Pastel de Tres Leches

Not surprisingly, I'm usually the one who gets recruited bake cakes for the birthdays and special occasions of loved ones. Truth be told, it's a labor of love that I'm honored to do. As a result, I try to make something new for each occasion, each year. Many people, however, simply request this cake before hand. After a recent instagram post, I noticed that experiencing tres leches is "love at first bite" for most people and decided to share my recipe along with a brief history of cakes. Enjoy! 

History

Cakes date back to ancient Egypt.   Old Kingdom
(2700-2600 BC) tomb scenes depict bread being shaped and produced in mass
quantities.  Ramses II’s tomb revealed
pictures of elegant pastries, cakes, and pies being made in bakeries which
catered specifically to royalty.  

Sweets
were also prepared in communal ovens and sweetened with honey and molasses,
instead of sugar, which was extremely expensive at the time because it was just
introduced by the Persians. Roman philosopher Cato wrote about
cakes after Romans took control of Egypt and gained access to wheat and sugar. Ancient Greek cakes were made of honey and fruits. Typically the Roman and Greek cakes were used as offerings to the gods.

In Medieval England the terms bread and cake were synonymous and cake usually referred to small bread. During the renaissance in Italy, baking really took off and caused both English and French to import Italian pastry chefs to work for them. By the 17^th century,

baking pans consisted of round rings which were placed on flat surfaces. The round symbol has been used since antiquity as a symbol of the life cycle itself.  As a result, we still use cakes as a way of marking life’s most monumental events.

      

By
the mid 18^th century eggs replaced yeast as the most common
leavening agent in Europe – many cakes from
the rest of the world still use yeast. During  the 19^th century the
industrial revolution changed the world of cake making.  Baking powder was invented and the modern
cake was born.  Cake mixes were also invented in the early part of the century in England.  In the states, no one trusted them and they didn’t catch on.  

Then World War II happened.  Women who were once housewives found themselves in the work force for the first time while the men were overseas. When the men came back from the war, many women lost their jobs and went back to being housewives.  These women began to value their time and the cake mix provided a perfect way to express their modern identities.  Shortly the slogan “It tastes just like homemade” caught on and people who made cakes from scratch were considered old fashioned. 

Nowadays, however, the tables are beginning to turn again.  Cake mixes are the most unhealthy food in the supermarket.
Between the chemicals, saturated fat, and  artificial flavorings which they contain- health experts say that they should never be consumed.  Unfortunately, many Americans have never even
tasted homemade cake.  Wedding cake makers have had to alter their recipes to make them taste more soft like box
cakes because people think fresh cakes don’t taste right. Simple cakes like this prove that baking from scratch is easy, fun, and delicious. I hope that you enjoy carrying on this tradition in your home. 

Recipe

Three Milks Cake/Pastel de Tres Leches

Although variations exist between Spanish and Latin American

versions of this cake, it’s hard to decide which is the most delicious. Pastel de Tres Leches is made by covering a sponge cake with a combination of evaporated milk, condensed milk, and regular milk.
It is then cooled and refrigerated so that the entire cake soaks up the
milk making it extremely moist – almost like pudding. Keep in mind that it should be refrigerated until it is served. Since it needs to be refrigerated a minimum of 5 to 6 hours in advance, it’s a great cake to make the day before entertaining.  It can be garnished with
fresh whipped cream before dinner and ready to serve afterwards.

Serves 12

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter,
melted and cooled, plus extra for pans

6 large eggs, separated

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

1 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour

2 1/2 cups whole milk

1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

2 cups whipping cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup sugar

Preparation:

Heat oven to 350F degrees.

Butter a 9x13-inch glass baking dish.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk
attachment, combine egg whites, baking soda, and salt, and beat on medium speed
until soft peaks form.

Add yolks to the whites, and beat until combined. Stir in
sugar and remove bowl from mixer.

Stir in butter with a spatula. Sprinkle 1/4 cup flour over
mixture at a time, and fold in.

Folding from bottom to top, you should not see any flour
when mixture is ready.

Continue until all of flour is incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake approximately
20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Before removing cake from the oven, whisk together milk,
evaporated milk, and condensed milk in a large bowl.

Remove cake from the oven and place on a wire rack to
cool.   Pour milk mixture evenly over
cake.

Set aside and allow to stand until cool.

Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate for a minimum of 5
hours or overnight.

Before serving, place whipping cream in the bowl of an
electric mixer with a whisk attachment.
Beat on high speed until soft peaks form.

Add vanilla and sugar and continue beating until cream is
whipped.

To serve, cut cake into slices and garnish with a dollop of
whipped cream,

-OR-

Spread whipped cream evenly over cake, cut, and serve.