Tasty Three Milk Cake

Milk-Soaked Sponge Cake offers the ideal mix of airy texture and deep flavor for your sweet table. This Central American favorite has a fluffy cake base drenched in three milk varieties, resulting in a damp and silky dessert that dissolves on your tongue. The cake stays surprisingly buoyant while soaking up all that milky richness, making every mouthful absolutely divine.

I whipped this up for my sister's party last week and everybody kept grabbing extra pieces. The way the milk-drenched cake contrasts with the airy whipped cream on top creates something truly special.

Required Components

• All-purpose flour: Gives just the right foundation for this cake to hold moisture without falling apart
• Cornstarch: Turns the cake super soft and creates that distinctive light feel
• Baking powder: Makes sure the cake puffs up properly, forming tiny bubbles that soak up the milk
• Kosher salt: Cuts the sweetness and boosts all the tastes
• Ground cinnamon: Brings a gentle warmth that works really well with the vanilla
• Room temperature eggs: Beat much better, making the airy texture that's so important
• Granulated sugar: Sweetens and helps lock in the egg foam structure
• Mexican vanilla extract: Packs more punch and depth than standard vanilla
• Oil: Keeps everything soft even after chilling
• Half and half: Adds richness to the soaking mix without going overboard
• Evaporated milk: Adds a slightly caramel-like flavor from being concentrated
• Sweetened condensed milk: Brings needed sweetness and thickness to the soaking mix
• Heavy cream: Whips into a fluffy topping that sits on the cake just right

Cooking Steps

Cake preparation:

Start by warming your oven to 350°F and fully coating a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or cooking spray. Sift the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon together two times to add air and get rid of any chunks.

Egg mixture:

In your stand mixer using the whisk piece, mix eggs and sugar. Beat for a full 10-12 minutes until it turns very light yellow, grows three times bigger, and makes ribbon shapes when you lift the whisk.

Combining ingredients:

Put in the vanilla while mixing slowly. With a big spatula, carefully fold in the sifted dry stuff in three separate batches, keeping as much air in the mix as you can. Lastly, mix in the oil with just a few strokes.

Baking process:

Pour the light batter into your ready baking dish, softly spreading it to the edges. Bake on the middle shelf for 25-28 minutes until the top bounces back when touched and a toothpick stuck in the middle comes out clean.

Cooling period:

Let the cake cool totally in the pan on a wire rack before adding the milk mixture. This usually takes about an hour.

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Mixing The Milk Bath

In a big bowl, fully blend the half and half, evaporated milk, and sweetened condensed milk until completely smooth and mixed together. Using a fork or thin stick, poke lots of holes all over the top of the cooled cake, putting them about half an inch from each other. Slowly pour the milk mix over the whole cake, making sure to get the edges which can sometimes stay dry. Cover the cake with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge for at least 4 hours, though letting it soak overnight gives the best taste and feel.

Gorgeous Finishing Touch

The best part of this rich treat is its cloud-like whipped cream layer. In a cold bowl, mix heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat with an electric mixer on medium-fast speed until soft peaks show up that gently keep their shape but still look a bit soft. Don't beat too much or it'll get grainy.

Making It Your Own

Switch up this classic sweet with cool twists that make it special. Swap regular vanilla for almond extract to get a nutty taste. Use coconut milk instead of half and half and drop some toasted coconut on top for a beach vibe. Add a spoonful of instant coffee powder to the milk mixture for a caffeine kick.

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Frequently Asked Questions

→ Why do you sift the dry ingredients twice for this Tres Leches Cake?

Double sifting adds lots of air and breaks up any clumps, which helps make the cake super light and fluffy. This fluffiness lets the cake soak up all that yummy milk mixture properly. It's a key step for getting that real Tres Leches texture everyone loves.

→ Can I make this Tres Leches Cake ahead of time?

You bet! This cake actually gets better after sitting for a while. The extra time gives the cake more chance to drink up all that tasty milk mix. You can make it up to 2 days before you need it and just add the whipped cream on top right before you serve.

→ What's the best way to store leftover Tres Leches Cake?

Keep any extra cake in your fridge with a cover on it for up to 5 days. The cool thing is the cake will keep soaking up the milk mixture, getting even more flavorful over time, though it might get a bit softer as the days go by.

→ Is Mexican vanilla extract necessary for this recipe?

Don't worry if you can't find Mexican vanilla - regular vanilla works just fine. Mexican vanilla does have a deeper, more interesting flavor that goes really well with this classic dessert, but the regular kind won't ruin your cake.

→ Why does the recipe call for beating the eggs for 10-12 minutes?

You need to beat those eggs and sugar for so long to get tons of air into your cake batter. This air creates the fluffy cake structure without needing loads of baking powder. Getting this right means your cake will have the perfect texture to drink up all that milk mixture later.

→ Can I use different fruits to decorate my Tres Leches Cake?

Go for it! Strawberries are common, but your cake will look great with any fruits you like. Try pineapple, raspberries, mangoes, kiwi, or blueberries - they all look pretty on top. Or you can just stick with the whipped cream if you prefer it simpler.