Tres Leches

On Saturday, my dear friend Melanie had a potluck to celebrate her birthday. The main course was fajitas and everyone was supposed to bring the fixings and sides. When I checked the Evite, just about everything was covered, so I opted to make a dessert. And what goes better with Mexican food than tres leches? I've been wanting to make it for a while, but never had an excuse. It is one of my favorite cakes. This recipe comes to us courtesy of Emeril. This has to be one of the easiest recipes I've made, especially considering how difficult I feel like it should be based on how decadent the cake tastes. This cake was amazing. There are hardly words to describe how heavenly is was. The cake was perfect--light and airy so all the delicious cream soaked right in. I've had tres leches that was almost soupy. Not this one. All the cream was soaked up my the cake and didn't pool on the plate after it was cut. I but out the icing in this recipe and opted for whipped cream instead, which was a perfect compliment. I didn't add a whole lot of sugar to the whipped cream, so it wasn't overly sweet and balanced the sweetness of the cake nicely. I also used strawberries instead of mango and papaya. There wasn't a speck of cake leftover, much to Patrick's chagrin, but everyone really enjoyed. There were a couple people who said they didn't want their own piece and would just have bite of their spouse's cake, but after tasting it, decided to get their own. It was a great party. Happy Birthday, Mel!

Tres Leches

Cake:

• 6 large eggs, separated
• 2 C granulated sugar
• 2 C all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 C whole milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Cream Mixture:

• 1 (12-oz) can evaporated milk
• 1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 C heavy cream

Topping:

• 1 lb strawberries, sliced
• 2 C heavy cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 Tbs granulated sugar

To make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350°. Lightly grease and flour a 9x13-in baking dish and set aside.

In the bowl of a mixer, add the egg whites.

Beat on low speed until soft peaks form.

Add the sugar gradually with the mixer running and peak to stiff peaks.

Add the egg yolks 1 at a time, beating well after the addition of each.

Sift together the flour and baking powder.

Add to the egg mixture, alternating with the milk. (Do this quickly so the batter does not lose volume.) Add the vanilla last.

Pour batter into prepared dish.

Bake until golden (about 25 minutes).

To make the cream topping: In a blender, combine the evaporated milk, condensed milk, and heavy cream.

Blend on high speed.

Poke some holes in the cake with a fork.

Pour the cream mixture over the cake while it is still warm.

Let sit and cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 4 hours, before adding the topping to the cake.

To make topping: Add heavy cream, vanilla, and sugar to the bowl of a mixer.

Whip on high until cream is thick and fluffy and forms soft peaks.

Place a layer of strawberry slices on the cake (use a little more than half of the berries).

Spread whipped cream over the strawberries.

Top with the remaining strawberries.