Tres Leches Espresso Cake

Long time no blog post...I noticed too...

     I actually took pictures in preparation for a couple of new blog post ideas/recipes but they got lost somewhere between me quitting my job to stay at home and take care of my family and life. Okay those are the same thing right? Well I haven't stopped cooking. I actually am doing more of it! I have discovered many many YUMMY recipes to tweak and share but today I just have to talk about my most recent discovery! Okay, it is NOT tweaked much so just go here to read a really AWESOME blog about food that contained this post about this cake. Portuguesegirlcooks/Tres Leches Espresso Cake I found it via Google.

This is my cake not the picture from the blog linked ;)

     I love to Google ingredients that I want to use and try to find something to match my craving. This adventure began by me buying instant espresso for a recipe that I had and can no longer locate. It was a chocolate cake of some kind and it sounded decadent and divine! Google did not help me find that particular recipe but it did bring up the idea of the Tres Leches Coffee cake. Um....YUM! So then I thought well I didn't want to use just instant coffee...so I put Tres Leches Espresso in the search and BAM! This link comes up!

Again My cake, but  I thought visuals of the cake would help

 It took a few days to make sure I had the right ingredients because well I try to NOT keep heavy whipping cream around or I would be making homemade whipped cream every day to top everything! So, I finally put it on the grocery list and whipped up this delicious cake.

Yes THIS CAKE, it is mine ;)

    Late yesterday afternoon I whisked up the cake, with a hand whisk not a mixer as asked for in the recipe because alas I don't have a stand mixer, nor the cabinet space to store one. Baked the cake, poured the milk mixture over and placed it into the refrigerator and made myself wait patiently until this morning to whip up the whipped cream topping. I did not take pictures of the process because well, my kitchen was a HOT MESS. Nearly 87 degrees while cooking HOT (that was the temp IN the kitchen NOT outdoors here in wonderful South East Texas) and I was just a  MESS, making this new recipe and dealing with the kiddo-roos who were all up in my business. So any-who,It turned out PERFECT! Better than chocolate and I LOVE chocolate.
 Here is what I did...recipe and explanation to the best of my ability. As I said there are VERY FEW changes to this recipe, and only one ingredient change and that wasn't an essential so really the original Blog recipe is all you need unless you want to read my kitchen trial
 ;-).

Tres Leches Espresso Cake

Ingredients

The Cake

1 Cup Flour

1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1/4 tsp Salt

5 Large Eggs (separated and at room temperature)

1 Cup Sugar

1/3 Cup Whole Milk

1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

The Soaking Liquid

10 oz can Sweetened Condensed Milk

1 Cup Evaporated Milk

1/2 Cup Heavy Cream

1/2 Cup Espresso or Strongly Brewed Coffee (I used instant espresso)

1 Pinch of Salt

The Topping

1 tsp Instant Espresso Powder

1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

2 Cups Heavy Cream

3 Tbsp Powdered Sugar

2 Tbsp (to taste) Cocoa Powder

For The Cake

Prepare a 9x13 cake pan (I used glass) by greasing and flouring to prevent sticking. (I always use shortening to grease my pans the recipe I used said to use butter) and preheat oven to 350 Degrees F. 

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. (including measurements here as well because I kept having to scroll up and down to get the info while cooking mine)

1 Cup Flour

1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1/4 tsp Salt

In a large bowl whisk egg whites until they become frothy, slowly add 1/4 cup of sugar. Continue whisking until firm but not dry peaks are formed. (I felt as though my arms might give out I haven't hand whisked like this in YEARS but it took around 6 minutes I think...felt like 20 but well worth it!) 

5 Large Eggs (separated and at room temperature)

1 Cup Sugar

1/3 Cup Whole Milk

1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

Now add in the egg yolks and remaining 3/4 cup of sugar and beat it some more until it is pale yellow in color. Add Milk and Vanilla until combined. (Now you are supposed to keep the eggs separate until adding the flour but I didn't because I don't read so well I guess, so if you keep them separate like the original recipe First fold in the flour to the egg yolk, then add 1/3 egg whites and alternate till combined.)

Fold the flour mixture by thirds into the egg mixture each time ensuring it is fully combined before adding more. 

Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean. Let the cake cool for 10 minutes. (Now the original said remove the cake, wash the pan and return the cake after it was completely cooled. I did not. I just left it in the pan. I used a knife to make sure the sides were loosened after it cooled that time but never removed it from the pan.)

The Soaking Liquid

In a medium sauce pan combine all 3 milks, coffee(espresso), and salt.

10 oz can Sweetened Condensed Milk (I used a 12 oz can but didn't try to get all of it out...close enough!)

1 Cup Evaporated Milk

1/2 Cup Heavy Cream

1/2 Cup Espresso or Strongly Brewed Coffee (I used instant espresso)

1 Pinch of Salt

Heat over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the condensed milk is dissolved and the mixture bubbles around the edges.(This took longer than 5 minutes for me but the original recipe says 3-5 minutes...the bubbles around the edges that is, the condensed milk dissolved quickly) Be careful not to scorch the mixture. Pour into large liquid measure (I used my 4 cup glass measuring cup)

With a toothpick or skewer, poke the cake in 1/2 inch intervals (um yeah less scientific with this I just made a whole bunch of pokes all over the cake). Slowly pour the liquid over the cake starting at the edges, allowing little bits of the liquid to completely soak in before pouring more. Use up all of the liquid. 

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2-24 hours

The Topping

1 tsp Instant Espresso Powder

1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

2 Cups Heavy Cream

3 Tbsp Powdered Sugar

2 Tbsp (to taste) Cocoa Powder

In Large Mixing Bowl combine the vanilla and instant espresso powder until the powder is completely

dissolved. Add in the Heavy Cream and Powdered Sugar and beat until it holds firm peaks. (be careful to not over beat, I used my regular mixer with mixer blades for this as I have used it all the time to make whipped cream like this. I have to say I would normally use more sugar to sweeten but with this cake it doesn't need to be sweeter, though I prefer a sweeter whipped cream.) 

Spread Whipped Cream over the cake and sift Cocoa Powder over the top. (I just used enough to give a good coating for looks)