Tres Leches Cake with Dulce De Leche

 Dangerous.  That's what this cake is.  Dangerous.

This is the type of cake that prowls through dark alleys at night, waiting to attach itself to an unsuspecting healthy person's hips and thighs, never to let go. 

This cake is a fugitive. And the reward for it's capture is sheer delight and bliss... and a few extra pounds. 

I kid you not when I say I could have devoured this whole cake in one sitting. This cake is deceptively bad for you. 

The recipe doesn't contain butter, so the cake doesn't feel heavy.  On the contrary.  Despite being soaked through, this cake is as light as air. But that doesn't mean that it's not bad for you. Oh no, my friends.  Where the butter leaves off, the heavy cream, condensed milk, and sweetened evaporated milk pick up.  The three milks seep through every pore of this spongey cake and the result is a cake that drips with sweet, almost caramel-flavored milky goodness with each bite. And because I always feel the need to add rum where appropriate, I added rum. Yum to rum. 

 

This cake is Bad News Bears.  It's a Highway to the Danger Zone. It's any other out-dated pop-culture reference I can use to describe this cake which is so bad for you but so good. 

I dare you to stop after one bite piece half a cake cake. 

Tres Leches Cake with Dulce De Leche

Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.

 

Separate the eggs and the egg whites.

 

Mix the egg yolks with 3/4 cup sugar.

Beat until the eggs are pale yellow and fluffy.

 

Add vanilla and pour over flour mixture.

 

Stir the ingredients together until just combined.

 
In your stand mixer, beat egg whites to soft peaks, adding in 1/4 cup sugar when whites are glossy. (I slightly overdid this because I decided to was dishes while they were whipping).

 
 Fold this mixture into the batter until just combined.

Pour into a well-sprayed 9 x 13" baking pan and bake at 350 F for 20-25 minutes.  

 

Make the milk mixture by combining 1 can of evaporated milk,

 

One can of sweetened condensed milk, 

 

1/4 cup heavy cream,

 

and RUM (holla!).

 

Invert your fully cooled cake on a long, rimmed plate and poke holes all over the surface with a fork.

  

Pour milk mixture all over the surface of the cake (the cake will soak up the milk like a sponge).

 

 
  

 

 

Spread with dulce de leche and enjoy!

 

Tres Leches Cake with Dulce De Leche adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks

Ingredients

• 1 cup All-purpose Flour
• 1-½ teaspoon Baking Powder
• ¼ teaspoons Salt
• 5 whole Eggs
• 1 cup Sugar, Divided
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• ⅓ cups Milk
• 1 can Evaporated Milk
• 1 can Sweetened, Condensed Milk
• ¼ cups Heavy Cream
• 1-2 tablespoons rum (optional)
• 1 can dulce de leche, homemade or store bought

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan liberally until coated.

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Separate eggs.

Beat egg yolks with 3/4 cup sugar on high speed until yolks are pale yellow. Stir in milk and vanilla. Pour egg yolk mixture over the flour mixture and stir very gently until combined.

Beat egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form. With the mixer on, pour in remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until egg whites are stiff but not dry.

Fold egg white mixture into the batter very gently until just combined. Pour into prepared pan and spread to even out the surface.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Turn cake out onto a rimmed platter and allow to cool.

Combine condensed milk, evaporated milk, heavy cream and rum in a small pitcher. When cake is cool, pierce the surface with a fork several times. Slowly drizzle all but about 1 cup of the milk mixture—try to get as much around the edges of the cake as you can.

Allow the cake to absorb the milk mixture for 30 (but it is best left for a few hours to really soak up the cake).

Spread top of cake with as much dulce de leche as you'd like. 

Comments

[Maria]

Soooo rich, but sooo good!

[DailyChef]

Amazing! You can't discourage me from making this now ;) I'll just keep tellng myself "there's no butter...there's no butter..." Makes it healthy in my book!

Love the step by step pictures!

[Jessie]

that looks amazing, I've had tres leche cake and you're right it is DANGEROUS! awesome step by step photos, do you use a tripod?

[Eliana]

Hmmmm...this looks delicioso! I love all the photos too :)

[Teanna]

Jessie, no, I don't use a tripod! I do the step with my left hand and shoot with my right! My camera is heavy, so it's tricky! Haha!

[Nicole]

Oh wow, that looks great. I remember when PW made this and now I have to resist again? Yeesh, you're making it tough :)

[Kathy Gori]

never met a tres leches cake I didn't like, your looks luscious!

[Jessica]

I am in major trouble now. I won't be able to stop thinking of this evil, evil cake until I make it!

[Alta]

I already know the dangers of regular tres leches cake. And yet you added ANOTHER element of danger - dulce de leche? Do you know just how bad this is for my sense of restraint? This looks evil.

[Jen]

Looks dangerous yet so delicious!

[Deanna]

Holy cow! My best friend is Cuban and we went to eat one night and ordered a piece...but it was not right...this however looks right! I will try this cake! Thank you :-)

[jenn (Bread + Butter)]

Dangerous indeed!!!! I think I just gained back the couple pounds I just lost. hahahaha.....

[wizzythestick]

OMG, OMG, OMG , - you did NOT just add Dulche de leche to a tres leches cake! My thighs so hate you right now because I have to make this So what it's like a cuatro leches cake now?! LOL

[The Duo Dishes]

It's fine that it's so bad if it will taste so good. Worth the danger!

[nadia]

oh my!!!! you and your desserts! amazing! this kind of reminds me of the classic "better than s*x cake" because of the how you pour the condensed milk over top, but a million times better! :)

[Jill]

Wow, that looks good! What a fantastic idea to add rum!!

[Natasha - 5 Star Foodie]

Oh, this cake sounds too delicious for words! Amazing with the addition of rum, love it!

[Shelly @ Experimental Culinary Pursuits]

Yum I bet you I would eat at least a quarter of this in 1 sitting! So light-looking but all the cream/condensed milk/evaporated milk definitely makes it a danger to your body! thanks for sharing!

[Tracey]

I've never had tres leches cake but every time I see it I make a note to try it - maybe this will be the time I actually follow through! It looks amazing!!

[grace]

danger, will robinson, danger! my goodness, would you just look at that moistness. i would never have imagined that i'd be so unbelievably enamored of something lacking butter, but here i am. and to top it with dulce de leche? sinful and divine at the same time. :)