Tres Leches Cake

Course Dessert

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 35

Chilling Time 2

Total Time 3 5

Servings 9 3"x3" pieces

Digital scale (or dry measuring cups, liquid measuring cup, and measuring spoons)
Stand mixer (or hand mixer and a large bowl) – use the paddle and whisk attachments
9-inch square cake pan
Parchment paper (I like to use precut parchment paper sheets)
Whisk
Silicone spatula
Wire rack
Small saucepan
Candy Thermometer
Offset spatula
Piping bag (optional)
Piping tip (e.g., 1M or other medium star tip) (optional)

Preheat the oven to 325°F/170°C with the rack in the center of the oven. Prepare the baking pan by greasing the bottom and sides and placing a sheet of parchment paper on the bottom of the pan. This will help release the cake from the pan after it has been soaking.

Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt into a medium bowl. Whisk to combine and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and light brown sugar at medium-high speed until light and fluffy (approximately 2 minutes). In a liquid measuring cup, combine the milk and vanilla.
Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugar in 3 additions alternating with the milk mixture in two additions.
In a clean mixer bowl, use the whisk attachment to beat the egg whites on medium speed until foamy. Using room temperature egg whites will allow you to whip more air into the eggs. Add the cream of tartar and beat at medium-high speed until soft peaks begin to form. Gradually add the granulated sugar (a spoonful at a time) and beat at high speed until stiff peaks form.
Using a silicone spatula, gently fold the eggs whites into the cake batter until there are no visible streaks. Do not overmix or you will lose all the air that was just whipped into the egg whites.
Gently pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth it gently into an even layer.
Bake the cake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

In a large glass measuring cup (or medium bowl), add all the soak ingredients and stir to combine.
After the cake has cooled for 10 minutes, keep the cake in the pan and use a toothpick and poke holes all over the cake at 1-inch intervals. Poke all the way to the bottom of the pan to ensure the soak can get absorbed in the middle and bottom of the cake.
Slowly pour the soak over the top of the cake until it is completely covered. I like to use a large spoon to add the soak evenly over the cake and to give it sufficient time to soak in before adding more to the same area. If it typical for some of the soak to pool after it’s poured onto the cake. The remaining liquid will absorb while the cake is chilling.
Refrigerate the cake for a minimum of 2 hours up to overnight. This will give the cake ample time to absorb the liquid and moisten the crumb. It will also help the cake be less “runny” after it is removed from the cake pan.

Begin making the meringue within 2 hours of serving the cake.
Put the egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment.
Place the larger amount of granulated sugar into a small saucepan, add the water, and stir to moisten the sugar. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat until it reaches 230°F/110°C.
While letting the sugar continue to cook on the stove, turn the stand mixer to medium and gradually pour in the remaining granulated sugar (i.e., the smaller amount). Whip the egg whites until they form loose peaks and then turn the mixer to low speed until the sugar is ready.
When the sugar reaches 248°F/120°C, remove the pan from the heat and set the thermometer on a heat-safe surface. Turn the stand mixer to medium-low speed and slowly pour the sugar between the side of the bowl and the whisk. Try very hard to avoid pouring the sugar onto the whisk because it will whip the sugar onto the side of the bowl and create hard strings of cooled sugar.
After the sugar has been poured into the mixing bowl, increase the speed to medium-high and whisk for 15 minutes, or until the bottom of the bowl is at room temperature and the whites hold stiff peaks. Add the vanilla and mix to combine.

Leave the cake in the cake pan for a more rustic presentation or carefully invert the cake onto a cake plate that has a lip. This will help catch any of the liquid that might pool around the cake.
I like to let the cake sit on the serving plate for a few minutes to allow any of the extra milk to pool at the base of the cake. Then, use a paper towel to gently wipe away any extra liquid on and around the cake. This will help ensure the meringue sticks to the cake and doesn’t slide off.
Use an offset spatula to spread an even layer of the meringue topping over the top and sides (if you removed the cake from the pan) of the cake.
This next step is optional, but it looks pretty. Place the remaining meringue topping into a piping bag fitted with a 1M tip (or any other medium star tip). Pipe a decorative border (and other piped details) around the cake. I also added some strawberries to the top to help offset the sweetness from the cake and toasted almonds on the sides for a crunchy element. The strawberries and almonds are not traditional, but I think it really helped to balance the dessert.
Refrigerate the cake until serving.

The soaked cake (without the topping) can be stored in the fridge, covered with foil for up to 5 days. With the meringue topping, store in the fridge for up to 1 day or at room temperature for up to 2 hours.
Important food safety note: This cake uses three different kinds of dairy in the soak. It must be kept refrigerated when not being eaten (with a 4-hour maximum amount of time at room temperature) to prevent the growth of bacteria, which could lead to food-borne illness.
If the cake is too dense (i.e., there are not enough air bubbles), the cake will not be able to absorb the soak. I would advise re-making the cake while taking care to keep in the air bubbles from the whipped egg whites.