My longtime and dear friend, Meadmaker, has his birthday on New Year’s Day. Because we had to postpone our New Year’s celebrations due to snow, Meadmaker and his wife (and Tonks and Bowyer and Falcon) are all descending on Chez Chili on Sunday for munchies, Chinese food, football, and birthday cake.
Meadmaker is the heathen referenced in the title only becuase of his disdain for chocolate. He’s never really liked the stuff and, even though that makes me view him with a wary eye, I still love him. I decided, then, to put together a tres leches cake in honor of the anniversary of his birth. Several years ago, Punkin’ Pie decided she wanted a Mexican-themed birthday party (We had a pinata, we ate tacos, we listened to the Gypsy Kings, and we made tissue-paper flowers. I have no idea where her desire for a Mexican-themed party came from, so don’t ask), and I made this cake for her and loved it. The recipe is pretty straightforward and easy, and the cake was a HUGE hit at Punkin’s party. I’m eager to have it again.
Start with a 13×9 glass baking dish that’s been lightly greased and floured (you can line the thing with parchment if you plan on decanting the cake from the pan and putting it on a serving plate, but since I serve it right from the pan, I don’t bother). In the bowl of your KitchenAid (or a large, clean, glass or metal bowl), whir 8 egg whites until they start to form soft peaks. Sprinkle in 2 cups of sugar a little at a time (use superfine sugar if you have it – I blitz my sugar in the food processor just to make it a little more willing to mix with the whites – but slowly adding regular sugar will work, too) and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Reduce the speed to low, then beat in 8 egg yolks, one at a time, then drop in 2 teaspoons of vanilla and, if you want, a tablespoon of lime juice (the recipe calls for it, but I never add it. Instead, I up the vanilla to a couple of tablespoons).
While the eggs are beating, sift together 2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, and 3/4 of a teaspoon of salt. Pour out 2/3 of a cup of milk (whole milk if you have it) and warm it in the microwave until it’s room temperature. Add the flour mix to the eggs alternately with the milk, then scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Don’t be alarmed if the batter is a little lumpy; as long as you’ve got no dry spots of flour, you’re fine (I usually give the batter a mix or two with a spatula, but you want to keep this light and spongy and over-mixing will produce gluten in the flour; you don’t want that, so under-mixed is better than over).
Bake the cake at 350° for about half an hour or so, or until the cake feels springy in the center and passes the toothpick test.
While the cake is baking, mix together one 12 ounce can of evaporated milk, one 14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk and a cup and a half of heavy cream. The recipe doesn’t call for it, but I usually drop in a shot of vanilla, too. Set this aside – I leave it at room temperature; it’ll be fine.
Cool the cake completely, either in or out of the pan, depending on your preference (I keep the thing in the pan only because I don’t have a platter that will fit and I like it to sit in its little milk bath; milk leaks out if the cake is on a platter). Once the cake is COMPLETELY cool (this part is important – patience, Grasshopper), poke it all over with a skewer, then pour about half the milk mixture over. Wait about ten minutes, then pour the rest of the milk over the cake, cover it tightly with plastic wrap, and stash it in the fridge for at least three hours, though overnight is better.
I don’t ice this cake, but the top is kind of ugly, so I spread whipped cream over the top and that doesn’t do it any damage. I imagine that a sprinkling of shredded coconut wouldn’t go amiss, either.
