Not-So-Tiny Tres Leches #TheCakeSliceBaker

Here we are at the April 2021 edition of the Cake Slice Bakers. For 2021; we are baking from Little Everyday Cakes: 50+ Perfectly Proportioned Confections to Enjoy Any Day of the Week by Candace Floyd.* I can't believe that we're already in a new year. In many ways 2020 dragged on as the shelter-in-place orders continued month after month; on the other hand, it was a completely blur because there weren't milestones to mark the passage of time.

In this group, we are given a selection of three cake recipes. We each choose one cake to bake, and then on the 20th - never before - we all post about our cake on our blogs. There are a few rules that we follow, but the most important ones are to have fun and enjoy baking & eating cakes!

Follow our Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest pages where you can find all of our cakes, as well as inspiration for many other cakes. You can also click on the links below to take you to each of our cakes. If you have a blog and are interested in joining The Cake Slice Bakers and baking along with us, please send an email to thecakeslicebakers at gmail dot com for more details.

The Cake Slice Bakers also have a new Facebook group called The Cake Slice Bakers and Friends. This group is perfect for those who do not have a blog but want to join in the fun and bake through this book.

Here's the line-up for this fourth month of 2021. And our choices for April 2021 were...

Mexican Chocolate Cake

• All That's Left Are The Crumbs
• Amandie Bakes
• Camille Cooks
• A Little Bit of All Right

Tiny Tres Leches Cake

• Making Miracles
• Sweet Sensations
• A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Lime Cake

• My Recipe Reviews
• Karen's Kitchen Stories

Tres Leches Cake

Years ago, when we were in Costa Rica for my parents' birthdays, we had a tres leches cake for dessert at a restaurant. For those who don't speak Spanish, or haven't had this cake, tres leches means 'three milks.' That mixture is then drizzled over a vanilla sponge cake. It is surprisingly easy and not at all soggy. 

Ingredients 

makes one 8-inch square cake

Cake

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter + some for prepping your baking pan
• 1 cup cake flour
• 3/4 cup organic granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 5 eggs
• 1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Topping

• 1 can evaporated milk (12 ounces)
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 ounces)
• 1/3 cup organic heavy cream plus 1 cup more for the topping
• sliced mango, for garnish

Procedure

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare your baking dish with butter and set aside.

Melt the butter in a small skillet. Remove from heat and set aside.

Separate your eggs, placing yolks in a larger mixing bowl and whites in a smaller one. Into the same bowl as the yolks, add in the flour, sugar, vanilla, and baking powder. Whisk to combine. Add in the melted butter. 

Beat your egg whites until soft peaks form. Gently fold them into your batter. Try not to deflate the egg whites too much.

Spoon batter into prepared dish and bake for 30 minutes, until golden on top and spongy to the touch. 

Remove the cake from pan and cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes. In the meantime, whisk together the three milks: evaporated milk, condensed milk, and 1/2 cup whipping cream. Pour into something from which you can pour easily; I used a measuring cup. 

Once the cake is cool, place it on a rimmed cake platter or plate. Poke cake with a skewer or fork to help the milks absorb.

Pour a little bit at a time until the cake is saturated and it just begins to pour off the cake. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

To serve, beat the whipped cream into soft peaks and spoon over the cake.  Garnish with sliced mango and few more dollops of whipped cream. Serve immediately.

*This blog currently has a partnership with Amazon.com in their affiliate program, which gives me a small percentage of sales if you buy a product through a link on my blog. It doesn't cost you anything more. If you are uncomfortable with this, feel free to go directly to Amazon.com and search for the item of your choice.