Tres Leches Pound Cake

 

For our Cinco de Mayo meal, I knew I wanted to embrace a cultural favorite and a family favorite dessert.  Here's the result:  a Tres Leches Pound Cake.

Tres Leches, translated to three milks, is a popular cake in North, Central, and South America.  For this version, whole milk, condensed milk, and heavy whipping cream are the three milks. 

Here's this beautiful cake immediately after being removed from the oven.  The kitchen smelled heavenly while it was baking.

2 cups unsalted butter, softened

3 cups plus 2 T, granulated sugar, divided

6 large eggs

4½ cups all-purpose flour

½ t. kosher salt

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

½ cup whole milk

3 t. vanilla extract, divided

¼ cup water

1 cup heavy whipping cream

Garnish: confectioners’ sugar

Preheat oven to 300° F. Spray a 15-cup tube pan with baking spray with flour.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter at medium speed until creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually add 2 cups granulated sugar beating until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and salt. In another medium bowl, whisk together condensed milk, milk, and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating just until combined after each addition. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake until a wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean, about 1½ hours.

In a small saucepan, bring ¼ cup water and remaining 1 cup and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from heat. Gradually whisk in cream and remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla. Let cool completely.

Using a wooden pick or skewer, poke holes in warm cake. Slowly pour half of cream mixture over top of cake. Let cool in pan for 30 minutes. Invert cake onto a wire rack lined with foil. Poke holes in cake, and pour other half of cream mixture over top of inverted cake. Let cool completely. Invert cake once more onto a serving plate, and drizzle with remaining cream mixture that dripped onto the foil. Dust with confectioners’ sugar if you'd like.

from www.bakefromscratch.com