Tres Leches Vanilla Cake (My birthday cake)

Hi Guys!!

Hope you all had a wonderful week. So, I know I didn't upload a post last week on the blog, and I got a lot of questions about that. I'm so sorry about it. My birthday was last wednesday and I really wanted to celebrate it quietly. I just needed the week to think about and meditate on the events of the previous year, ways to improve myself, to bring more spice to the blog, and just my overall plans for the future. Of course, I also got carried away by some school work and seminars, but it certainly was a much needed solemn reflective period, and thanks for all the concern.

HOWEVER!... I still made something special for myself on that day, and thats what I want to share it with you. 

As it was my special day, I certainly wanted something decadent and to me, theres nothing that spells 'decadent' better than a delicious 'Tres leches' cake. 

If you haven't tried this before.....pllleaase do! TRUUSST MEEE!! this is probably the moistest cake you'll ever have....at least in my book (#wink).  Its spongy, moist, milky, it just melts in your mouth.  I'm telling you, this is cake 'gold' right here. I took it to church  the next day to share with my friends after choir practise. The way the cake disappeared ehh....me sef I was shocked. They really enjoyed it, and were still talking about it on the ride home.

I've always wanted to make it, but for some reason I just couldn't find the perfect occasion for such a treat. I definitely love this cake, and I can't wait to share it with you.

So, a little background about it; 'Tres leches' is spanish for 'Three (3) Milks'. I'm sure you probably already figured that out. So its pretty much a sponge cake soaked in three different types of milk: heavy cream, evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk. Weird huh? 

Now, I kinda cheated a lil bit by using some store bought Victoria sponge cake mix, but thats because I didn't have enough all purpose flour in my pantry, and I was certainly not going grocery shopping on my birthday. 

So heres how I made it.

Ingredients

For the cake batter:

• Victoria sponge cake mix
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup of vegetable oil

For the filling

• 1/2 cup of sweetened condensed milk (1 can is fine)
• 1/2 cup of heavy cream  (regular cream is fine too)
• 1/2 cup of evaporated milk (1 can is fine)

For the topping

• 1 cup of heavy cream (whipped)
• 1 cup of mascarpone cheese  (optional)
• 2-3 tbsp of Caster sugar (granulated sugar is fine)
• 1/2 cup of roasted desiccated coconut

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees celsius. Line your cake tin with parchment paper (greasing it & flouring the bottom and sides is fine too), then set aside.
2. In a bowl, pour the cake mix and using the manufacturers instructions add all the necessary accompaniments (eggs and vegetable oil). Mix well until its all combined and then transfer it into the lined cake tin.
3. Bake it for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
4. When the cake is done, remove it from the oven (not from the pan) and allow it to cool slightly for about 5 minutes, but it should still be hot to the touch.
5. As the cake cools, add your filling ingredients into another bowl, mix well, and set aside.
6. Heres the fun part. Using a toothpick or fork, poke holes into the cake. The holes should be about an inch apart from each other.

   

   The poked cake

7. Now pour the tres leches  (3 milk) mixture over the cake, evenly distributing it. Use a clean plate or kitchen foil and cover it. Place it in the fridge for about 3-4 hours, until all the milk has been absorbed by the sponge cake.
8. On a baking tray add some desiccated/ flaked coconut and put in the oven for about 10 minutes or until its browned.

   

   The oven browned desiccated coconut

9. Make you topping by combining the cheese, sugar and whipped cream together,until it forms stiff peaks.

   

   The whipped cream mixed with sugar and cheese

10. Once the cake is ready, smother the topping all over the cake. Then sprinkle the browned desiccated coconut all over the surface. 

    

    The cake topped with the cream cheese and desiccated coconut

11. Grab a slice & Enjoy!!