Tres Leches_three milk cake_with pictures

milk cake 

When my wife and I first saw this three milk cake (Tres Leches) recipe, we thought it may have originated in Iran because of it using pomegranate and the rich three milk mix. But, oh no; flick left, right across the globe – all the way to Mexico - with not a chilli in sight.

Here is the recipe with pictures...

For the cake

225g flour

¼ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

5 large eggs, separated

225g caster sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

½ cup full-cream milk

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Butter a 21cmx12cm loaf or cake tin and line with baking paper.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Place egg whites in a large bowl and beat ‘til stiff (to firm peaks) with a cake mixer or your old and trusted electric beater.

While still whisking/beating, gradually add the caster sugar.

Turn the motor to the lowest speed and whisk/mix in the egg yolks,

followed by the vanilla extract,

and then the lemon juice.

Fold in the flour mix and the milk.

Spoon into the tin

and bake for 40 minutes until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

For the three milks

200ml condensed milk

150ml cream

150ml full-cream milk

Combine all the ingredients in a jug. Our ‘fancy’ blue one holds exactly 500mls, so I measured the cream and milk into it first, then topped up with condensed milk.

Turn the baked cake on to a wire rack and cool for about 10 minutes.

Cut off the dark sides and feed to the birds – they’ll love you for it – assuming there are no kids in the house at the time of course...

Place the cake in a dish slightly bigger than the cake and poke holes in the top with a skewer.

Pour half the milk mix over, reserving the remainder.

Cool, then cover and refrigerate overnight so the cake can nicely soak up the milks.

For the marshmallow topping

2 egg whites,

125g caster sugar

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon rose water

2 sheets leaf gelatine (or 1,5 teaspoons powdered)

125ml boiling water

Whisk the egg whites to firm peaks then gradually whisk in the sugar and finally the lemon juice and rose water.

Soak the leaf gelatine in a dish of cold water for 2 minutes.

Squeeze out the excess moisture then dissolve the gelatine (or add powdered here) in the boiling water.

Slowly pour the gelatine into the egg mixture while whisking.

Continue whisking until the mix is cool and firm (about 8 minutes).

Pile the marshmallow mixture on top of the cake. It doesn't matter if the sides are uneven as you can tidy these up after it has set. 

Chill for at least 1 hour or for up to a day.

Our marshmallow topping didn't quite turn out like the picture in the original recipe but tasty nonetheless. Next time we might double the quantity for the marshmallow...

To serve

1/2 cup pomegranate seeds,

1/2 cup (70g) pistachios, lightly roasted and chopped.

Remove the cake from fridge 30 minutes before serving.

Using a knife dipped in hot water, tidy up the sides of the marshmallow if desired then cut the cake into 6-8 pieces.

Place each in a bowl (or deep side plate) and pour in a little extra three-milk mix.

Sprinkle with pomegranate and pistachios.

Then enjoy.

If you don’t have pomegranate and pistachios, then try a topping of whatever suits you. I’ve seen this cake’s marshmallow topping decorated with (what looked like) edible shaved gold leaf and silver balls, mango, pineapple and peaches, berries...

Special thanks to Fiona Smith and Cuisine Magazine (Issue 143, November 2010, p82) for the recipe

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three milk cake recipe with pictures

Black Doris plum, rhubarb and white chocolate trifle - recipe with pictures

trifle - plum rhubarb and white chocolate trifle

I gotta tell ya straight up – this is one seriously good, kick-ass pudding recipe.

Forget Aunty Mable’s stodgy Sherry infested trifle - this one is a real beauty.
(though I will still devour with gusto my aunty Di's traditional trifle)

Whatever you do for Christmas pudding this year - you have to try this Black Doris plum, rhubarb and white chocolate trifle…

Never buy store bought custard again; this one is actually white chocolate brûlée.

Forget raspberry jelly, THIS slightly spicy jelly with the plum juice and a healthy addition of port will be the new benchmark. The richness is perfectly balanced by the plums and rhubarb.

If you only want to make one bowl of trifle, then halve the ingredients. (I’ve typed the halved quantity ingredients and placed these at the bottom of the post).

For the sponge
8 eggs
250g caster sugar
250g high-grade flour
100g unsalted butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Prepare 2 medium springform cake tins with butter and a dusting of flour.

Break the eggs into the bowl of a cake mixer with the whisk attachment fitted. Add the sugar and turn on to medium-high speed. Beat for at least 10 minutes until the mixture is light and airy and forms a thick ribbon.

Scrape out into your largest bowl then sift in the flour and gently but quickly fold through to just combine. Follow with the melted butter in the same manner. Pour the batter into the 2 prepared tins.

Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes. Test the sponge by pressing lightly in the centre; it should gently spring back. Remove from the oven and let it cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out on a wire rack. Keep in an airtight container until required.


White Chocolate Custard/Brûlée
1 litre cream
100ml milk
200g sugar
1 vanilla bean, split (or 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract)
160g white chocolate, coarsely chopped
10 egg yolks

Preheat the oven to 130°C. 

Place the cream, milk, sugar and vanilla bean in a saucepan on medium heat. 

Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer. 

Stir occasionally until the sugar is dissolved. 

Remove from the heat and scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean halves into the hot cream and add the white chocolate. 

Stir until combined and smooth.

Place the egg yolks in a large mixing bowl. 

With a whisk, beat continuously and slowly add the hot cream into the yolks until incorporated.

Pour the custard mix into a couple of ovenproof dishes that will fit inside a high-sided roasting pan. 

Pour hot water into the roasting pan until it comes three-quarters of the way up the sides of the custard dishes. 

Cover with tinfoil and place in the centre of the oven.

Check after 20 minutes and then at 10-minute intervals. The custard is ready when it is set but still a little “nervous” in the centre. Remove from the water bath and cool at room temperature before refrigerating until required.


Black Doris Plum Jelly
2 x 850g cans Black Doris plums
200ml port
¼ cup brown sugar
6 cloves
8 allspice
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half

spices for trifle

strips of peel of ½ an orange

6 leaves gelatine

(If you don’t have gelatine leaves – but powdered gelatine instead – then use one teaspoon of powdered gelatine for every leaf of gelatine required).The standard ‘rule’ is 1½ teaspoons powdered for every 2 leaves gelatin, but I like a slightly firmer jelly for this dish

Drain the juice of the plums into a bowl and set the plums aside.

Measure out 2½ cups of the plum juice and pour into a saucepan.

Add the port, brown sugar, cloves, allspice, cinnamon stick and orange peel. 

Bring to the boil then simmer for 15 minutes.

Strain off the solids and keep the hot liquid.

Soak the gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes then, when soft, squeeze out the water and stir the leaves into the hot liquid. 

Pour into a suitable dish and refrigerate to set.

Stewed Rhubarb
800g rhubarb, coarsely chopped
½ cup orange juice
½ cup sugar

Place all the ingredients in a heavy-based saucepan, place on medium-low heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20-30 minutes until nicely stewed. 

Remove from the heat and cool then refrigerate until required.

To assemble
4 tablespoons (Black Doris) plum jam
¾ cup port

reserved Black Doris plums, quartered and stones discarded
600ml cream, whipped to soft peaks
150g white chocolate
150g milk chocolate

Cut the sponge into 3cm-thick strips then line the base of 2 large trifle bowls with them.

In a bowl, mix the jam and port until combined then brush or pour over the sponge. 

Spread the rhubarb over, 

then the plums, 

followed by the jelly cut into pieces.

Carefully spread the white chocolate custard over the fruit and jelly 

then follow with the whipped cream. 

black plum rhubarb white custard trifle

Place the trifle in the fridge.


To garnish, melt the white chocolate in a double boiler then pour on to a smooth clean oven tray and spread out thinly with a spatula. Repeat with the milk chocolate. 

Refrigerate both for 10 minutes to set. Remove and with a large knife scrape towards you over the chocolate to create thin rolls of delicate chocolate and sprinkle over the trifle.

 
To serve, scoop out portions with a large spoon, making sure you dig down to the bottom of the dish so each portion has all the components of pudding. 
Serves 12.

OR if you have time, inclination and fridge space - then dish into single serve portions.
it's fine to have small bowls of trifle made in advance

but if you layer the trifle into pilsner glasses, then best to serve it within half an hour before gravity takes over and the effect is lost

Here are half the ingredient quantities if the thought of making so much pudding scares you…

For the sponge
4 eggs
125g caster sugar
125g high-grade flour
50g unsalted butter, melted

White Chocolate Custard/Brûlée
500ml cream
50ml milk
100g sugar
1 vanilla bean, split
80g white chocolate, coarsely chopped
5 egg yolks

Black Doris Plum Jelly
1 x 850g can Black Doris plums
100ml port
¼ cup brown sugar
3 cloves
4 allspice
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
strips of peel of ¼ an orange

3 leaves gelatine

Stewed Rhubarb
400g rhubarb, coarsely chopped
¼ cup orange juice
¼ cup sugar

To assemble
2 tablespoons (Black Doris) plum jam

½ cup port
reserved Black Doris plums, quartered and stones discarded
300ml cream, whipped to soft peaks
75g white chocolate
75g milk chocolate

Special thanks to Al Brown and Cuisine Magazine for the recipe

Black Doris plum, rhubarb and white chocolate trifle recipe with pictures

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