Tres Leches is a refreshing change of pace when is comes to cakes. To prepare Tres Leches, typically you start by baking an airy, almond-kissed sponge cake, and as the name would suggest, drown the cake in a trio of milks. What initially seems like an inordinate amount of liquid slowly absorbs into the cake layer yielding a delicious, almost pudding-like cake. Moist is most certainly an understatement! Often the cake is finished with a layer of sweetened whipped cream or even meringue.
And while there is absolutely nothing wrong with a classic, I was inspired to take a bit of a turn and incorporate pistachios! Not too far a leap from the classic almond flavoring, but you won't see this Pistachio Tres Leches comin' and goin'. I also love the bit of textural contrast of the nuts enveloped in the soft, moist cake. To drive home the pistachio point, I added just a drop of green food coloring to alert the eyes something a bit different might be in store. In fact, between the subtly green cake and bright red strawberries, this recipe might be one to keep in the arsenal come Christmas!
The cake itself is comprised of some pretty humble ingredients. And while it does take a bit of time to prepare, most of the time spent is idle simply waiting for the cake to cool, milks to soak, etc. So I'd chalk this up as a simple yet elevated cake recipe. You'll wow the pants off your guests for sure.
Pistachio Tres Leches
Ingredients
For the cake
· 3 eggs
· 1 cup sugar
· 1 ½ cup flour
· 2 tsp baking powder
· ¾ tsp salt
· ½ cup milk
· 2 tsp vanilla extract
· ½ tsp almond extract
· 1 tbsp pistachio pudding
· 1/3 cup roasted pistachios, chopped
· 1-2 drops green food dye, optional
For the milk mixture
· 12oz evaporated milk
· 14oz sweetened condensed milk
· ½ cup whole milk
· ½ tsp vanilla extract
· ½ tsp almond extract
For the topping
· 2 cups heavy cream
· 6 tbsp powdered sugar
· 2 tbsp sugar
· 1 tsp vanilla extract
· 1lb strawberries, hulled and diced
Preheat oven to 350F.
For the cake…whisk together the eggs and sugar vigorously in the bottom of a large mixing bowl until frothy and pale yellow in color. Sift over the flour, baking powder and salt. Begin to whisk the flour into the egg mixture. Combine the milk, vanilla extract, almond extract and pistachio pudding. Pour the milk mixture into the batter and whisk to combine. If desired, add a drop or two of green food coloring to achieve a light green batter.
Grease a 13x9 baking pan with nonstick spray. Pour the batter into the pan and smooth into an even layer. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes.
Once the cake has cooled slightly, prepare the milk mixture. In a large measure cup, whisk together the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, whole milk and extracts.
Using a toothpick, prick the surface of the cake. Pour about one-third of the milk mixture evenly over the cake. Allow the milk mixture to absorb. Repeat until all the milk has been absorbed into the cake. Chill the cake in the fridge.
To prepare the whipped cream… combine the cream, sugars, and vanilla in the bowl of a standmixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat on medium high speed until stiff peaks form.
Once the cake is chilled, spoon the whipped cream over the top of the cake. Smooth into an even layer. Decorate the top of the cake with diced strawberries.
Chill until ready to serve.
Serves 12
Gluten Free Friendly!
I had greatest success with Better Batter or Cup4Cup gluten free flour blends.
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