Dairy Love

You can experiment with any different combinations of the type of milk to use, but in my case, I’ve found that condensed milk, evaporated milk and heavy cream are the perfect combination.

As a baker, you always want to try out new recipes. Lately, I’ve been wanting to do my version of the famous Tres Leches cake. You just know that this is going to be a delectable and very moist cake. I made this cake twice before I was satisfied with the recipe that I am now going to share with you. You can experiment with any different combinations of the type of milk to use, but in my case, I’ve found that condensed milk, evaporated milk and heavy cream are the perfect combination. It’s a perfect blend of moistness, rich velvet textures and a milky sweetness that makes for a smashing cake. Some will even try to make a quatro leches cake with a dulce de leche sauce/frosting over it, and it really depends how sweet your tooth is, so I kept mine a classic tres leches. I’m also sharing a recipe more traditional chiffon cake recipe, but added a fruity topping. It’s somewhat similar to a Crema de Fruta, but it’s lighter because I kept it fresh by doing away with the gelatine and the custard layer. No heartaches for your heart cakes!

VALENTINE CHIFFON CAKE

Photography by Michael Anthony Sagaran

• 2 cups sifted cake flour
• 1 1/4 cups white sugar
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 7 egg yolks
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 7 egg whites
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar

FOR ICING

• Whipped cream
• 1 can Fruit Cocktail

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F and greased a heart shaped pan
2. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt three times. Make a well; add oil, egg yolks, water, vanilla, and lemon flavoring to the well in the order that is given. Set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until very stiff. Set aside.
4. Using same beaters, beat egg yolk batter until smooth and light.
5. Pour gradually over egg whites, folding in with rubber spatula. Do not stir. Pour batter into prepared heart shaped pan.
6. Bake for 30-40 minutes. . Invert pan until cool.
7. Decorate with whipped cream and spread fruit cocktail on top.

It’s a perfect blend of moistness, rich velvet textures and a milky sweetness that makes for a smashing cake. Some will even try to make a quatro leches cake with a dulce de leche sauce/frosting over it, and it really depends how sweet your tooth is, so I kept mine a classic tres leches.

TRES LECHES CAKE

Photography by Michael Anthony Sagaran

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 5 whole eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 can evaporated milk
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 can sweetened, condensed milk
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

FOR THE ICING

• 1 pint heavy cream, for whipping
• 3 tbsp sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan liberally until coated.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Separate eggs.
3. Beat egg yolks with 3/4 cup sugar on high speed until yolks are pale yellow. Stir in milk and vanilla. Pour egg yolk mixture over the flour mixture and stir very gently until combined.
4. Beat egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form. With the mixer on, add 1/4 cup sugar and beat until egg whites are stiff but not dry.
5. Fold egg white mixtures into the batter very gently until just combined. Pour into prepared pan and spread to even out the surface.
6. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Turn cake out onto a rimmed platter and allow to cool.
7. Combine condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream in a bowl or measuring cup. When cake is cool, pierce the surface with a fork several times. Slowly drizzle all but about 1 cup of the milk mixture—try to get as much around the edges of the cake as you can.
8. Allow the cake to absorb the milk mixture for 30 minutes. To ice the cake, whip 1 pint heavy cream with 3 tablespoons of sugar until thick and spreadable.
9. Spread over the surface of the cake.

Source: Pages 50 -53 of Cook Magazine February 2015 issue

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