A very typical Latin dessert. This version is the Venezuelan version.
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
- 4 egg whites
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 cans evaporated milk
- 1 sponge cake
- 8 eggs separated
- 1.3 cups granulated sugar
- 1.25 cups all purpose flour
- 3 tbsp corn starch
- three milks mixture:
- 2 cans condensed milk
- 3 cups heavy cream (or 1 can of coconut milk, unsweetened)
- 1 meringue topping
- 1 tsp cinnamon powder
- Carbohydrate 57.1277985786453 g
- Cholesterol 127.21258702832 mg
- Fat 16.098180680776 g
- Fiber 0.482296670865019 g
- Protein 6.02609731551013 g
- Saturated Fat 9.41290480698128 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (174g)
- Sodium 82.98205154696 mg
- Sugar 56.6455019077803 g
- Trans Fat 1.083212728316 g
- Calories 391 calories
Step-by-step
- Making the sponge cake: preheat the oven to 350°. Butter and flour an 13x9 inch pan (this recipe is enough for 20 people, for around 10 people you can make half the entire recipe and use a 9x9 inch pan).
- In a big bowl beat the egg yolks and 1 cup of the sugar (save the rest 1/3 cup for later) 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. Meanwhile beat the egg whites until soft peaks, adding the saved 1/3 cup of 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. Pour into the baking dish and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown and when a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and let it cool for 30 minutes, then with a serrated knife poke holes into the cake to allow the milk mixture to be absorbed.
- Mix the three milks and pour them into the cake. Refrigerate covered for 5 hours or overnight (the longer the better, this way the sponge cake absorbs better the milks)
- When ready to serve prepare the meringue: 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. 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 (YUM!!).
- Top the Tres Leches cake with the meringue in any way you like it. Sometimes I use a pastry bag and make decorations on top. But you can just add it to the top and make little peaks with the spoon. Top with cinnamon powder, this will give a great flavor and a pretty presentation.
Achieving the correct soft crack stage for the sugar syrup at 250 degrees Fahrenheit dictates the stability of the final meringue topping. Boil the water and sugar in a small heavy-bottomed pan without stirring to prevent crystallization. Testing a droplet in cold water must yield a malleable sphere before pouring the stream into whipping egg whites. This hot syrup cooks the albumen safely while building structural volume that holds shape over prolonged chilling. Folding whipped whites into the yolk and flour batter requires a wide spatula and deliberate strokes to preserve trapped air pockets. Deflating this sponge prevents adequate expansion during the 350-degree oven phase and stops the crumb from opening enough to receive the liquid soak. Poking holes across the cooled sponge with a serrated knife creates channels for the dairy blend. Heavy cream, condensed milk, and evaporated milk saturate the crumb entirely during a five-hour or overnight refrigeration window. Letting the cake sit overnight maximizes moisture distribution throughout the center without dissolving the structural integrity of the crumb. Freezing this dessert is not recommended because the high dairy content separates and ruins the sponge texture upon thawing. Substitutions alter this balance significantly. Swapping heavy cream for unsweetened coconut milk changes the fat ratio and reduces the richness of the soak while introducing distinct aromatics to the crumb. Cinnamon powder dusted over the meringue provides a dry contrast to the dense, wet interior below.
