tres leches cake.

WHOLE, EVAPORATED, CONDENSED.

Whew, now that's out of the way - I read somewhere that tres leches cake (which means three milks' cake) was invented by canned milk companies in a ploy to increase their sales. Isn't that interesting? The recipe has really stuck around.

For good reason. The just perfectly viscous mixture of milks. The way the cake has a gradation of custardiness - the top retaining more of the original sponge texture, and the bottom also with a sponge texture, just that of one absolutely saturated with sweet milk. The lightly sweetened cushion of whipped cream on top.

I could go on and on. When you're deluged with work, emails, and just general stress, I highly recommend stopping whatever you're doing, remembering that chronic stress leads to cancer (I will have written & defended at least 35 pages on the matter by mid-April), and making this cake!

It's a great spring cake, too. Not like spring feels anywhere near, but we can imagine.

You want all that brown soaked crust on the bottom. Just gotta hog that stuff. 

This was hard to photograph! Because it's so white. I'm definitely utilizing my digital photography class skills ... that whole smaller f-stop value / smaller aperture allowing you to focus on one thing and blur the background? Love it. I also wish I had an opportunity to play with shutter speed - that's for moving objects, though. None of my cakes have tried running away, yet, even if there is a big silver fork descending down upon (into?) it.

LOOK AT THE CUSTARDINESS LOOK AT IT

I guess I can note this cake isn't healthy at all. I haven't made anything this indulgent in forever, but it was a nice change of pace! There's something very healthy coming up next in the form of muffins, which I made on the same day. Keeping that balance, you know?

Tres Leches Cake

the pictures from this site really lured me in. 

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 5 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 (14 oz.) can of sweetened condensed milk
• 1 (12 oz.) can of evaporated milk
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 Tablespoons powdered sugar 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9x13" baking pan.
2. Mix flour and baking powder together.
3. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs one by one. Add vanilla extract.
4. Add flour mixture by spoonfuls, in 3 - 4 batches. Mix until well-blended.
5. Transfer batter to pan. Bake about 30 minutes. Top will look golden.
6. While allowing cake to cool, mix together the whole milk, sweetened condensed milk, and evaporated milk. 
7. After cake is cool, pierce several times with a fork. Really get your anger out. It may also be helpful to level out the cake, so the milk does not pour down to the edges. The milk will distribute much more evenly after just a bit of leveling out.
8. Pour milk mixture over cooled cake. It looks like it will be too much milk, but it is enough and necessary, trust me!
9. Give cake at least 15 minutes to soak. While waiting, whip cream to soft peaks. Mix in vanilla and sugar, then beat to slightly stiffer peaks. Spread over top of cake. Add maraschino cherries to each slice if desired.