Sunday, April 4, 2010

Sweet and Creamy Tres Leche Cake with Strawberries

Happy Easter! It's family time this morning and we’re busy goofing off and blowing up peeps in the microwave, so I can't chat long. I'm posting too many desserts lately, but I couldn't wait to share this cake with you! I promise, I'll clean up my act and write only about carrots and celery for 30 whole seconds twenty-five years from now.

The cake is an Alton Brown recipe and everything liquid is measured by volume, but everything dry is measured on a kitchen scale. I prefer to bake this way when I can because it’s simple and the results are more accurate. The bad part about this recipe of course, is that you’ll need a kitchen scale.

If you don’t have a kitchen scale, my friend Veronica baked and posted a tres leche cake created by our friend Marina. Marina’s been winning awards for years with her recipes, even once participating in the Pillsbury Bake-Off. So if you want a recipe you don’t have to weigh, give her’s a go.

Tres Leche Cake with Strawberries


Ingredients
For the cake:
• Vegetable oil
• 6 3/4 ounces cake flour, plus extra for pan
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 ounces (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 8 ounces sugar
• 5 whole eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

For the glaze:
• 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup half-and-half

For the topping:
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 8 ounces sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
• Small pinch of salt
• Lots of sliced fresh strawberries

Directions
For the Cake:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil and flour a 13 by 9-inch metal pan and set aside.

Whisk together the cake flour, baking powder and salt in a medium mixing bowl and set aside.

Place the butter into the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, beat on medium speed until fluffy, approximately 1 minute. Decrease the speed to low and with the mixer still running, gradually add the sugar over 1 minute. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl, if necessary. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and mix to thoroughly combine. Add the vanilla extract and almond extract and mix to combine. Add the flour mixture to the batter in 3 batches and mix just until combined. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread evenly. This will appear to be a very small amount of batter.

Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until the cake is lightly golden and reaches an internal temperature of 200 degrees F.

Remove the cake pan to a cooling rack and allow to cool for 30 minutes. Poke the top of the cake all over with a skewer or fork. Allow the cake to cool completely and then prepare the glaze.

For the glaze:
Whisk together the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk and the half-and-half in a 1-quart measuring cup. Once combined, pour the glaze over the cake. Refrigerate the cake overnight.

Topping:
Place the heavy cream, sugar, vanilla extract, almond extract and small pinch of salt into the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, whisk together on low until stiff peaks are formed. Change to medium speed and whisk until thick. Spread the topping over the cake and allow to chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Top with fresh strawberries.

Recipe adapted slightly from Alton Brown & Food Network, 2007.
Picture by Laura Flowers.


18 comments:

Patricia @ ButterYum said...

Mmmmmmm. I love the addition of almond extract in this recipe. Will definitely have to give this one a try!

Happy Easter!

:)
ButterYum

Sook said...

Oh I love tres leches! I haven't made it in forever!! Looks great. Happy Easter!

Memória said...

I prefer to use the scale, too. Your cake looks beautiful!! Have fun with your family blowing up Peeps LOL!!

HAPPY EASTER!

Sue said...

Blowing up peeps...my grandkids would love that!

Well Laura, I didn't get to make the strawberry pie yet because this weekend just turned out crazy, but it(and this cake) are on my "to bake" list, which is getting quite long! This cake sounds rich and looks dense, just the way I like it!

Have a wonderful day!

Fresh Local and Best said...

This cake looks absolutely amazing Laura! You are such a talented cook and baker! Happy Easter!

Anonymous said...

Noo!!! I completely forgot to show my little brother Peeps + microwave while I was home! Ughh... I had been planning to do it too. How could I forget?!?!

Anyway!

This looks really tasty! I love Alton's recipes. I prefer to bake with weight and volume, too.

Jo said...

What a great treat! It looks gorgeous and so moist.

Veronica Miller said...

Hey, thanks for linking to me! I like measuring with a scale not only for accuracy but also b/c there's less dishes to wash! But I have so few recipes that call for measurements by weight--phooey. This is one gorgeous piece of cake--strawberries are the perfect topping.

Tiffiny Felix said...

Yum!! And there can never be too many desserts ;)

Cherine said...

This is a fabulous treat!

Cathy said...

My scale is one of my favorite kitchen tools. What a difference it makes! What a luscious cake and the perfect way to use fresh strawberries that will be in our markets soon.

Peeps blow up in the microwave...very interesting!

Unknown said...

That looks great. I love tres leche

Federica Simoni said...

golosissimo e buonissimo! baci!

Two fit and fun gals said...

oh man this looks GREAT laura!

(happy belated easter!)

Mimi said...

I use my kitchen scale for everything, it really is more percise. Your cake of course looks fabulous.
Mimi

Diana's Cocina said...

What a wonderful treat! I would have to be pulled away from the dessert table. Looks wonderful!

Jen @ My Kitchen Addiction said...

Lovely! Love the pretty sliced strawberry on top.

Xiaolu said...

I love my kitchen scale. It's one of those kitchen gadgets I thought would collect dust but that I actually pull out 2-3 times a week. I LOVE this cake and was just planning to make a layer version.

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