ISO Tres Leches Cake Recipe

[Andy M.]

While on vacation in Aruba at the beginning of this month, we ate at a Cuban restaurant. The meal in all was outstanding but the hit of the night for me was a piece of tres leches cake I ordered for dessert. I'd never had it before so thought I would give it a try. WOW! It was outstanding and I want to be able to make it.

I have searched the internet and found many recipes in two different categories. One cake is made with egg whites, sugar, flour and vanilla. The other is a more normal yellow cake recipe.

The tres leches part is fairly standard.

Most of the recipes call for a whipped cream frosting. One calls for a meringue topping.

Anyone have an authentic recipe?

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Sorry, no Tres Leches in all my collection.

 

[Greg Who Cooks]

Means "the three milks" in Spanish. Just FIY anybody who didn't know that...

Google: tres leches recipes

 

[Dawgluver]

Shoot. I checked my Mexican cookbooks and no luck. I have some friends who own restaurants in Cozumel, will ask when we visit again.

 

[Sprout]

I don't have a specific recipe, but most of our kitchen staff is from El Salvador and periodically one or another will bring in a tres leche cake for a birthday (and I'm in heaven). They seem to be in consensus. They use "the cake like for the pineapple with the cherries." I've never made a pineapple-upside down cake, but it's basically a butter cake, right? Some use a recipe and one uses a boxed mix specifically for a pineapple upside-down and just don't add the fruit or sauce. He said he used to make the cake from a recipe, but the box is just as good so now he uses that. Once it's cooled they poke it with a fork all over, mix the cream, condensed, and evaporated milk according to their own taste and pour it over. Then it gets put in the fridge to chill and really soak in. Once it's ready (usually the next day), they serve it with whipped cream.

The end product is fairly dense, but even with all those rich ingredients, somehow almost refreshing.

 

[Andy M.]

Interesting. A good percentage of the recipes I read called for a white cake recipe. Regional differences I guess.

 

[CWS4322]

Andy--I have one from a university friend who was from Mexico City. Unfortunately, since I am moving, I can't dig it out at the moment. Her base was more sponge-cake like, not a boxed yellow cake and she did the poke with a fork and pour the three different milks on it, no frosting/whipped cream. It was very good.

According to Wikipedia, the base is a sponge cake base. Did you check the external links under Wikipedia? I didn't like Alton's version. Beatriz's used the tres leches condensed milk from Mexico. (I picked up a couple of cans the last time I was at Walmart in MN--just haven't made the cake yet!).

 

[bakechef]

I think that real tres leches cake is made with a white sponge type cake. I've seen many recipes out there using a yellow cake mix, but that doesn't seem right at all. I think that you need a cake with a bit more structure, not quite as tender to stand up to all that milk (once soaked should be very tender, but not falling apart and mush).

If I was going to trust a recipe it would be Alton Brown's Tres Leche Cake Recipe : Alton Brown : Food Network

The picture looks very similar in texture to the cake that I buy at the Mexican bakery.

 

[CWS4322]

I think that real tres leches cake is made with a white sponge type cake. I've seen many recipes out there using a yellow cake mix, but that doesn't seem right at all. I think that you need a cake with a bit more structure, not quite as tender to stand up to all that milk (once soaked should be very tender, but not falling apart and mush).

If I was going to trust a recipe it would be Alton Brown's Tres Leche Cake Recipe : Alton Brown : Food Network

The picture looks very similar in texture to the cake that I buy at the Mexican bakery.

Perhaps for the cake, but not for the "three milks." I've never had it with whipped cream or anything else on top.

 

[bakechef]

Perhaps for the cake, but not for the "three milks." I've never had it with whipped cream or anything else on top.

We have lots of Mexican restaurants and bakeries here and they always serve with whipped cream on top. Some serve with fruit on top as well. I've never seen it served just plain.

 

[Andy M.]

Perhaps for the cake, but not for the "three milks." I've never had it with whipped cream or anything else on top.

Just about all the recipes I found online had a whipped cream frosting. The cake I had in the restaurant did as well.

 

[CWS4322]

My friend Beatriz served hers plain...it was very rich, very good.

 

[Margi Cintrano]

@ Andy,

Good Morning,

I had lived in both Argentina and Mexico many years ago and here is the scoop on Tres Leches that I had encountered:

The Sauce is made as follows:

14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
1 pint Light Cream
8 0z. heavy Cream
12 oz. evaporated milk
Corn Flour Pound Cake ( a pale light banana yellow sponge )

I have never seen it made with Angel Cake.

My friend Maria who is Cuban and lives in Miami Beach, confirms.

Very very rich ! Also, please note: I believe I have a photo in my Photo Album on Mexico Culinary Course I took while I lived there.

In Buenos Aires, they make Gelato ( icecream) with this flavor. Very common throughout Argentina.

Kind regards.
Margi.

 

[Sprout]

Interesting. A good percentage of the recipes I read called for a white cake recipe. Regional differences I guess.

Yeah, it's probably a regional thing. A lot of these guys don't know each other outside of work, but they all seem to make it the same way. With the cake they use it's not mushy at all. Just juicy and soft. I bet it would be delicious with any of these options! I think you should do a taste test and invite all of us.

 

[Margi Cintrano]

@ Sprout,

I agree with you ! Definitely a taste test with an invite ... Awesome Idea.

Margi.

 

[FluffyAngel]

I found this thread a little late. Very interesting topic though. I have a recipe (a failed recipe) for the tres leches cake. My recipe turned out too soft, but the three milk soak was still so darned good we ate it anyway. It was a variation of an egg white cake. Sort of like angel food cake. It didn't fare so well though. I had a lady working with me who was married to a Mexican Man at the time (she nor he was a baker - they bought them from Mexican bakeries) trying to help me. We had fun critiquing my attempts but never got it spot on. If you have luck, please let me know. It's one of mine and DH's favorites.

 

[Andy M.]

I haven't made it yet. I've saved all the info here.

When I come up with a winner, I'll post my results here.

 

[CWS4322]

I haven't made it yet. I've saved all the info here.

When I come up with a winner, I'll post my results here.

And I haven't unpacked the box that contains Beatriz's recipe. I may get to that before you get around to making this, or I may not.

 

[CWS4322]

@ Andy,

Good Morning,

I had lived in both Argentina and Mexico many years ago and here is the scoop on Tres Leches that I had encountered:

The Sauce is made as follows:

14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
1 pint Light Cream
8 0z. heavy Cream
12 oz. evaporated milk
Corn Flour Pound Cake ( a pale light banana yellow sponge )

I have never seen it made with Angel Cake.

My friend Maria who is Cuban and lives in Miami Beach, confirms.

Very very rich ! Also, please note: I believe I have a photo in my Photo Album on Mexico Culinary Course I took while I lived there.

In Buenos Aires, they make Gelato ( icecream) with this flavor. Very common throughout Argentina.

Kind regards.
Margi.

Margi--is that dulce de leche gelato or something else? I love dulce de leche ice cream/gelato...

 

[FluffyAngel]

@ Andy,

Good Morning,

I had lived in both Argentina and Mexico many years ago and here is the scoop on Tres Leches that I had encountered:

The Sauce is made as follows:

14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
1 pint Light Cream
8 0z. heavy Cream
12 oz. evaporated milk
Corn Flour Pound Cake ( a pale light banana yellow sponge )

I have never seen it made with Angel Cake.

My friend Maria who is Cuban and lives in Miami Beach, confirms.

Very very rich ! Also, please note: I believe I have a photo in my Photo Album on Mexico Culinary Course I took while I lived there.

In Buenos Aires, they make Gelato ( icecream) with this flavor. Very common throughout Argentina.

Kind regards.
Margi.

Hi Margi
Do you happen to know where we can find a recipe for the corn flour pound cake?