Amazing Desserts from Around the World, Tres Leches

Next up, my new friend, Nerin and her amazing Tres Leches cake.

This past summer, we were at a lake party, and Nerin brought two cakes. I, of course, went directly for the chocolate one, but she encouraged me to try the Tres Leches cake as well. Since we were new friends and she had a very convincing Costa Rican accent, I cut a small piece of the Tres Leche cake, too. And then another. And another. And when she offered to pack some up for us to take home, I said “yes please.” And then my kids ate it before we even got in the car. I am so thankful that she is one of those amazing cooks who shares her recipes. Thank you, Nerin!

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Nerin makes this cake with her sister in Costa Rica. I love the idea of baking with family, especially around the holidays. So much so that I keep trying to bake with my kids. I have to say that this cake kept their attention right up to end, which is quite an accomplishment. I think it may have had something to do with the whipped cream and sprinkles.

TRES LECHES CAKE

Ingredients:
4 eggs
1 cup of white sugar
1 cup of all purpose white flour
1 tsp of baking powder
2 oz cold water
1 can condensed milk, 14 oz can
1 can evaporated milk, 12 oz can
1 heavy whip cream container, 8 oz
1 large cool whip, 16 oz container
Sprinkles

Separate the egg whites from the yolks, set the yolks aside. Sift the flour with the baking powder and set aside.

Mix at high speed the egg whites until stiff. Slowly, add 1 egg yolk at a time alternating with the sugar. Add the sifted flour and at the end, the cold water.

Place the mix in a rectangle 15″ by 10″ pyrex, previously sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake at 350F for approximately 25 minutes until a tooth pick comes out clean. Once ready, pull out of the oven, cool down for 10 minutes and insert a fork on the top of the cake every 2″ apart, in order to allow the liquids to seem into the cake.

Mix the condensed milk, evaporated milk and the heavy whip cream. Pour this mix over cake while it is still warm. Place in the refrigerator until totally cold.

At the end cover with as much cool whip as wanted and decorate with sprinkles.

*The second time I made this cake, I had shopped at a small grocery that did not carry cool whip or evaporated milk. For the cool whip replacement (and the heavy whipped cream), I whipped 32 ounces of heavy whipping cream with 1/3 cup of sugar (because, hey, we all know that there needs to be some left in the bowl for the bakers). For the evaporated milk, I used 3/4 cup milk and 1/4 cup half ‘n half.