Tres leches cake

Tres Leches Cake

Eh.  This cake.  I really don’t know where to begin.

My mom and Bea were here again this past weekend to pick up my niece and nephews from their mom-and-dad-free vacation.  They have whined at me all summer because they say I never bake when they’re here, and even though that’s true, I am totally blame-free.  If they didn’t insist on running all over creation every time they come down, I’d have more time to make them something wonderful.  This weekend, I was determined to make sure I baked something for them {even if it was just to shut them up…. just kidding… sort of}.  First was a batch of snickerdoodle bars, which couldn’t possibly have disappeared any faster.  It seemed like they were there one minute and gone the next.  A definite hit with everybody.

Then I had the bright idea to make a tres leches cake while my mom was with me, so we could do it together.  She’s a whiz with an egg white, while I tend to overbeat mine, so this was a perfect recipe to get some tips from her.  It went together just fine and baked up perfectly, though the cake did shrink up and pull away from the sides of the baking pan quite a bit as it cooled.  I poked holes all over the cake, smothered it in the milk mixture, and popped it in the fridge.  After 4 hours, we checked on it and there was still an awful lot of liquid around the edges of the pan that hadn’t absorbed.  Same thing after 5 hours.  And hours 6 and 7.  Finally, we gave up and went to bed.  When we checked it in the morning, it didn’t seem to look any different.

Because they had to leave, we didn’t have any more time to wait, and frankly, I don’t think the cake could have sucked up one more speck of milk anyway.  Instead, I made the 7 minute frosting, which turned out perfectly.  Inverting the cake, however, was another story.  Not perfect at all.  All the extra milk made a big mess all over the place and it didn’t look terribly attractive, even after the frosting was piped on.

But in taste, this cake was awesome.  None of the kids would even taste it, but we were oohing and aahing over it with every bite.  Even though we thought it was wonderful, I doubt that I’ll ever make it again.  It was disappointing that it didn’t turn out the way I’d expected, especially after all that work and waiting.  I guess I’m a more instant gratification type or something.  If I have to wait that long to enjoy a dessert, I want it to be the absolute best thing I ever tasted, you know?

{one year ago:  nutty buddy ice cream}

Recipe:  Tres Leches Cake

(recipe found at Cate’s World Kitchen)

Cake:
1 2/3 cup cake flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar (firmly packed)
3/4 cup 2% milk
1 tsp vanilla
4 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tarter
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Tres Leches:
1/2 cup half and half
one 12-ounce can evaporated milk
one 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
3 tbsp dark rum  **(I used amaretto)**
1 tsp vanilla extract

7 Minute Frosting:
2 large egg whites
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp water
pinch cream of tartar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

To make the cake: Preheat the oven to 325 F. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9″ square baking pan.

Sift the cake flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together onto a sheet of wax paper.

Beat the butter int the bowl of a stand mixer until smooth and creamy, then add the brown sugar and beat for about 2 minutes. Mix the milk and vanilla extract together in a small bowl.

Add half the flour mixture to the butter, mixing on low until just combined. Add the milk and mix on low. Add the remaining flour and stir until homogeneous.

With a hand mixer, beat the egg whites until light and foamy. Add the cream of tarter and beat until the egg whites hold soft peaks. Add the sugar and beat until the egg whites hold stiff, shiny peaks.

Using a rubber spatula, carefully fold the egg whites into the cake batter. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack, then poke holes with a toothpick at 1″ intervals.

Adding milk mixture: After the cake has cooled, make the soaking mixture. Stir together the half and half, evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, dark rum, and vanilla. Pour all over the cake (in the pan) so it is completely covered.

Wrap the cake with plastic wrap, and refrigerate between 4 hours and 4 days.

To make 7-minute frosting: Within a few hours of serving the cake, make the meringue topping. Stir together the egg whites, sugar, water and cream of tartar and beat for about a minute with a handheld mixer.

Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water and beat with the mixer until the egg white temperature reaches 140 F (about 7 minutes). Remove from the heat, pour in the vanilla, and beat until the egg whites hold stiff peaks. Transfer the meringue to a piping bag fitted with a large start tip.

Invert the cake onto a plate, then pipe swirls of meringue over the top. Cut into squares to serve.