Have you ever tried Tres Leches, or Three Milk Cake? This is a white cake saturated in a syrup made of three different types of milk. It is often served frosted with whipped cream or meringue. If you have not tried this delicacy, you really must. While it may sound like a soggy mess, in reality it is a dense cake saturated with a yummy mixture of cream, condensed milk, and evaporated milk. The cake acts as a sponge, holding in all that sweet goodness. There really is nothing like it.

 

This delicious Mexican dessert originated in Europe with its soaked cake desserts like trifle, tiramisu, and rum cake. There is an ancient recipe from Portugal called Golden Soup that is made with sponge cake and egg cream. While the idea is not new, Three Milk Cake will be new to you. The soaked cake recipes traveled from Europe to the New World when people began coming over to settle.

 

Milk Cake is an old recipe from Mexico. It is also called Torta de leche. While not quite the same as Three Milk Cake, you can see the resemblance. Milk Cake is made by pouring cake batter into a baking pan full of sweetened, scalded milk. The finished cake is then served along with this milk sauce. There are several other soaked cake recipes that are prevalent in Mexico.

 

Three Milk Cake came closer to creation with the advent of canned milk. Milk was canned to prevent its spoilage in areas without refrigeration. If you have ever wondered what the difference is between evaporated and condensed milk, here it is: Evaporated milk is fresh milk with 60% of its water content taken away. It is then fortified, homogenized, canned, and sterilized. Condensed milk is made of 40% sugar and 60% milk. 60% of the water is removed, creating the milk syrup we see today.

 

A Swiss company called Nestle has been making canned milk since 1875. They printed a recipe for Three Milk Cake on the label of its milk cans in the 1940s to promote their product. Mexico and Central America has used canned milk as a staple for generations. Needless to say, the recipe became popular.

 

Tres Leches Cake was introduced into the United States sometime in the 1990s. It has caught on quickly, especially in areas with large Mexican populations like Texas and California. This dessert is now featured on the menus of many fine dining establishments. Of course, this does not mean you cannot make this simple cake at home! It really is very easy.

 

This Mexican dessert recipe deserves all the kudos it gets. You can frost it with a simple whipped cream or you can make a delicate meringue. This rich cake is so good you do not need to frost it at all if you do not want to. The secret to this cake is to poke the baked cake full of holes with a skewer. Pour your milk mixture over the top. Put the cake in the fridge overnight so the liquid can saturate the cake.

 

The next day, the cake has soaked up all the milk, creating a delicious moist cake that is appropriate for any occasion. Give it a try. Tres Leches Cake will become a new favorite.

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