I wrote about the Tres Leches cake before.

When I started baking for the Heavenly Cake Bakers group back in January, the “Torta de las Tres Leches” from the book was my first “official” post in the group.

I mentioned in that post that this is, in fact, my “signature cake” with my family and friends. What? Don’t you have a signature dessert or food? I have been baking this cake for over 20 years for birthdays, special dinner parties, and events because any time my family or friends have “something special,” this is the dessert that is requested.

When I made Rose’s version of the cake, my family went up in arms. How crazy was I to change this? To “cheat” on my original recipe and do something else? Don’t do it! And while Rose’s version was “okay” in everyone’s verdicts, my own recipe continued to come on top.

Most of you know, we celebrated my mother’s birthday this past weekend. Of course, as soon as I asked her what birthday cake she wanted, she all but shouted, “TRES LECHES!”

So, I thought it would be the perfect time to share my version of this cake.

It’s pretty straightforward and uncomplicated, with three major steps. You could do this in a day, but if you space it out in two days, it is not much work. Here are some tips that would make it super successful:

Make it one day ahead; this is always better the NEXT DAY - hands down
Keep it in the refrigerator. It's best served cold. I usually bring it out about 15 minutes before I serve it, which is the time it takes me to make the espresso coffee that we usually drink along with it.
Yes, raw egg yolks are in the “leches—milk” part. Don’t panic; if you warm this up, the egg will cook, and there will be no danger.
You can replace the meringue topping with heavy whipped cream, but it will no longer be the “original” tres leches.

Tres Leches

Serves 8 to 10

Cake

1 cup sugar
5 large eggs, separated
1/3 cup whole milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon cream of tartar

Preheat the oven to 350F. Generously butter a 13x9-inch rectangular baking dish—the deeper, the better. I usually use one with a capacity of over 2.8 quarts. Note: Since this dish will be used for the final presentation, choose an appropriate serving dish.
Beat ¾ cups of the sugar with the egg yolks until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Fold in the vanilla, flour, baking powder, and milk.
Beat the egg whites to soft peaks, adding the cream of tartar after 20 seconds. Gradually add the remaining ¼ cup of sugar and continue beating until the whites are glossy and firm but not dry. Gently fold the whites into the yolk batter. Pour this into the buttered baking dish.
Bake the cake until it feels firm and an inserted toothpick/cake tester comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove it from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool. After 10 minutes, gently scrape away the top crust of the cake with a spoon, exposing the layer underneath. Using a fork, gently pierce the cake all over. At this point, let the cake cool completely.
Make the Milk soaking cream.

Soaking Milk Cream

1 - 14 ounce can of Sweetened Condense Milk
1 - 12 ounce can of Evaporated Milk
1 can (use the empty one of the Evaporated Milk) of whole milk
1 - 6.7 ounce can of Heavy Table Cream
1 tablespoon of rum (I don’t recommend skipping this; it gives it a whole other dimension, and you will not taste it - however, it’s optional if there are dietary issues)
3 egg yolks (save the whites for the topping)

Warm the whole milk until almost hot in the microwave or stovetop.
Pour the hot milk into a container or blender, then add the remaining ingredients. Mix/blend until thoroughly combined. Taste the mixture and add more rum or cream if needed. Remember that you don't want this overly sweet; the heavy cream and rum (if using) help tone down the sweetness.
Pour the soaking cream over the cooled cake. The cake should immediately begin absorbing the cream. If the liquid pools in any particular area, redistribute it to ensure even absorption.
Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate while you prepare the meringue topping.

Note: Heavy Table Cream can be found in most Latin supermarkets and sometimes in your local supermarket's "Latin" or "Ethnic" food section. If unavailable, substitute with sour cream. Measure the amount using the empty evaporated milk can (about half a can), or if using a scale, measure out 6.7 ounces. If you are concerned about raw eggs in the soaking milk, you may omit them. However, adding them to the hot milk will partially cook the eggs during mixing.

Meringue

1 cup sugar
¼ cup of water
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
3 eggs white (saved from the Soaking cream)
¼ teaspoon of vanilla extract

Place ¾ cup plus two tablespoons of sugar in a heavy saucepan with ¼ cup of water. Cover and cook over high heat for 2 minutes. Uncover the pan and cook the sugar to the soft ball stage (239°F on a candy thermometer) for about 6 to 8 minutes.
Meanwhile, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Pour the boiling sugar syrup into the whites in a thin stream while beating continuously. Continue beating until the mixture is cool and achieves a glossy white appearance. Add the vanilla extract and mix until incorporated.
Finishing the Cake: Remove the chilled cake from the refrigerator. Using an offset spatula, spread the meringue evenly over the top of the cake. Once fully covered, decorate with maraschino cherries (pat them dry with a paper towel first to remove excess liquid). Cover again with foil and return to the refrigerator.
The cake can be served the same day it's made, but it needs at least 2 hours of refrigeration time. For best results, serve it the next day.
Note: You will have some meringue leftover, which provides a perfect excuse to frost chocolate cupcakes with the remainder.