Tres Leches Cake

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, originally appearing in Emeril's There's a Chef in My World, HarperCollins Publishers, New York, 2006

Show: Emeril LiveEpisode: Kicked Up Tailgating

Rated: 5 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (13)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(13)

Cook Time:
25 min
Level:
Intermediate
Yield:
16 to 20 servings

Times:

Prep: 20 min
Inactive Prep: --
Cook: 25 min
Total:: 45 min

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Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable shortening
2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided
6 large eggs, separated
2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup whole milk
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
2 (14-ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk
3 cups heavy cream, divided
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar

Directions

Position rack in bottom 1/3 of oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Lightly grease a 13 by 9-inch baking pan with the shortening. Add 1 tablespoon of the flour to the greased pan and shake it around to coat the entire pan with the flour. Shake out excess flour. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the sugar with the mixer running, beating until stiff peaks form.

Add the egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each egg is added. In a small mixing bowl, sift together the 2 cups flour and baking powder. Add the flour mixture to the batter in stages, alternating with the whole milk, beginning and ending with the flour. (Do this quickly so that the batter does not lose its volume.) Add 1 teaspoon of the vanilla extract. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and place in the oven. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.

In a blender, combine the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and 2 cups of the heavy cream. Cover and blend on high for 45 seconds.

Remove 1 1/2 cups of the milk mixture, cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve the cake.

Pour 1/2 of the remaining milk mixture over the warm cake.

When the cake has soaked up most of the liquid, pour the remaining half of the milk mixture over the cake, and cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight.

When ready to serve, beat the remaining cup of heavy cream in the electric mixer until soft peaks form. Add the confectioners' sugar and remaining 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla, and beat until stiff peaks form. Spread the whipped cream over the chilled cake.

Serve the cake with the reserved chilled milk sauce.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Tres Leches Cake
Grace Ann Arbor, MI 11-23-2009
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Earned Rave Reviews From my Spanish Professor
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I made Tres Leches Cake for my spanish class, and earned rave reviews. I even managed to receive a compliment from my... professor, who lived and studied in Spain for several years. It is such a delicious cake - moist and spongy, people were delighted with its sweetness. (It managed to find a balance point where it was sweet without being sickeningly sweet.) Thanks Emeril, this is a delicious recipe! I will try poking carefully spaced holes next time to allow for even draining of the milk.Read more
recipe Tres Leches Cake
Cristina Altamonte Srpings , FL 05-05-2009
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Very Good
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This cake is supposed to be very sweet, so if you don't like sweet cakes, then you won't like this type of cake. That being... said, this cake was awesome and tasted very authentic. Just like the ones you would get in a Miami bakery. It is labor intensive, but very good and I promise you it is NOT BLAND at all. I made it for my husband's office luncheon and everyone asked me for the recipe and went out of their way to say how much they loved it. Read more
recipe Tres Leches Cake
Barbara Nashville, TN 05-02-2009
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Holy Smoke This is Good
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I made this for book club and it was a huge success. I made it with lower fat evaporated milk and used 2% milk in the cake... batter. It was still one of the richest desserts I have ever eaten. Sliced some strawberries on it - it was like a "kicked up" version of the home made strawberry (real) shortcake I remember as a child because we used to pour milk all over it and eat it that way. I would like to try making a few smaller cakes and freezing it since it makes so much. I wonder if it could be frozen without the tres leches and then when thawed, slightly warm the cake and pour the liquids over it then. I wonder if the tres leches liquid could be frozen too. Anyone tried this?Read more
recipe Tres Leches Cake
Anonymous 08-25-2008
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Got Rave Reviews
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I however modified the recipe a little. I always add more vanilla extract then the recipe calls for, usually double (but... always pure vanilla extract) I substituted 1 1/2 cups of the heavy cream for 1 1/2 cups coconut milk (so I suppose it would be quatro leches, but whatever) and I added a 1/2 cup of vanilla rum. I made sure to poke holes throughout the entire cake about a quarter inch apart using a small wooden skewer. Make sure the cake is completely cooled. Then starting at the center I slowly began pouring the milk mixture on the cake, waiting until each addition was fully absorbed before adding more; This process took about 30 - 45 minutes. But patience paid off as the milk was evenly absorbed and the bottom was not soggy. I also did not add the extra whip cream on top but drizzled caramel sauce and sprinkled toasted coconut flakes on the top.Read more
recipe Tres Leches Cake
Kryssi Vacaville , CA 07-28-2008
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First time and what a hit
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

I was invited to a "Mexican" themed dinner party and wasnt sure what to bring. All the bases were covered for the entrees and... I was in charge of dessert. I was a little nervous to try this one, but it was simple to make and turned out great! Everyone loved it!Read more
recipe Tres Leches Cake
Carolyn Longmeadow, MA 04-22-2008
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Heavenly!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

My husband raved about a tres leches cake he had in San Antonio so I made him this one for his birthday. He said it was much... better than the one he had in TX. All our guests loved it!!! So delicious!!Read more