Pastel de Tres Leches

Recipe Ingredients:

For the Batter:
5/8 cup butter
1 3/4 cups sugar
8 egg yolks
2 1/2 cups flour, sifted
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup milk
6 egg whites

For the Milks:
2 cups evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups sweetened condensed milk
3 1/2 cups table cream
6 egg yolks

For the Meringue:
6 egg whites
2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups light corn syrup
2 limes, juice

Recipe Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 12 by 8 inch cake pan.

Prepare the batter:
Cream butter. Gradually mix in sugar, and continue beating until mixture is light and creamy. Add egg yolks. Slowly mix in flour, baking powder, and salt. Add vanilla extract, and slowly mix in milk until batter is thick. In another bowl, beat egg whites until stiff. Fold into batter. Pur batter into cake pan. Bake for 40 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Remove from oven and cool on rack.

Prepare the Milks:
Blend evaporated and condensed milks and table cream with egg yolks in a blender or food processor. Bring half this mixture to a boil in a saucepan, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in remaining mixture. Pour over cake.

Prepare the Meringue:
In a double boiler, mix egg whites and sugar. Beat until stiff. Slowly add corn syrup, and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Add lime juice and continue beating until shiny. Remove from heat. Invert cake on a deep dish or platter.Spread meringue over cake and decorate with strawberries. Serve at room temperature. (Biscocho de Tres Leches) (Three Milks cake)

Enjoy this delicious pastel de tres leches Mexican dessert recipe!

Type of recipe: Desserts

Preparation Time (min): 60

Cook Time (min):

Prep Tool:

When it comes to Pastel de Tres leches, or "Three Milk Cake," there is a dispute on the origin of the cake. It is a popular dessert in Latin American countries, and is thought by historians to have originated in Nicaragua. Different countries, such as Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Guatamala have different variations of the recipie, but they all consist of a cake soaked in a mixture of three milks and topped with whippped cream or meringue.

It is believed that this cake was used to boost the sales of canned milk in Latin America. Condensed milk came out first around the mid-1850's as a way to preserve milk in cans. It is a thicker substance than the milk we usually drink, and is much stickier. In the 1870's, evaporated milk came out where they would heat the milk in the can to prevent spoiling so adding the sugar used in condensed milk would be unnecessary. The cake itself became popular in the early 1900's.