Torta de Tres Leches

About This Recipe

Tres leches cake is one of Latin America's great desserts, with Cuba claiming it alongside Mexico, Nicaragua, and other countries. The concept is deceptively simple: a very light, airy sponge cake (made with egg whites beaten to stiff peaks) is baked and then soaked in a mixture of three milks until every pore of the sponge is saturated. The result is something between a cake and a custard — moist beyond what seems possible, rich without being heavy. Cuban tres leches is typically topped with sweetened whipped cream and served very cold from the refrigerator. It's served at birthdays, quinceañeras, and family celebrations throughout Cuba and the Cuban diaspora.

Ingredients

Serves 12

• 200 gall-purpose flour
• 6 largeeggs(separated)
• 200 gsugar
• 1 tspbaking powder
• 1 tspvanilla extract
• 400 gsweetened condensed milk
• 400 mlevaporated milk
• 200 mlwhole milk
• 300 mlheavy cream(for topping)
• 3 tbspicing sugar(for cream)
• 1 tspvanilla(for cream)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the sponge

   Beat egg yolks with sugar until pale. Fold in flour and baking powder. Whip egg whites to stiff peaks and fold in. Bake at 180°C in a 23x33cm pan for 25–30 minutes.

2. 2

   Pierce the cake

   While hot, poke holes all over the cake with a skewer or fork.

3. 3

   Soak the cake

   Mix condensed milk, evaporated milk, and whole milk. Pour slowly and evenly over the hot cake. Let it absorb at room temperature 30 minutes, then refrigerate 2+ hours.

4. 4

   Top and serve

   Whip cream with icing sugar and vanilla to stiff peaks. Spread over the chilled cake. Serve cold.

Variations

• •

  Add rum to the three-milk mixture for 'borracha' (drunk cake)

• •

  Top with fresh tropical fruits instead of plain cream

Storage

Keeps 3 days refrigerated. Always served very cold.

Frequently Asked Questions