Tres leches cake is a must every time we go out for Mexican! In Texas, we are beyond blessed when it comes to panaderias! In fact, more than one bakery comes to mind when I think of the best tres leches in Houston. And at one point, I kid you not; we made up excuses to grab one! After ‘researching’ tons and tons of slices, I think I’m finally ready to share my homemade Tres Leches Cake recipe. The best thing about this three-milk cake is that it’s ideal for making for parties you’re hosting because it almost demands being made a day in advance. Which, let’s admit, is the best news ever when you’re hosting a get-together! It uses mostly simple ingredients and is perfect to make for birthday parties, quinceanera’s, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Graduation parties, and of course, Cinco de Mayo!
What is tres leches cake?
Tres leches is a traditional Latin American dessert that uses a genoise sponge that is soaked in a three-milk mixture. This three-milk cake is said to have originated in Nicaragua, though it is commonly made in several countries such as Mexico, Cuba, Venezuela, Guatemala, and many others.
What is a genoise sponge cake?
A genoise sponge is made using whole eggs instead of separating the yolks from the egg whites and beating them separately, or what is called the foaming method. Whole eggs are beaten with sugar until the sugar dissolves, and the egg mixture is light, fluffy, and falls back in a ribbon-like movement. Genoise sponge usually contains little to no butter or oil. Instead, all or most of the fat comes from the egg yolks used in the batter. A genoise sponge is ideal for this recipe as the sponge will soak up all of that delicious milk mixture.
What ingredients do you need to make tres leches cake from scratch:
Flour: I use unbleached all-purpose flour for this recipe. Combining the flour with cornstarch and sifting it a couple of times will create a homemade cake flour that will produce a cake that has a better texture.Cornstarch: gives the cake a more silky and tender texture. We’re only using a tablespoon here, but it will essentially create homemade cake flour.Leavening, salt, and flavorings: We’re using a smidge of baking powder to help leaven the sponge cake. Consider it an insurance policy just in case we didn’t whip the eggs enough for the sponge! We’ll also use salt, a pinch of cinnamon, and Mexican vanilla extract.Eggs: play a critical role in a sponge cake. They create structure and stability in the genoise cake batter. They also give the cake a yellow hue and lend most of the fat in this recipe.Sugar: sweetens the cake. We whip the sugar with the eggs until it dissolves and creates a ribbon-like mixture.Oil: just two tablespoons go in at the end to give the batter some shine and to add a bit more moisture, so we don’t end up with a dry sponge cake!3 kinds of milk: We’ll use three kinds of milk to make the milk syrup. I use half and half, evaporated milk, and a can of sweetened condensed milk.
How to make Tres leches cake at home:
Regular vanilla will work for this recipe too, but when I’m making a recipe from a specific part of the world, I like using ingredients that are authentic to get the best, most authentic flavor!Leftover cake can be covered and refrigerated for up to 5 days.
