I guess there is much debate on the origin of the Tres leches cake. I have been reading quite a bit about it and while it is definitely South American it was a toss up between Nicaragua and Mexico. My surprise was more that Nestle might have had something to do with it. Where my family makes and shares a meal from a different country weekly, the Tres leches cake origin isn’t very old compared to some of the other dessert recipes I have made or better yet tried to make.
Either way I not only enjoy making, and of course eating, I do like reading about the history of some of the recipes I make. One thing I have found over the last 2-3 years of our World Wide Wednesday family meals is that there are so many different recipes from all over the world for a shortbread cookie, but South America has the Tres Leches cake.
This Tres Leches cake which online said it was an authentically from Nicaragua. I have to go with the internet, because no one lies on the internet, insert eye roll here. But it is different from the one I made and posted about last year. Either way I think you should try and make either one.
Nicaraguan Tres Leches Cake
Equipment
- 1 9x13 inch baking dish
Ingredients
Cake
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 5 large eggs
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Tres Leches - 3 milks
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 cans sweetened condensed milk
- 1 can evaporated milk
whipped cream
- 1½ cups heavy cream
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Grease and flour one 9x13 inch baking pan.
- Sift flour and baking powder together and set aside.
- Cream butter or margarine and the 1 cup sugar together until fluffy. Add eggs and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; beat well.
- Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture; mix until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and pierce the cake all over with a fork. Once the cake is cooled combine the 3 milks and pour over the cake. Pour all but a cup over the cake at first and then add as needed, you may have some leftover. Let it soak up the milk for about an hour. Cover tightly and place in the fridge.
Whipped cream
- Using your stand mixer add the whipping cream, 1 teaspoon of vanilla and whip for a minute or two then add the sugar. Whip until you have stiff peaks. usually 3-4 minutes, depending on the speed you are using. Spread over the top of the cake and refrigerate overnight, enjoy!