THREE MILK CAKE

Recipe: Wayne Dugmore
Photo and note:  Maryke Nel McCaig
Torta de Tres Leches or Three Milk Cake is a popular dessert in Colombia and Latin America.

• Cake:
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 cup whole milk
• 5 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Three milks sauce:
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 can evaporated milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• Frosting:
• 2 egg whites
• ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ cup water
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
• Grease and lightly flour a baking dish.
• To make the cake: In a bowl whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder.
• In a small pot heat the milk and butter, remove from the heat and set aside.
• In a large bowl beat the eggs with an electric mixer on high speed for 2 minutes. Add the sugar and continue mixing for 5 minutes. Reduce the speed to low. Add the flour mixture, butter mixture and vanilla extract and mix for 1 more minute.
• Pour the batter into the baking dish and bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick stuck in the middle comes out clean. Remove cake from the oven and with a fork make holes all over the top of the cake.
• Set aside to cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
• When the cake is cooling, make the milk sauce, whisk together sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, heavy cream and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl.
• Pour the 3 milks sauce over the cake until it is all absorbed. Refrigerate for a least 3 hours or overnight before frosting.
• For the frosting, in a small pot mix the water and sugar, over medium high heat, stirring constantly for 5 minutes. Set aside.
• Beat the egg whites with cream of tartar until stiff peaks are formed. While beating the egg whites, add sugar syrup and continue beating for 5 more minutes. Add vanilla extract and beat 1 more minute. Spread the frosting over the cake and refrigerate into ready to serve.
• Note:  Maryke Nel McCaig
• I have tried the “Tres Leche Cake” or better known as the “3 Milk Cake”.  I bought the cream for the whipped topping, but did not use it as the cake is yummy without fancy trimmings.
  I only had one small problem. None of my baking pans are the right size. So the cake is quite high and the 3 milk sauce could not reach the middle. As I had some evaporated milk over and a half tin of caramel, I mixed it with some whole milk and pour a little over each slice. Better than good.