Milk Madness: Tres Leches Cupcakes

My long haired, long term boyfriend eats cake in a very peculiar way. Anyone who’s ever seen him slice up a sample can attest to this fact. You see, us normal cake people eat our cake on a plate with a trusty cup of milk nearby. But my long haired, long term boyfriend? Oh no, he eats his cake in a bowl. And then he pours that cup of milk on top formulating a cake-milk stew of sorts. Granted, us cake people create a comparable concoction in our mouths – one bite cake, one sip milk. So, my boyfriend is perhaps simply trying to avoid too many dirty dishes. But why stop there? Why not put the milk in the cake itself?

Can you do that?

You bet you can!

This milky masterpiece – known as Tres Leches cake (meaning three milks) comes from Latin roots. Thought by many to be invented in Nicaragua, this “wet” cake combines three leches – condensed milk, evaporated milk, and cream. It’s a lighter sponge cake, perfect for sopping up those luscious liquids, topped with an equally light whipped cream frosting!

Drown your own cake in the cup (not the bowl) by following these easy instructions:

Tres Leches Cupcakes
(Comes from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes Book)

Ingredients:
6 Large Eggs (yolks and whites separated)
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp coarse salt
1 cup sugar
½ cup unsalted butter (melted and cooled)
½ cup all-purpose flour (sifted)
1 can evaporated milk (12 oz)
1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz)
¾ cup heavy cream
Ground cinnamon and cinnamon stick (for dusting and decoration)

1 Recipe Whipped Cream

You will also need paper-lined foil cupcake liners. Paper liners alone will not be strong enough to hold after dousing with milk.

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2) Line a cupcake or muffin tin with paper-lined foil liners.
3) With an electric mixer on medium speed, whisk together egg whites, baking soda, and salt until soft peaks form.
4) Reduce speed to low and add yolks and sugar. Whisk till completely combined.
5) Fold in melted butter with a flexible spatula.
6) Add flours in four batches, folding until just combined.
7) Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each half way. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until light golden brown (about 25 minutes).
8) Remove from oven and immediately poke holes into the cupcake tops with a skewer.
9) Whisk together evaporated milk, condensed milk, and heavy cream.
10) With cupcakes still in the tins, brush milk mixture over cupcakes, repeating until cupcakes are saturated.
11) Allow cupcakes to absorb mixture (at least 30 minutes) or up to one day in the refrigerator. Be sure to wrap tightly in plastic once cool.
12) To finish, add a dollop of whipped cream on top of the cupcakes (or pipe it with a decorating bag and tip). Dust with cinnamon and top with a cinnamon stick.
13) Serve immediately!


Photos Courtesy of Russell Gearhart Photography.