Tres Leches

Ingredients

  • 6 eggs
  • 2 cups granulated white sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla essence
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ cup fresh milk at room temperature
  • 2 cans condensed milk
  • 2 cans evaporated milk
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 2 cups coconut milk
  • ¼ cup rum
  • To decorate: Seasonal fruit, suspiro meringue and/or manjar blanco.

Preparation

The Mold

At least 35×25 cm and deep (a deep pyrex). If it's shallow, the cake rises with nowhere to go, then sinks and ends up concave instead of convex. Butter it.

Sponge Cake

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Beat the 6 eggs + 2 cups of sugar until they double in size. Separately, sift the flour + 3 tsp baking powder + a pinch of salt. Add the sifted flour over the beaten yolks. Add ½ cup of fresh milk + ½ tsp of vanilla. Mix with a wire whisk clockwise, working in plenty of air. Finish with a mixer for a few seconds. Pour into the mold. 1 hour in the oven at 180°C / 350°F. Don't open the oven, just set a timer. It's ready when a toothpick comes out clean.

The Milks (while it bakes)

In a large pot: 2 condensed milks + heavy cream + coconut milk + 2 evaporated milks + ¼ cup of rum. Over medium heat, stirring constantly – the condensed milk is heavier, sinks to the bottom, and burns if you don't stir it. Warm it through, do not boil – if it boils, the cream curdles and releases fat.

The Syrup for the Meringue

A pot with 1½ cups of sugar + 1 cup of port. High heat until it boils, then lower to medium so it doesn't boil over. Don't stir, just let it boil. When it's ready, pour it into a measuring cup so the temperature drops a little (if it's boiling when you add it to the egg whites, they seize up).

The Assembly

The sponge has to be COLD, the milks HOT. If you soak the cake while warm, it all sinks and ends up like a deflated mattress. Prick the cold sponge with a stick all over, fearlessly, lots of little holes. With a ladle, soak it with the warm milks. Keep soaking until it won't take any more. Save whatever is left over in a small jug in case you need to moisten it the next day.

The Meringue (suspiro a la limeña)

Beat ½ cup of egg whites in a clean, dry bowl to stiff peaks. While beating, add the hot syrup in a thin stream – the hot syrup draws the water out of the whites and "cooks" them. It's done when the bowl is cool to the touch.

Sandra's Secrets

  • More days in the fridge = more delicious. Make it midweek to eat it on the weekend.
  • Only port for the meringue; it gives the slight lilac color and a unique flavor.
  • Rum + coconut milk = the "swing" that sets it apart from regular tres leches.
  • Cold sponge, hot milks – the golden rule.
  • Don't open the oven – set a 1-hour timer and wait.