration.
- Chill for Perfection: Refrigerate cake for minimum 6 hours to let flavors meld and develop a rich, complex taste profile.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 370
- Sugar: 32g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 24g
- Saturated Fat: 14g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 120mg