this recipe calls for too much liquid in proportion to the size and density of the cake. could do with 1/3 less liquid. sponge cake is good and easy to make. overall, a good cake but too wet.
Pastel de Tres Leches (Sponge Cake with Three Milks)
Credit: Ben Fink
(Pastel de Tres Leches)
MAKES ONE 7" x 11" CAKE
Popular throughout Latin America, this milk-soaked cake is thought to have originated in Nicaragua. Food historian and SAVEUR contributor Maricel E. Presilla developed this recipe for the latest edition of Joy of Cooking by Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker, and Ethan Becker (Scribner, 1997).
FOR THE CAKE:
1 tsp. butter
1 cup flour
2 tsp. baking powder
3 room-temperature eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 12-oz. can evaporated milk
FOR THE FROSTING:
2/3 cup light corn syrup
2 room-temperature egg whites
1. For the cake: Preheat oven to 325°. Grease a 7'' x 11'' glass baking dish with butter and set aside. Combine flour and baking powder in a small bowl and set aside. Beat egg whites in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form, 2–3 minutes. Increase speed to high and gradually add sugar, beating until whites are glossy, 1–1 1/2 minutes, then beat in yolks, one at a time. Stir in one-quarter of the flour mixture at a time. Add milk and stir until smooth. Pour batter into prepared dish. Bake until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 25–30 minutes. Set aside to cool in dish, then prick at 1" intervals with a toothpick.
2. Combine cream and condensed and evaporated milks and slowly pour over warm cake in dish. Set aside to cool, then cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
3. For the frosting: Combine corn syrup and egg whites in a large heatproof bowl. Set bowl in a skillet of gently simmering water over medium-low heat and immediately beat egg white mixture with an electric mixer on low speed until it reaches 140° on an instant-read thermometer. Increase speed to high and beat until stiff glossy peaks form, 4-5 minutes. Remove bowl from heatand beat until meringue is cool, 2-3 minutes, then frost cake.
Ratings & Reviews (6)
the most delicious tres leches of all i tried! and i tried to make many different recipes. however, there is too much liquid. i would use 2/3 of it, the rest simply does not soak in.
I've made this cake several times and it has just the right amount of liquid. I've never had a problem with it not soaking in. It's supposed to be quite wet, and the sponge is made with a lot of egg so it doesn't dissolve. The recipe is perfect as written.
5 bunnies!
My son-in-law is Latino and is very familiar with this dessert, and says that the recipe as written calls for too much liquid. When I made it a second time with less liquid, he said it was the way the cake is supposed to be.
I made this cake yesterday 7/17/11. This is an easy cake to make with few ingredients. I also added 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract. But it is very sweet when you add the three milks at the end. I will make it again but only use 1/4 to 1/2 cup granulated sugar.
Pastel de Tres Leches (Sponge Cake with Three Milks)
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 Recipe - Saveur.com){kind=link}