Mexico Pastel de Tres Leches
The origin of pastel de tres leches (also called pan de tres leches), meaning “cake of three milks,” is not clear. As a matter of fact, several Latin American countries, Mexico included, claim it. Similar cakes are also made in Eastern Europe. Since today the three kinds of milk used to make this cake are condensed, evaporated, and cream, some also claim that the original recipe was popularized by Nestlé (it was written on cans of milk in the 1940s) in order to increase their sales.
Recipe Servings: 4–8
Prep Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
50 minutes
Total Time
1 hour 20 minutes
Vegetarian
Vegan
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Kosher
Halal
Ingredients
- 1 cup (120 g) flour
- 1½ tsp (7.5 ml) baking powder
- 1 cup (200 g) sugar, divided
- 5 eggs, separated
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) whole milk
- 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
- 1 can (14 oz/400 g) condensed milk
- 1 can (14 oz/400 g) evaporated milk
- 2 cups (480 ml) cream, divided
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350° F (180° C).
- Sift the flour and the baking powder together. Set aside.
- Separate the egg yolks from the whites and set whites aside. In a large bowl, combine the yolks and ¾ cup (180 ml) sugar until the color is light and the volume has doubled.
- Add the milk, then the vanilla extract, and finally the sifted flour and baking powder.
- In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff. Gradually add the rest of the sugar and continue beating to form peaks.
- Add egg white mixture to the flour mixture and stir to combine.
- Grease and flour a baking pan and pour in the mixture. Bake for about 45–50 minutes.
- In another medium bowl, mix the condensed milk, evaporated milk, and ¼ cup (60 ml) cream. Set 1 cup (240 ml) of this mixture aside and pour the rest over the cake.
- Whip the rest of the cream well and use it to decorate the cake. Refrigerate cake until serving.
Notes
Pastel de tres leches can be decorated with fruit, such as strawberries or cherries. The Turkish/Albanian version is sometimes made with milk from three different animals: cow, goat, and water buffalo.Copyright © 1993—2024 World Trade Press. All rights reserved.