Alton Brown's Tres Leches

I've shared a Tres Leces cake recipe previously and teased with the notion that Team Matos had another recipe that we like better. Well... here it is! The All Star helped make one for Coach's birthday earlier this week.

Tres Leches
Alton Brown
The Line Up

Cake:
Vegetable Oil
6 3/4 oz cake flour, plus extra for pan (this turns out to about 1 1/2 cups plus the extra for the pan)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt

4 oz unsalted butter, room temperature

8 oz sugar (this is about 1 cup)

5 whole eggs

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Glaze:

1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

1 c half-and half

Topping:

2 c heavy cream

8 oz sugar (again, 1 cup)

1 tsp vanilla extract

The Game Plan
Cake
Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly oil and flour a 13x9" metal pan and set aside. Whisk together the cake flour, baking powder and salt in a medium mixing bowl and set aside. Place the butter into the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, beat on medium speed until fluffy, approximately 1 minute. Decrease the speed to low and with the mixer still running, gradually add the sugar over 1 minute. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl, if necessary. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and mix to throughly combine. Add the vanilla extract and mix to combine. Add the flour mixture to the batter in 3 batches and mix just until combined. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread evenly. This will appear to be a very small amount of the batter. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the cake is lightly goden and reaches an internal temperature of 200 F. Remove the cake pan to a cooling rack and allow to cool for 30 minutes. Poke the top of the cake all over with a skewer or fork. Allow the cake to cool compeletely and then prepare the glaze.

Glaze:
Whisk together the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk and half-and-half in a 1-qt measuring cup. Once combined, pour the glaze over the cake. Cover and refrigerate the cake overnight.

Topping:
Place the heavy cream, sugar and vanilla into the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, whisk together on low until stiff peaks are formed. Change to medium speed and whisk until thick. Spread the topping over the cake and allow to chil in the refrigerator until ready to serve

Coach's Post Game Conference
This recipe makes the most delicious Tres Leches cake we have found! We have discovered that it's actually better to let the cake sit for closer to 48 hours than just "overnight" as it becomes more and more moist as it sits.

Final Score:
This is always a home run for everyone in the batting order each time it's made!!

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Tres Leches Cake

Catcher is Dominican and one of their favorite desserts is a Tres Leches Cake (Three Milk). I've tried a few recipes and we have one that we REALLY like. This weekend I wanted to try a new recipe. We decided that this one is a close second.

Tres Leches Cake
http://www.landolakes.com/
The Line Up
1 (18/25 oz) package white cake mix with pudding
1 c whipping cream
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
2 TBSP white cacao flavored liqueur
1/2 c milk
1 (2.8 oz) package chocolate mousse mix
1 TBSP white cacao-flavored liqueur

The Game Plan
Heat oven to 350. Spray 13x9" baking pan with no stick cooking spray; set aside. Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Pour into prepared pan. Bake as directed on package until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean; Cool 10 minutes in pan.
Meanwhile, in large mixer bowl, combine cream, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk and 2 TBSP liqueur. Beat at medium speed until well mixed.
Poke holes all over surface of cake. Slowly pour milk mixture over cake until completely soaked. Cover; refrigerate 3 hous or over night.
In medium bowl, combine 1/2 c milk, mousse mix and 1 TBSP liqueur. Mix well. Refrigerate at least 1 hour. stir mousse mixture. Pipe with pastry bag or dollop with spoon onto each serving of cake.

Coach's Post Game Conference
I used Pillsbury's Supreme Moist Classic White cake mix. It was the only one I could find that said it had pudding. I don't know why, but initially I was looking for a cake mix like the brownie mixes that come with Hershey's syrup... a separate package of pudding! I'll tell you, this cake mix isn't like that! The pudding powder mix is IN the cake mix!
Also - I didn't have any white cacao liqueur so I used Kaluha instead! :) Just a little something I happened to have on hand.
This version of Tres Leches was quick and easy to make. I definite keeper for those days that I decide I want to make Tres Leches, but don't want to spend all day doing so.
The version we like just that much better will be posted at a later date! For now, give this one a try and I bet it's a hit at your house!

Final Score
Coach -  Triple
Catcher - Triple
The All-Star - what does he care? He got cake and Catcher's home made hot chocolate before bed!

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