Baking with Anastasia
Some people like to bake, while others do not. There are also those who would like to learn how to bake, yet often feel overwhelmed by all the "jargon" terms listed in recipes.
This page includes a recipe of one of my favorite desserts along with a number of photographs taken at different stages of the recipe preparation and short video clips that demonstrate "how-to" steps.
Though I have much experience, I still prefer to have some sort of visual aid when it comes to a new baking technique. Cookbooks with good pictures, instructional videos, and Food Network TV channel are just a few of the resources I usually resort to for help.
For the reasons stated above I created a web page that included parts of the recipe supported by visual instructions. I chose not to film the whole preparation process, but instead to concentrate just on certain steps along the way.
Tres Leches Cake
Tres Leches is a wonderful cake that is certainly not recommended for those watching their waistline. The flavor of condensed milk puts it on the list of favorites among South and Central America natives. The dessert is incredibly rich and unforgivingly high in calories. But, we live just once, right? So, have a few pieces of Tres Leches first, and then go on a diet!In Spanish "tres leches" means "three milks". The name comes from the three different kinds of milk used in the recipe to make the cake heavenly delicious.
I came across the recipe right before one of the Thanksgiving holidays and decided to try it by inviting my Mexican friends to a family Thanksgiving celebration.
When time came to have dessert, my friends not only approved of the cake, but insisted that it was the best Tres Leches they have ever had. In fact, it is the most requested dessert by everyone who tried it at least once.
Since then this recipe became my family's favorite. I hope you like it as much as we do!
Please click on the linked words in the recipe to view instructional pictures and short video clips. All the video clips are in .AVI format.
Here are the ingredients you will need to make Tres Leches:
FOR THE CAKE:
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 6 eggs, divided
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
- 1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 pint heavy cream
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Preheat oven to 375 °F.
- Grease and flour 13x9 baking pan
- Combine flour and baking powder and set aside.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the 6 egg whites until frothy.
Add sugar gradually and
continue beating until stiff
peaks form, about 5 minutes.
Beat in the 6 egg yolks, one at a time. Alternately beat in flour mixture and milk, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Stir in vanilla. This is what the beating until batter will look like. - Pour into a greased and floured 13x9 inch pan. Bake at 375 °F for 30 to 35 minutes or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove cake from the oven and cool 10 minutes. Poke holes into cake using a wooden skewer.
- While, the cake is cooling, combine the condensed milk, evaporated milk and heavy cream for the milk mixture. Place 1/2 of the mixture in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil. Combine with the rest of the milk mixture. Pour slowly over poked cake until the liquid is absorbed. Let the cake cool and refrigerate overnight.
- For the topping, using an electric mixer beat 1/2 pint of heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add sugar and vanilla, and continue to beat until medium/stiff peaks form. Spread the whipped cream over top of cake and refrigerate until ready to serve.