Tres leche Cake

I have been in Houston since September of 06 and I have visited the Fiesta Grocery many many times. One of the cakes in the bakery section has always intrigued me is the tres leche cake. I would have bought one but they tend to be sorta expensive. Something like $25.00. It is not the price so much but I could not justify that amount just to sample a cake.

I think there is a restaurant down the street called the Arandas that sells it by the slice? I am not sure.

Any opinions on this delicious sounding cake?

http://www.texascooking.com/features/sept2002treslechescakerecipe.htm


Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Oh Paul,I would definately try a slice....

I second annpeeples's sentiment! You'll be sorry you waited so long.
If you do break down and buy a whole cake, be sure to refrigerate it. It is not 'shelf stable' like regular cakes.

Sundancer7,You should check out the local H.E.B. Grocery Store by you.I 'm sure they have them in Houston .They are headquatered in San Antonio and are over the south Texas area and also into Mexico.They started in Kerrville in the 1900s.HEB stands for Herman E.Butts. It is still owned and run by the Butts family.
They sell cake by the slice.Think a slice of tres leche cake is 2.99.
Some of the mexican restaurants here in San Antonio sell it also.
You might also check out any mexican bakery by you for the cake as well.

It does'nt have a long life and sure does need to be refrigerated with all the dairy in it. I made the 3 Cuban Guys from Miami's version, its very good. If you want to make the cake, you can find their recipe on the net.

Now I cannot wait to try tres leches. I really like moist cakes and I believe the Arandas just south of my hotel sells the cake by the slice.

I believe this is a Mexican bakery specialty.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

To quote another thread, as well as the Maltese Falcon----"it is the stuff that dreams are made of...."
Try it----you will love it!

...another thumbs way up for Tres Leches cake - yum! (i couldn't locate the recipe i used from my King Arthur Flour catalogue, but this one is close if not identical...)


Tres Leches Recipe courtesy Alex Garcia


6 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 can evaporated milk
2 cups whole milk, scalded
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whip eggs, sugar and salt until tripled in volume. Fold in flour. Pour mixture into parchment lined 9 by 11-inch baking pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Remove parchment paper and return cake to pan. With a fork, poke holes all over the top of the cake. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over cake. Allow liquid to soak in for 2 hours. Serve with fresh fruit and whipped cream.

Sneetch, thanks for the recipe. I am not at a place where I can cook but at least I can see the ingredients. I look forward to trying this delicious cake and taking some to my wife who is in M D Anderson.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

I had the pleasure of eating some tres leches cake when I was in Albuquerque and I have since been craving it. I tried to make one myself, but it didnt turn out to well. My baking skills arent very good to say the least.

I'd definately try a slice Paul. You wont be sorry.

Some of the Costcos in San Diego have very large ones for $15. They are to die for.

I was able to buy a small tres leche cake at Fiesta for $3.00. It was very small as a normal size one was $25.

I took it back to the Residence Inn and it tasted very good with coconut, some type of cake and some type of yellow stuff at the bottom. It was very very moist and almost too moist but the taste was good.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Good-I am glad you tried it.Now I wont hesitate when I see one.

I bought a Tres leches cake today from the Arandas Bakery in Houston to take to my wife in ICU at M D Anderson. Unfortunately she was unable to eat or enjoy but the staff on the 7th floor sure did enjoy it.

I bought a $50 cake and it was gone in minutes. All I got was a few crumbs

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Betty Crocker even makes a cake mix in that flavour!

I was able to get it through our mail order import place in Japan. I would guess it's available in the Latin American areas of the States.

There's probably lots of places to find it here in Atlanta, but my exposure was thru the Taqueria Los Hermanos in Tucker - a place I'll recommend anytime. Friends of mine use them for catering their Christmas parties for a dizzyingly great spread, including an extra-large cake of course.

I am going to Los Hermanos this week, since I am visiting my mother who goes to a hairdresser located next door to the restaurant. I make a tres leches cake supposedly using the same recipe that the restaurant uses, and it is not very difficult since it uses a cake mix. I use different fruits sometime, depending on what is available and what I am in the mood for. I can get this cake easily where I live, since we have a large Hispanic population, and my favorite place to buy it when I do not make it myself charges $25.00 for a fairly large cake with a choice of 2 fruits or nuts, etc, incorporated inside the cake.

While I was in Houston, I found the cake to be very expensive. I bought small personal ones for around $6.00.

I read where one poster indicated that Betty Crocker sold the mix? Not in my East Tennessee area.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Tres Leche( Three Milks)is probably one of the most delicious and easiest cakes to make. People try to make it more complicated than it needs to be. Just use the simple traditional and tried recipe below. This is the one most resturaunts use.


One box yellow cake mix fully prepared and baked according to box directions in a 9x13 pan (leave in pan). I do not suggest you use the mixes with “pudding” in the mix. Any home recipe will do as well.

1 can evaporated milk
1 can sweetened condensed milk
whole milk enough to fill the can of sweetened condensed milk

1 container of whipped topping
red maraschino cherries



When the cake is done, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool fully. Leave the cake in the pan. Pierce the entire cake with a long tined fork or a kebob skewer. The objective is to make it look like a pin cushion.

Mix together the three milks and whisk until well blended. Pour the entire mixture over the cake. As you get close to the end of the mixture it will seem as if the cake will not absorb anymore. If this happens, wait a few minutes and then continue pouring the rest. I guarantee the cake will absorb it if you are using a standard boxed cake mix. Moisture content of cakes made from scratch may vary.

Wait till the liquid is absorbed. Cover the entire cake in ½ to 1 inch of cool whip. Cover the cake in a grid of cherries. It’s one cherry over each serving. I usually use 12.

Chill for 1 hour before serving.

a new mexican bakery, El Faro, opened up 3 doors down from my gym (of all places) and they make really good tres leches. I really liked the price, too, 1.50 for a good "muffin" size portion. I think I just found my post-workout weakness!!!!!

Tres leches cake is on fever where I live, in Seattle. I think it was all about red velvet for a while, but I can see this dessert really catching on in nicer restaurants etc. I have even seen Cuatro Leches cake in some places!

I wrote a review of some places that have Tres Leches in the Seattle area, check it out here and be sure to try some of them if you're in Seattle!

Hildoer, thans for this recipe. This sounds so easy and delicious. I have only tried the Tres leche cake once and that was a few years ago. I really enjoyed it. I will definitely try your version.

Tres Leches cake is the newest "hot item" on Dallas area restaurant menus. God! You would have thought they only just invented this incredible cake.

THE DOUGHNUT PLANT on Grand Street in Manhattan makes a Tres Leches Donut that is really excellent.

www.doughnutplant.com

Hey,I saw at Walmart a Duncan Hines cake mix for Tres Leche Cake.
Haven't tried it yet,but it must be getting very popular.
Popularity for the cake has been catching on around San Antonio for some time.

The bakeries in our local (Tallahassee, FL) Publix grocery stores have carried Tres Leche cake/slices/cupcake size for 3 or 4 years ... except now that I say that I don't recall seeing it in the last 6 months-ish so maybe it's popularity here has peaked. Myself, I wasn't particularly taken with it; too sweet and too bland.

quote:

Originally posted by Hildoer

Tres Leche( Three Milks)is probably one of the most delicious and easiest cakes to make. People try to make it more complicated than it needs to be. Just use the simple traditional and tried recipe below. This is the one most resturaunts use.


One box yellow cake mix fully prepared and baked according to box directions in a 9x13 pan (leave in pan). I do not suggest you use the mixes with “pudding” in the mix. Any home recipe will do as well.

1 can evaporated milk
1 can sweetened condensed milk
whole milk enough to fill the can of sweetened condensed milk

1 container of whipped topping
red maraschino cherries



When the cake is done, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool fully. Leave the cake in the pan. Pierce the entire cake with a long tined fork or a kebob skewer. The objective is to make it look like a pin cushion.

Mix together the three milks and whisk until well blended. Pour the entire mixture over the cake. As you get close to the end of the mixture it will seem as if the cake will not absorb anymore. If this happens, wait a few minutes and then continue pouring the rest. I guarantee the cake will absorb it if you are using a standard boxed cake mix. Moisture content of cakes made from scratch may vary.

Wait till the liquid is absorbed. Cover the entire cake in ½ to 1 inch of cool whip. Cover the cake in a grid of cherries. It’s one cherry over each serving. I usually use 12.

Chill for 1 hour before serving.

I made this recipe yesterday and it is absolutely wonderful. Thank you so much for this.

I bumped this year and half old thread due to the holidays. This wonderful cake is not available in Knoxville and I sure do wish it was.

I enjoyed it several times during my six months in Houston. I am going to check out some of the local bakeries in Knoxville to see if it is available now.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Paul,
I’m sorry your introduction to tres leche was during a hard time… I’m glad it didn’t turn you against it. I’m heading to Nashville from Dallas in a couple of days and if Knoxville was closer I’d bring you a good one.
I had it at a wedding in Houston for the first time about 8 years ago… It was divine, it was so, so hot outside of the reception hall but when I went insdie and had a piece of that heavenly cake it was pure bliss….. I get ravenous for it now……

Tres Leches cake is widely available here in Dallas. One of the most popular and very best I know of is from, "La Duni". Not sure about shipping though because of the fresh cream content of this amazing cake.

http://www.laduni.com/bakery.htm

Best Tres Leche cake in the world is at Bon Bom at mexican Bakery on Ashland Ave. in Chicago. It IS expensive, but well worth it!

Tres leches is probably the default dessert down here now. I think that it is typically made in sheet pans, and sold in various sized squares cut from the mother cake. We just get ours from the Publix supermarket. My pups love the ooze left on the plate after we consume the cakelets.

As usually served in Miami:

The cupcake tour by BillyBoy inspired me to find a recipe for Tres Leche cupcakes. My son wants to make something different for his birthday.

I found the recipe from The Cupcake Project.


Makes about 28 cupcakes


8 eggs, separated
1 1/3 C granulated sugar
1 t vanilla extract
1 1/4 C all purpose flour
3 T corn starch
1 t baking powder
pinch of salt
6 oz evaporated milk (1/2 can)
11 oz condensed milk (3/4 can)
3/4 C heavy cream or 1 can of coconut milk, unsweetened (I used heavy cream)

In a big bowl, beat the egg yolks and 1 C of the sugar until pale and fluffy.

Add the vanilla.

In another bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, corn starch, and salt.

Mix until combined with the yolk mixture.

Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form.

Add 1/3 C sugar at the end. Do not over beat!

Fold the whites into the yolk and flour mixture, being very careful not to deflate the batter.

Fill cupcake liners about halfway.

Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes or until golden brown and when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

With a serrated knife, remove the top golden layer on each cupcake to expose the sponge. You can toss the tops in the trash or proceed to eat them all! You can see the pile of cut off tops on the left edge of the photo above.

Mix the three milks and spoon them into the cupcakes.

Put about three T of the milks into each cupcake.

Wait for the milks to be absorbed and add more. You will see a pool of milks at first, like the photo above, but soon the milks will completely absorb into the sponge cake.
Refrigerate the cupcakes covered for 5 hours or overnight.


The Meringue Frosting Recipe

The frosting recipe is also from Cooking Along. I reprinted it with my notes and modifications.


2 egg whites
pinch salt
1 C sugar
1/2 C water
1 t ground cinnamon

Mix the water and sugar in a small pan.

Bring it to a boil and cook until soft crack point, about 10 minutes. To know when the syrup has reached soft crack, take a little bit with a clean spoon and drop it in a bowl filled with water. It is ready when you can make a little soft ball with it inside the water (be very careful handling the syrup, it gets extremely HOT).

When the syrup is about to come to the soft crack point, beat the egg whites (with a pinch of salt added just a minute after starting the beating) until soft peaks form.
Still beating the whites, add the syrup in a steady way and beat until the mixture cools down. The final mixture will resemble soft marshmallows.

Frost the cupcakes.

Top with cinnamon. This will give a great flavor and a pretty presentation.

I've been kicking this recipe around for a while ,I will try it today and report back.

If you don't have time to make homemade on occasion Whole Foods has  Tres Leche cakes, I think they taste great but they aren't exactly inexpensive either............

I made this yesterday,One box white cake mix cooked to directions let cool poke holes all over the top,Mix one can sweetened condensed milk,one can evaporated milk and one cup whole milk together and pour over cake let sit in fridge overnite and set. Was unbeliveable.
I will use heavy cream in place of milk next time.

The best tres leche cake I've ever had (and I've had some very good ones, working with many Hispanic people) was a 112 Eatery in Minneapolis. Every component of the cake is distinctive and delicious. One of the best desserts out I've had.