Mom's Tres Leches Cake

By Fran Murray
@franmurray

My son, Nick, came home from Argentina one year with a new found taste for Dulce de Leche. So, I made this cake for him. It's rich and delicious.

Rating:

★★★★★ 1 vote

Comments:

6 Comments

Serves:

15 to 18

Prep:

4 Hr

Cook:

35 Min

Method:

Bake

Blue Ribbon Recipe

Notes from the Test Kitchen:
This is one moist and delicious cake that everyone will want a second slice of! The slight caramelization of the condensed milk, combined with the cream and the evaporated milk, really gives this cake a distinct taste that I just loved. I had never made a whipped cream frosting with corn syrup as a sweetener before, but I really love the light sweet taste that it brings to the recipe.

Ingredients

14 oz: can sweetened condensed milk
12 oz: can evaporated milk
1 c: heavy cream
1 tsp: vanilla
2 c: all-purpose flour
2 tsp: baking powder
1 tsp: salt
1/2 tsp: ground cinnamon
8 Tbsp: (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 c: whole milk
4 large: eggs, at room temperature
2 c: sugar
2 tsp: vanilla
1 c: heavy cream
3 Tbsp: corn syrup
1 tsp: vanilla

How to Make Mom's Tres Leches Cake

Step-by-Step

1For the milk mixture: Pour condensed milk into a large microwave-safe bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Microwave on low power, stirring and replacing plastic every 3 to 5 minutes, until slightly darkened and thickened, 9 to 15 minutes.
2Remove from microwave and slowly whisk in evaporated milk, cream and vanilla. Let cool to room temperature.
3For the cake: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease 13x9-inch baking pan. Whisk flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in bowl.
4Heat butter and milk in small saucepan over low heat until butter is melted; set aside off heat.
5With electric mixer on medium speed, beat eggs in large bowl for about 30 seconds, then slowly add sugar until incorporated. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until egg mixture is very thick and glossy, 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce speed to low and slowly mix in melted butter mixture and vanilla.
6Add flour mixture in three additions, scraping down bowl as necessary, then mix on medium speed until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds.
7Using rubber spatula, scrape batter into prepared pan and bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.
8Transfer cake to wire rack and let cool 10 minutes.
9Using skewer, poke holes at 1/2-inch intervals in the top of the cake. Slowly pour milk mixture over cake until completely absorbed. Let sit at room temperature 15 minutes, then refrigerate uncovered 3 hours or up to 24 hours.
10For the frosting: Remove cake from refrigerator 30 minutes before serving. With electric mixer on medium speed, beat heavy cream, corn syrup, and vanilla to soft peaks, 1 to 2 minutes. Frost cake and slice into 3-inch squares. Serve. (The assembled cake can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)