tres leches.

There are some recipes where no matter how hard I try, I can't seem to capture the deliciousness of the food through my camera. This is one of those recipes. Generally I just give up.  I decide not to blog that recipe and I delete all my pictures, but I just can't do that with this recipe. It wouldn't be fair to you.  Regardless of the picture above, you'll just have to picture biting into the world's most moist and delicious cake. Picture the milkiness bubbling to the surface as you cut your fork into the cake to take a bite. Picture a cake with a light spongey texture...not overly sweet, but sweet enough...and a generous helping of whipping cream on top. Now you have no choice...you all have to make it...and feel free to invite me over :).

I found this recipe on Ree Drummond's website. Some of you may know her as "The Pioneer Woman" from her food blog and her show on the Food Network.  If you are still lost, follow this link to her blog...her recipes are just ridiculous.

I initially did not have high hopes for this cake. I had never heard of it and was confused by it's name "Tres Leche", as this recipe seems to include "four milks" instead of "three" (I like to count the whipping cream). But after trying it the first time, it has quickly become my go-to "just because" cake. It's a nice light dessert, you can totally make it "just because", but it's good enough to bring over to a friends for dessert. I even made it for my birthday! (Last time I make my own birthday cake though...that's just a rip off!) A friend of mine from Chile, who seems to be somewhat of an expert when it comes to tres leche cakes, is a huge fan of this recipe and has even been known to request I make it on occassion...that must be a good sign!


Tres Leche Cake

- (1) cup all-purpose flour
- (1 1/2) teaspoons baking powder
- (1/4) teaspoon salt
- (5) whole eggs
- (1) cup of sugar, divided
- (1) teaspoon vanilla
- (1/3) cup of milk
- (1) can of evaporated milk
- (1) can of sweetened, condensed milk
- (1/4) cup of heavy cream
- marachino cherries, optional

Icing

- (2) cups of heavy cream, for whipping
- (3) tablespoons sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan liberally with cooking spray or grease with butter until coated.
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and set aside. 
Separate eggs into egg whites and egg yolks.

Beat egg yolks with 3/4 cup sugar on high speed until yolks are pale yellow. Stir in milk and vanilla. Pour egg yolk mixture over the flour mixture and stir very gently until combined.

Beat egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form. With the mixer on, pour in remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until egg whites are stiff but not dry.

Fold egg white mixture into the batter very gently until just combined. Pour into prepared pan and spread to even out the surface.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Turn cake out onto a rimmed platter and allow to cool.

Combine condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream in a small pitcher. 
When cake is cool, pierce the surface with a fork several times. Before piercing, I generally like to move the cake to a rimmed platter or serving tray, so all that milky goodness stays in the cake. When I'm planning on transporting the cake, I like to use this cheapy dollar store plastic container. It's the perfect fit for my 9 x 13 cake and it's easy to travel with.
Slowly drizzle all but about 1 cup of the milk mixture over the cake—try to get as much around the edges of the cake as you can. I personally hate throwing out the remaining 1 cup of liquid, so try it in your coffee! Just remember to skip the sugar as it's plenty sweet enough!

Allow the cake to absorb the milk mixture for 30 minutes. To ice the cake, whip the heavy cream with 3 tablespoons of sugar until thick and spreadable.
Spread over the surface of the cake. Decorate cake with whole or chopped maraschino cherries. Cut into squares and serve.

I've made this cake the day before and it takes just as good! Just put the milk-soaked cake in the fridge over night and wait til the next day to add the whipped cream.

Enjoy!!!

ooey gooey.

My sister Jen isn't exactly what you'd call a "Suzy Homemaker". Her idea of cleaning her bedroom is usually throwing everything into her laundry hamper, and her idea of a good meal is generally filet-o-fish. It's funny because as far as sisters go, we are VERY different. She's blonde, I'm a brunette. She's a vegetarian...I love me some meat. Jen reads literary masterpieces...I read cookbooks. My favourite past time is strolling the aisles of the grocery store (don't judge)...Jen avoids cooking JUST to avoid the grocery store. And in the kitchen...I make cookies...Jen eats my cookies! Love you Jen!!!

I do have to give her a little credit though. There are a couple things that Jen makes really well, and this is one of them. I actually had to steel this recipe from her! Jen got this recipe for buttertarts from the family of a client she used to care for, and boy are they good! They're the type of dessert that looks like you've spent the whole day in the kitchen when really...it's been an hour! I used store made tart shells, but if you like to make your own pastry, more power to you. Fill them with raisins, pecans, walnuts, or just leave them plain. Go ahead...impress your friends and family!

Jen's Buttertarts

- (2) eggs
- (1) cup of packed brown sugar
- (1/2) cup of corn syrup
- (1) tbsp vinegar
- (1/2) cup butter, softened
- (1/2) cup of raisins (optional)
- (1/2) cup of chopped walnuts or pecans
- (1) tsp vanilla
- (~18) tart shells (about 1 1/2 boxes)



Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Beat eggs slightly in a medium sized bowl. Beat in the sugar, corn syrup, vinegar, vanilla and butter.

Whether you're using pecans, walnuts, raisins (or a combination), stir them into the buttery mixture. If you're leaving them plain, you're ready to fill your tart shells!

Lay your tart shells out on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. This way if your tarts overflow ever so slightly, you won't be cleaning up a sticky mess! If you arrange the shells strategically, you should be able to fit about 18 tarts on your baking sheet. Spoon your butter mixture into the shells, filling them about 3/4's of the way (as seen in the pictures below). If you want to make the entire two boxes of shells, fill the shells with slightly less filling to stretch it out.

Slide your baking sheet into the oven and bake for about 10 to 15 minutes, until just golden brown. Keep an eye on them as each oven is different and your tarts can turn from pale to nicely tanned fairly quickly.

Let the tarts cool and then serve. Your tarts will stay fresh for quite a few days and can also be frozen for another day. Enjoy!