Day 338: Tres Leches Cake

I thought I'd do something new for Sunday dessert.  I've eaten tres leche cake, but never made it.  This recipe comes for the Southern Cakes cookbook.

Tres Leches Cake
10" dutch oven

Cake:


1 cup + 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
6 Tbsp. cocoa powder
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cups (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk

Three Milks:

1 cup milk
1 cup evaporated milk
1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 oz. melted chocolate or chocolate syrup (optional)

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa and baking powder and stir with a fork to mix.  In a large bowl, combine the butter and sugar and beat with a mixer at high speed to mix well.  Adds the eggs one at a time, beating well each time and stopping to scrape down the bowl now and then until the mixture is light, fluffy and smooth. Add the vanilla.  Add one third of the flour mixture and then half the milk, beating at low speed each time just until the flour or milk disappears into the batter. Add another third of the flour and the remaining milk, then the remaining flour in the same way.

Pour the batter into a well greased dutch oven and bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes (mine took 40 mins), until the cake is golden brown, springs back when touched lightly in the center and begins to pull away from the sides of the pan.   Use 1 1/2 rings on top and 1 ring on the bottom.

While the cake bakes, make the milk sauce. You want the cake to still be warm when you add the milk mixture.

Milk Sauce:

Combine the milk, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk and the semisweet chocolate or chocolate syrup (if using) in a small dutch oven over a full spread of coals. Heat gently, stirring often until the mixture forms a smooth, steaming hot sauce. Do not let it come to a boil.  Allow to cool for 10 minutes before using.

Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Poke holes with a toothpick all over the cake.  Slowly pour the warm milk sauce over the warm cake, in stages stopping to let the cake absorb the sauce before adding more. You may not need it all but you can add more later if you need it.

Let the cake stand at room temperature for one hour before covering and refrigerating. (I let it chill overnight, but a few hours is plenty). Top with cocoa whipped cream (recipe below) and serve it straight from the pan.

Cocoa Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup confectioners sugar
2 Tablespoons cocoa powder

In a medium bowl, combine heavy cream, sugar and cocoa powder. Mix at medium speed til creamy and fluffy, but don't over beat or you'll be left with a curdled mess.

Top the cooled tres leches cake with the sweetened cocoa cream.

The Finished Product

 

 
The Review
 
This was really good!  The cake was so moist its ridiculous.  The whole family loved it.  Be sure to plan ahead and let it chill for a few hours.  We ate it warm, but it was better once it had chilled for a while.  If you want an easy dessert that is out of the ordinary, then try this!  Grade A.