Favorite Tres Leches Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter and flour bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.
• Beat the egg yolks with 3/4 cup sugar until light in color and doubled in volume. Stir in milk, vanilla, flour and baking powder.
• In a small bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Beat until firm but not dry. Fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the yolk mixture to lighten it; fold in remaining egg whites. Pour batter into prepared pan.
• Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool 10 minutes.
• Loosen edge of cake with knife before removing side of pan. Cool cake completely on a wire rack.
• Place cooled cake on a deep serving plate. Use a two-pronged meat fork or a cake tester to pierce the surface of cake.
• Mix together condensed milk, evaporated milk and 1/4 cup of the whipping cream. Set aside 1 cup of the measured milk mixture and refrigerate for another use. Pour remaining milk mixture over cake slowly until absorbed. Whip the remaining whipping cream until it thickens and reaches spreading consistency. Frost cake with whipped cream and garnish with cherries. Store cake in the refrigerator.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, beat eggs for 3 minutes. Gradually add sugar and vanilla; beat for 2 minutes or until mixture becomes thick and lemon-colored. Combine flour and baking powder; fold into egg mixture. Spread batter into a greased 13x9-in. baking dish., Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Place on a wire rack. Poke holes in cake with a skewer, about 1/2 in. apart., In a small saucepan, bring the three milks to a boil over medium-low heat. Remove from heat; gradually stir a small amount of hot mixture into egg yolks. Return all to pan, stirring constantly. Stir in rum if desired. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir 2 minutes., Slowly pour milk mixture over cake, allowing mixture to absorb into cake. Let stand 30 minutes. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight., In a large heavy saucepan, combine frosting ingredients over low heat. With a hand mixer, beat on low speed 1 minute. Continue beating on low over low heat until frosting reaches 160°, about 14-18 minutes., Pour into a large bowl; beat on high until stiff peaks form, about 7 minutes. Spread over cake. Store in the refrigerator.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-by-13-by-2-inch baking pan.
• Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a small bowl and set aside. Place the eggs, 1 cup of granulated sugar and the vanilla extract in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium-high speed for 10 minutes (really!) until light yellow and fluffy. Reduce the speed to low and slowly add half the flour mixture, then the milk and finally the remaining flour mixture. Mix with a rubber spatula to be sure the batter is well mixed. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top and bake for 25 minutes, until the cake springs back when touched lightly in the middle and a cake tester comes out clean. Set aside to cool in the pan for 30 minutes.
• In a 4-cup liquid measuring cup, whisk together the heavy cream, evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, almond extract and vanilla seeds. Using a bamboo skewer, poke holes all over the cooled cake and slowly pour the cream mixture over the cake, allowing it to be absorbed completely before continuing to pour on more of the mixture. Cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.
• To serve, toss the strawberries with the 5 tablespoons of granulated sugar. Dust the cake with confectioners' sugar, cut in squares and place on dessert plates. Surround the cake with the strawberries, put a dollop of whipped cream on top and serve.

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9- by 13-inch cake pan.
• Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl.
• Separate the eggs. Beat the egg yolks with 3/4 cup of the sugar on high speed until the yolks are pale yellow. Stir in the milk and vanilla. Pour the egg yolk mixture over the flour mixture and stir very gently until combined.
• Beat the egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form. With the mixer on, pour in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until the egg whites are stiff but not dry. Fold the egg white mixture into the batter very gently until just combined. Spoon into the prepared pan and spread to even out the surface.
• Bake until the cake is done, 35 to 40 minutes. Allow to cool in the pan, and then turn out (upside down) onto a rimmed platter.
• For the tres leches: Combine the heavy cream, evaporated milk and condensed milk in a small pitcher. Pierce the surface of the cake with a fork several times. Drizzle the milk mixture over the top and allow the cake to sit and absorb the milk mixture. Don't worry about totally soaking the cake! That's what you want.
• For the icing: Whip the cream with the sugar. Spread it evenly over the top and sides of the soaked cake and decorate with maraschino cherries.
• Refrigerate until ready to serve. Several hours is fine. The cooler the cake, the better!